The Northwest Georgia Presbytery approved an overture at its August 10, 2018 Stated Meeting, asking the 47th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America to approve a plan for releasing Covenant Theological Seminary from the oversight and any accompanying restrictions of the Presbyterian Church in America; with a generous financial subsidy provided by encouraging... Continue Reading

So one must wonder how this RPCES report—which was still fresh at the Joining and Receiving—could have been a nuanced expression of biblical and Reformed orthodoxy in the early 1980s, while these same beliefs are denounced as heresy by some in the PCA 38 years later.   When the northern Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod... Continue Reading

Consider that the proposed amendment is attached to BCO 25-11, which directs congregations to follow the “applicable civil laws” (used a number of times in this provision) when voting on whether to withdraw. The effect of placing the proposed amendment at the end of the last paragraph of BCO 25-11 will cause conflict and confusion... Continue Reading

The amendment closes this loophole while fully maintaining the rights of the accused. The accused may still appeal the decision of the lower court to the higher court for the reasons listed in BCO 42-3. But the higher court can only hear the matter after the lower court, the proper court of jurisdiction, has ruled... Continue Reading

With 30-days-notice, congregation members lose no rights. Greater notice actually protects their rights.  And this proposal has NOTHING to do with property. That’s a red herring.  This proposal simply prevents a Session from calling a short-notice meeting on an important matter.  Congregations can still make a disaffiliation decision by a simple majority vote.     Regarding the PCA General Assembly’s proposed... Continue Reading

Over the PCA’s 47 year history, hundreds of churches have chosen to withdraw from the PCA for a variety of reasons. BCO 25.8-11 makes it abundantly clear that the PCA, from its inception, chose to enshrine in its Constitution the principle of granting congregations full rights over their own property and the liberty to choose... Continue Reading

What is an Electronic General Assembly?  Since the Assembly is presently live-streamed via the Internet, I think our high-tech people could develop something I call a Distance Voting Commissioner (DVC).  Legitimate representatives not present from a PCA church would be able to read reports from Committees and listen to the debates online.  Then, at the... Continue Reading

Randy Stair has served as President of the PCA Foundation since 1998. During his 21 years of leadership, the amount of donations to the Foundation has been over $205 million, the amount of grant distributions to ministry over $145 million and total assets have grown from $17 million to over $91 million. The staff and... Continue Reading

“Since the 16th Century Protestant Reformation, there have been numerous Reformed denominations with varying forms of church polity — some more hierarchical and others more democratic. These eight principles were originally adopted by the first American General Assembly in 1789. Our American Presbyterian forefathers had come to America with fresh memories of the persecutions under... Continue Reading

As the 2017 Assembly was historic in electing RE Dr. Alexander Jun as the first Korean-American Moderator of the General Assembly, the 2018 Assembly was historic in unanimously electing Rev. Dr. Irwin Ince as the first African-American Moderator…. Dr. Ince moderated the 2018 General Assembly with the efficiency of an engineer, the wisdom of a... Continue Reading