Beautiful Gospel Centered Ministry in the PCA
Old School Confessional Presbyterians need to be more intentional in the language they use to describe themselves and communicate their goals in the PCA.
We need to do better by the Reformed faith. We should not shun words like beautiful, nuance, winsome, and missional, but find ways to use them and use them properly: to extol the virtues of the Westminster Standards as a philosophy of ministry and summary of the Scripture’s teaching. Language shapes the way people think and heavily influences... Continue Reading
So It Begins: PCA Presbyteries to Vote on BCO Amendments
The 50th General Assembly in Memphis was marked by both grace and truth. The temperatures from the previous recent Assemblies were nowhere to be found.
This pair of amendments was drafted in light of the failure of Overture 2022-15 from the 49th General Assembly in response to Side-B homosexuality and the Revoice Movement. Many actions have already been taken to address this controversy in the PCA (i.e. a study committee on human sexuality, an SJC decision on the handling of Revoice, corrective responses concerning... Continue Reading
Progressive Legalism & Postmodern Chaos in the PCA
The postmodern ethos is alive and well, even in the PCA.
I know that legalism exists in a lot of forms. Self-Righteousness is insidious and must be repented of wherever it rears its head in every wing of the PCA. But this issue of loophole legalism and obfuscation in the use of language is insidious. While men are playing fast and loose with language the sheep... Continue Reading
Yes, We Need Overture 23
By a vote of 1673-223, the Fiftieth General Assembly of the PCA overwhelmingly approved Overture 23 submitted by the Mississippi Valley Presbytery.
Overture 23, however, provides a unique opportunity to unite around language that avoids the unclear and potentially harmful while humbly and joyfully affirming the Biblical standards for sexual holiness we expect from the Officers of Christ’s Church. I was delighted to vote in its favor, will work with others for its passage in our Presbyteries,... Continue Reading
Irony & the PCA: Analyzing Growth
David Hall's history of the PCA's first half-century charts the denomination's progress from a small, remnant, regional church to become a nation-wide denomination.
There is strength in the PCA. It is not time for a funeral. Instead, it is time for a sober assessment and perhaps some correction of purpose and strategy statements. Considering these dismal performances (if that is one’s assessment), one might ask, “How has the PCA grown?” That answer could be the most positive thing... Continue Reading
A Response to: “Music at the GA and the PCA”
One of the great privileges we enjoy in the PCA is gathering each year with like-minded commissioners and guests at our annual General Assembly.
What all those times of worship at our General Assemblies have had in common every year was enthusiastic congregational singing, from metrical psalms to classical hymns to contemporary songs. All of that made the recent article, that was so critical of the singing at the Assembly, to be so very disappointing. One of the... Continue Reading
Addressing Abuse & Defending the Bride
Scandal mongers and abuse activists try to portray the Christ's bride as a haven for abusers with vague, yet salacious accusations. But this is not the way.
The PCA has a structure for bringing charges against members and officers, and it requires two witnesses of an alleged offense. These two witnesses may be either people or material (e.g., police report). But these scandal-mongering blogs bypass the judicial system of the Church entirely and instead slander the good name and reputation of the... Continue Reading
Of Atheists and Oaths
We cannot pretend that an oath is something other than someone calling upon God as witness and judge.
The question about atheists and oaths does not need to be resolved by making philosophical arguments about the rational instability of atheism; by exploring sociological data suggesting atheists are an honest bunch; or by offering probabilistic judgments about whether a certain atheist will tell the truth in a particular instance. These questions, though interesting and... Continue Reading
Abuse, the PCA, and Her Constitution
The 50th General Assembly approved some changes to the Constitution, but also rejected many. Is the PCA in crisis? Or does the Constitution already provide the means to remedy these concerns?
There is no need to despair because of what the General Assembly did not do this year or because of a few hostile and misleading headlines. Instead, those who genuinely and passionately care about preventing abuse, ministering to abuse survivors, and calling abusers to repentance (remember that is the purpose of the Church Court), should study our... Continue Reading
An Excerpt from “Irony and the Presbyterian Church in America,” An Informed History of the First Half Century of the PCA.
The excerpt: “The 1996 (24th) General Assembly: Without A Vision (Or The Concerned) The People Did Just Fine.”
This book is an informed history of the first half century of a denomination formed in 1973. Other works discuss the events and personalities which led up to the founding of the Presbyterian Church in America, but this one traces the development and history of that church from 1973-2023. This volume benefits from the observations... Continue Reading
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