PCA’s Judicial Commission Vindicates the “Jonesboro 7,” Cites Abuse by Session
The General Assembly's Judicial Commission not only rejected the unconstitutional indictment of the Temporary Session from IPC, but also vindicated the men of all charges (Part Five).
The Jonesboro 7 had suffered long and hard; they had been falsely accused, falsely convicted, barred from the Lord’s Table, but finally the Lord had vindicated His lambs, and He vindicated them through the ordinary Presbyterian process. It just took a while. But God did more than vindicate His lambs. Editorial Note: What follows relies on official... Continue Reading
Tension in Our Polity: A History of the Assistant Pastor
Is it truly Presbyterian for sessions to possess the power and right to decide who will serve as pastor of a congregation without that congregation’s vote?
In all the debates that took place on this topic, it does not appear that any of the polity tensions with BCO 17-2 inherent in the office of Assistant Pastor identified by the Ad Interim Committee were ever resolved. If we are to be a denomination who are Reformed and “always reforming,” perhaps it would... Continue Reading
Presbyterian Church in America Celebrates Fifty Years in the Tri-Cities of Tennessee
A celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Presbyterian Church in America’s ministry in the Tri-Cities area.
In June of this year, the PCA General Assembly celebrated its jubilee. Locally, the half-century milestone was marked by a service conducted on October 13th by Westminster Presbytery, the regional body of ministers and churches. Covering southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee, Westminster Presbytery has long had a reputation for its staunch adherence to the standard... Continue Reading
Transferring Church Membership is not a Violation of the Presbyterian Church in America’s Membership Vows: A Gentle Rejoinder to an Earnest Man
Acceptable reasons for leaving a local church are not enumerated in any authoritative document that the PCA recognizes.
Believers make their vows to the Church universal, and while they should be supportive of their local churches and not leave one lightly, nonetheless someone who transfers his membership to another local branch of the one Church is not guilty of infidelity to his PCA membership vows. Neither is the promise to submit to the... Continue Reading
The “Jonesboro 7” Indicted for “Imagined” Sin
A group of Christians in Jonesboro wanted to have a PCA Church in their town. But organizing a church was more difficult than expected, yet God proved abundantly sufficient and able. (Part 2)
The Jonesboro 7 did not merely want a man to whom MNA had given the “green light,” they wanted a man in whom they had confidence. They wanted a pastor who would lead the congregation in the old paths of the Reformed Faith. As Mr Lance Schackleford put it: “We wanted a reformed Presbyterian church here,... Continue Reading
Lessons from “The Jonesboro Decision”
A group of Christians in Jonesboro wanted to have a PCA Church in their town. But organizing a church was more difficult than expected, yet God proved abundantly sufficient and able. (Part 1)
What God did in the midst of great suffering was remarkable. God used this situation to knit together a church family, to teach them to wait upon Him, and to show them His goodness even in the midst of great loss and strain. As I talked with one of the “Jonesboro 7” he testified to how... Continue Reading
Dr. Brad Voyles Named President of Covenant College
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to affirm the recommendation of the Presidential Search Committee and appoint Dr. Brad Voyles as the next president of Covenant College
Since July 2023, Dr. Voyles has been serving as interim president of Covenant College in addition to his regular responsibilities….Dr. Voyles has been the Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students at Covenant College since 2005. During that time, he has provided leadership in admissions and financial aid (2018 – 2019), in business... Continue Reading
Ministry Moves Reported in 2023
Ministerial and congregational departures from the denomination.
When viewed in historical perspective (going back to 2013), it remains the case that more than any other denomination, the EPC is the destination of choice for PCA ministers transferring out of the PCA (71 in the years 2012-2022). The same move is much less common for entire congregations, despite certain high-profile examples, going back... Continue Reading
The PCA at 50: Essential Elements from the Past Will Guide the Future
Let us be ever on guard to be sure that the Bible continues to be presented in each of these seminaries as the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
In the end, the PCA did something that no other denomination had ever done before. “Committees of commissioners” were created to oversee the work of the permanent committees. In this manner, the presbyteries as courts of the church oversee the work of the committees through the ruling and teaching elders working as committees of commissioners. The... Continue Reading
Hammering Out Item 1
The aim of Item 1 is to help calm some of the division caused by a loose use of titles, and reserving in our polity the terms “deacon,” “elder,” and “pastor” to the ordained biblical offices they denote.
Item 1 passes the presbyteries and the 51st General Assembly, the most radical changes in churches may just be more clear labels of who is a “Youth Pastor” (and is ordained) and who is a “Youth Director/Coordinator” (and is unordained staff); or, who is in the ordained diaconate as distinguished from those who should properly... Continue Reading
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