The way the Reformed Christian community talks about, responds to, and values women needs much work. I hope that the newly formed study committee on the role of women in the PCA will conduct a more thorough investigation into what these many unanswered questions affecting women actually are before they start attempting to answer them.... Continue Reading

Contention over the PCA’s stance against female ordination isn’t new. In 2009, the general assembly narrowly voted (446–427) against creating a committee to study women’s roles. Even before that, the denomination argued over whether commissioning “deaconesses” to help male deacons is tantamount to ordaining them. (Tim Keller argued for commissioning, and not ordaining, deaconesses.)  ... Continue Reading

But if the PCA is going to corporately repent for sins committed by PCUS churches in the south during the battles over civil rights then let us also as a denomination repent for the northeastern PCUSA’s sins of rejecting the authority of Scripture and de-gospeling missions. Is not the PCUSA our parent denomination? Under this... Continue Reading

This pastor remains far more concerned that the peace of our church will be wounded by unwitting defenses and advocacies, which employ legislative fiat, in thesi deliverances, or manipulating things such that voting among the grassroots presbyteries is strictly avoided.  That may be the way to win a demagogic vote, but it’s a surefire way... Continue Reading

The overture on racial reconciliation will not abruptly change the culture of an entire denomination. Anyone who thinks otherwise is ripe for disappointment. At the same time, approving this statement makes a statement. It says to people both within and outside the PCA that we stand against racism in all its forms and commit ourselves... Continue Reading

The Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly, meeting in Mobile, Ala., voted on June 23 to approve Overture 43 on racial reconciliation. This action began when a personal resolution on racial reconciliation was presented to the 43rd PCA General Assembly in 2015. After debate on the resolution, a motion was approved to recommend to the... Continue Reading

The Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC) of the Presbyterian Church in America approved sending a recommendation to the PCA General Assembly that it erect a study committee on the issue of women serving in the ministry of the church. This proposal was assigned to the Committee of Commissioners (CoC) reviewing the work of the Administrative Committee... Continue Reading

On Monday, June 20, the Overtures Committee considered these overtures and voted to recommend that Overture 43 from Potomac Presbytery be answered in the affirmative as amended, and all other overtures be answered with reference to Overture 43. The action of the Overtures Committee, which adopted it by a vote of 8 5-3, is a... Continue Reading

Overtures calling for both propose we take action at both the denominational level and the local level. I find myself in favor of this approach. Admittedly without offering an extended defense of my opinion, let me briefly highlight the key considerations persuading me. First, I believe the covenantal considerations found in Ezra and Nehemiah’s examples... Continue Reading

After all, how can we solve problems if we cannot state specific, identifiable, perhaps quantifiable issues that must be addressed? How can we learn about those specific problems if we do not take the time to ferret out the details and perform something like a root cause analysis? And how can we reach a final... Continue Reading