After this year’s GA I’ve read some blogs and heard some conversations contending those who prevailed on several important matters related to judicial cases did so through less than admirable procedures.  But I’m not persuaded that’s the case.  In most instances, the important question involved constitutional compliance, not Robert’s Rules.  Here are a few examples.... Continue Reading

Why tell a Muslim something that we are just going to have to retract later on? … I do not believe it is helpful to start out by saying something that is grossly misleading at best, and heretical at worst. It is far better to tell them of the love of Jesus Christ, and to... Continue Reading

I was also heartened by the fact that the Committee of Commissioners for the Interchurch Relations Committee (ICR) pressed the issue regarding membership in the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). The NAE is a seriously flawed organization. The ICR Permanent Committee will have to be more diligent in the coming year in reporting on what... Continue Reading

The 41st General Assembly of the PCA has adjourned in Greenville, South Carolina. There were many issues considered including paedocommunion, Leithart and Meyers’ trials, SJC nominations, Insider Movement, Overtures, and a report on Child Abuse. What follows is an overview of some of the main actions of this year’s GA. The report from the Review... Continue Reading

At its opening session on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, the 41st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America elected RE Bruce Terrell as Moderator. The PCA General Assembly is holding its annual meeting in the TD Convention Center in Greenville, S.C., through June 21. Terrell is a PCA Ruling Elder and Executive Director of... Continue Reading

Both the Administrative Committee (AC) and the Overture Committee (OC) have met and completed their recommendations on the overtures referred to them. The AC recommended answering Overtures 7 and 11 in the affirmative and Overture 1 in the negative. The OC answered Overtures 12, 13, and 15 in the affirmative, Overtures 4, 5, 6, 7,... Continue Reading

Is my doctrine in line with the doctrine of the Westminster standards? Or do I have to engage in a certain amount of mental gymnastics in order not to be a liar when I say that I “sincerely receive and adopt” the standards as “containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures”? If... Continue Reading

There are a number of seminars being presented at the 41st Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly. Some are general “how-to” seminars: General Assembly for Rookies, The Book of Church Order, Planting a Church: Who and How? Others are on topics of interest to pastors: Wise Planning. . .Looking to the Future, Can Your Church... Continue Reading

In my humble opinion (but one informed by over three decades of ministry in the PCA), our denomination is riddled with anger, pride, jealousy, competition, factions, with not a few “celebrity pastors” who drive the engines of party strife in our midst. We are in the condition of the Corinthian church, as set forth in... Continue Reading

PURPOSE: To examine issues related to decreasing Ruling Elder attendance at General Assembly and recommend changes designed to reverse this trend, which may serve to decrease the costs of attending General Assembly. The AC Subcommittee on Ruling Elder Participation at General Assembly met at 9:00 a.m. on October 3, 2012 at the Westin Hotel, Atlanta... Continue Reading