The Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, through her Testimony, has in effect long been amending the Westminster Standards, so I don’t think my proposal as controversial as some might conclude.

Last month, a post I wrote expressing admiration of the PCA General Assembly’s decision to not issue an in thesi declaration on an issue already settled by the Westminster Standards provoked a negative reaction from some who think such deliverances rather useful. The reactions of which I’m aware failed to persuade me on that point. However, a particular issue was raised in the “discusion” which I think warrants some further comment.

What ought we (that is, presbyterians) do regarding issues and errors not already addressed by the Westminster Standards? In my opinion, the major example of this class in our day is the entire area of sex and gender relationships, with specific reference to the nature and extent of male headship in the Church and home. My solution is rather simple: because the Church needs authoritative guidance, the confessional standards should be amended to give it.

I presented a paper, “A Time To Fight: Sex, Gender, and the Confessions of the Reformed Churches in North America” at a Presbytery of the Dakotas (OPC) symposium in September 2011 which argued precisely this point.   (Editor’s Note:  That paper is available in full here.  We highly recommend reading this proposal.)

That paper (a mere five pages in length) suggested a process for amending confessional standards throughout the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches and dealt with several standard objections to doing this kind of thing, so I won’t repeat them here.

While my paper dealt with a specific doctrinal issue, I believe my arguments could reasonably be deployed regarding other matters as well. The Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, through her Testimony, has in effect long been amending the Westminster Standards, so I don’t think my proposal as controversial as some might conclude.

Better, I continue to think, an amended confession than an impotent declaration.

Matthew W. Kingsbury a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian church and serves as pastor of Park Hill Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Denver, CO.  This article first appeaed in his blog, Presbyterian Curmudgeon, and is used with his permission.