“We’ve said it already so we don’t need to say it again,” simply does not work. Statements of faith and doctrinal affirmations must be restated at various times for various reasons. Our memories are short. Our resolve is often weak. For instance, the PCA has clearly and consistently ruled that theistic evolution is inconsistent with... Continue Reading

Not everyone in my position would agree with my stance on this particular issue; but I think members of our congregations who struggle with same-sex attraction, believing such activity to be sin, would agree with this: we need the church to speak clearly and compassionately on this matter. Please, fellow elders and pastors, don’t be wishy-washy... Continue Reading

The PCA became the first major Western denomination to take an official stand against IM.  Rather than merely seeking vague influence by having a seat at a table somewhere we have simply stood up on our own terms and assumed a leadership role on IM.  Beyond bringing much needed clarity to our own churches and... Continue Reading

Husband: No, the right way of making decisions like this is to never revisit them. Wife: I’d like to change what we call “the right way” of making decisions. Here is my proposal… Husband: Even though this is something totally new, it incorporates one element of the way we used to make decisions, which I... Continue Reading

The entire General Assembly of the theologically conservative Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) unanimously and publicly adopted Overture 6 – perhaps the most robust statement on child protection adopted by any Christian denomination.  Though I was honored to serve alongside some amazing folks in drafting this historic resolution, I was quite skeptical that such a... Continue Reading

“The unofficial motto of the PCA is “we’re a grassroots denomination.” That may at one time have been true. But we need to stop lying to ourselves. The PCA is run by the denomination’s program committees and the large and influential churches and presbyteries. The only hope for a real grassroots PCA is the move... Continue Reading

The 42nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has adjourned in Houston, Texas. There were many issues considered including Insider Movements, child abuse, and prayer for Christians facing penalties for their stance on abortion and homosexuality. What follows is an overview of some of the main actions of this year’s GA. Unlike previous... Continue Reading

This could have been a snapshot of the PCA 10 years ago, or 40 years ago. The PCA’s doctrine, confession, and the grassroots are about the same. There have always been reformers on the peripheries who sought to mold the PCA into a more conservative or a more liberal direction. Over the decades, the middle... Continue Reading

Be it resolved that the Presbyterian Church in America expresses its gratitude to the Lord for sustaining by His grace ministers of the gospel, chaplains, and Christians serving in the public sphere who are experiencing ostracism, penalties, and persecution for taking a Biblically faithful sand for the sanctity of human life and declining to participate... Continue Reading

The sessions on race, history, and diversity may have been pebbles dropping in the pond of the PCA. Pebbles, by definition are small, but they also cause ripples. And those ripples may begin to rock the cultural stagnation from segments of the denomination. But ripples take time to spread. Who knows how long it will be... Continue Reading