The PCA Study Committee Report is an excellent resource for pastors, missionaries, mission committees, and others who support or are involved in missionary efforts.  It also has significant implications for the local outreach of the church not only to Muslim but also to the Jewish, the GLBT, and other communities.  However, it can appear a... Continue Reading

Overall, the 42nd General Assembly proved to be an irenic meeting, even though several controversial matters were considered. The goodwill demonstrated may be attributed to the Overtures Committee’s helpful work, the Moderator’s wisdom and grace in moderating, and the Christian spirit evinced by commissioners both in committee and Assembly sessions, as a genuine meeting of... Continue Reading

“If you take a look at the docket of GA, there is currently precious little time for fellowship, especially as each year the assembly seems to press harder and harder to get done before Thursday evening. As a result, fellowship takes place late, after the evening services, or it takes men away from the assembly... Continue Reading

For those who will admonish me, “but our standards ALREADY (in effect) say such things; there is no need to repeat ourselves,” my response will be a simple, “and where would you and I be if God did not repeatedly, page after page, remind and admonish us of our sin and need of Jesus Christ?” If... Continue Reading

“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