Irony & the PCA: Analyzing Growth
David Hall's history of the PCA's first half-century charts the denomination's progress from a small, remnant, regional church to become a nation-wide denomination.
There is strength in the PCA. It is not time for a funeral. Instead, it is time for a sober assessment and perhaps some correction of purpose and strategy statements. Considering these dismal performances (if that is one’s assessment), one might ask, “How has the PCA grown?” That answer could be the most positive thing... Continue Reading
A Response to: “Music at the GA and the PCA”
One of the great privileges we enjoy in the PCA is gathering each year with like-minded commissioners and guests at our annual General Assembly.
What all those times of worship at our General Assemblies have had in common every year was enthusiastic congregational singing, from metrical psalms to classical hymns to contemporary songs. All of that made the recent article, that was so critical of the singing at the Assembly, to be so very disappointing. One of the... Continue Reading
Addressing Abuse & Defending the Bride
Scandal mongers and abuse activists try to portray the Christ's bride as a haven for abusers with vague, yet salacious accusations. But this is not the way.
The PCA has a structure for bringing charges against members and officers, and it requires two witnesses of an alleged offense. These two witnesses may be either people or material (e.g., police report). But these scandal-mongering blogs bypass the judicial system of the Church entirely and instead slander the good name and reputation of the... Continue Reading
Of Atheists and Oaths
We cannot pretend that an oath is something other than someone calling upon God as witness and judge.
The question about atheists and oaths does not need to be resolved by making philosophical arguments about the rational instability of atheism; by exploring sociological data suggesting atheists are an honest bunch; or by offering probabilistic judgments about whether a certain atheist will tell the truth in a particular instance. These questions, though interesting and... Continue Reading
Abuse, the PCA, and Her Constitution
The 50th General Assembly approved some changes to the Constitution, but also rejected many. Is the PCA in crisis? Or does the Constitution already provide the means to remedy these concerns?
There is no need to despair because of what the General Assembly did not do this year or because of a few hostile and misleading headlines. Instead, those who genuinely and passionately care about preventing abuse, ministering to abuse survivors, and calling abusers to repentance (remember that is the purpose of the Church Court), should study our... Continue Reading
An Excerpt from “Irony and the Presbyterian Church in America,” An Informed History of the First Half Century of the PCA.
The excerpt: “The 1996 (24th) General Assembly: Without A Vision (Or The Concerned) The People Did Just Fine.”
This book is an informed history of the first half century of a denomination formed in 1973. Other works discuss the events and personalities which led up to the founding of the Presbyterian Church in America, but this one traces the development and history of that church from 1973-2023. This volume benefits from the observations... Continue Reading
Encouragements from the Jubilee Assembly
The 50th Assembly was filled with tangible signs of God’s faithfulness to the PCA, the Continuing Presbyterian Church as she returns to the old paths.
God is faithfully raising up new generations of men to shepherd His people and hold the PCA to faithfulness. Let us continue to pray His blessing upon His church for her next 50 years. One former PCA Moderator characterized the Memphis Assembly as “the most significant in a generation.” The PCA has been at... Continue Reading
A Summary Report of the Reformed Presbyterian Church Synod 2023
The 191st Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) met at Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind., from June 20-23 2023.
Following the preaching, eleven first time delegates were introduced to the court, six of whom serve as pastors and the remaining 5 as ruling elders. Nominations were then open for moderator. Much to his surprise, Rev. Dr. Pete Smith of Covenant Fellowship RP Church was elected. He was an excellent moderator. The Psalmist says,... Continue Reading
Ruling Elder Renaissance
The late increase in ruling elder participation is a fitting tribute to the founders of the PCA.
The founders of the PCA viewed ruling elders as a reliable, commonsense bulwark against doctrinal and denominational decline. The founders were not insensible to the fact that teaching elder professors and influential large-church pastors had presided over the liberalization of the old Southern mainline church from whence the PCA came. The recently-concluded 50th Presbyterian... Continue Reading
Retraction Refused: The PCA’s Magazine Stands By Its Claims in David Cassidy’s “Prayer and Work in the Face of Violence”
It is one thing to make factual mistakes; it is another to justify mistakes by appealing to sources that do not discuss the same thing or group of people as claimed.
If this were an isolated occurrence it would be one thing; regrettably, this does not seem to be the case. If one were to summarize the crisis of evangelicalism in America today, he could probably do so best by saying that its internal struggles arise because its institutions do not represent the vast majority... Continue Reading
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