An action I alluded to above, concerning Freemasonry, is a good example of that. We as a Synod passed some recommendations about Secret Societies, which include a set of questions that a local church session can use to help their members and other members of the local church think through whether or not being a... Continue Reading

I realize that this compromise solution will not satisfy those who honestly believe that the Bible teaches that women should be ordained to the office of deacon, nor will it satisfy those who believe that keeping existing female deacons in their office is a scandal, but it is simply impossible to propose a solution to... Continue Reading

How should the Session deal with these providential hinderances? When dealing with such rare and unavoidable circumstances, the Session must clearly be guided by biblical wisdom and principles, objective certainties, and sound reasoning, and not by speculation, worldly wisdom, and unsupported fear. The Session should lean on what is “known” rather than what is “unknown”... Continue Reading

Mr. Bill McKay, an elder at Grace Presbyterian Church in Woodstock, Ontario is the Moderator Elect. Reverend Lee Shelnutt made the motion saying what a dear friend McKay is. McKay is a member of the World Witness Board, Clerk of Session at Grace, and Clerk of the Canadian Presbytery. He is retired from a printing... Continue Reading

Turning now to the more central question asked of the committee in regards to human sexuality and GLBTQ+ orientations it is shown by the Confession and Catechisms, as it already was illustrated by the Scriptures, that there is no sense in which any sin, be they of a sexual kind or not, can be rested... Continue Reading

This incident comes as the U.S. Supreme Court gears up to take the case of Jack Philliips, the Christian baker who was ordered by the the Colorado Civil Rights Commission to serve wedding cake to LGBT couples — or none at all. The high court agreed in June to hear the case this fall.   A Christian... Continue Reading

I am a realist. Our doctrine of sin says sin happens. One glorious meeting of Synod is not a cure-all. It is only a beginning. We expect hard days ahead. We expect failures and sins. But we also expect grace-days when “the Lord shows up and shows out.” Indeed, when leaders of our institutions transparently... Continue Reading

The Theological & Social Concerns Committee of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church presented an extensive report at the Synod, which met June 7-9, 2016, on the issue race relations and the ARP.  In addition, the following motion was also approved overwhelmingly: “We, the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, do confess the sinful... Continue Reading

The first petition was approved by the faculty on March 10, and was addressed to the members of the Erskine board as well as the Moderator of the General Synod of the ARP. It requests the board “to facilitate the separation of the college and the seminary as soon as possible.” The second petition was... Continue Reading

This meeting served as something of a family reunion of churches that have been separated as they are since 1782. We have rich theological similarities, a shared history (evidenced by many shared surnames), and similar visions for ministry that tie us more closely than other denominations. Most of all, we have an organic union in... Continue Reading