“The PCA is on the verge of a catastrophic misjudgment. We will wrongly demean a longstanding servant of Christ, do significant harm to the office of the State[d] Clerk, and thus to the health and peace of our denomination.”

Fathers and brothers (and others),

Over the last few days I have been deeply engaged in a tragic circumstance that is threatening a good and faithful servant of our Lord, Dr. Bryan Chapell, as well as the good of our branch of the Church. I will assume you have seen the reports in “byFaith,” and, probably, in other more dubious sources. One concerned brother has described the situation with clarity:

I’m greatly saddened by the internet scandal-spreaders. If it was wrong for Bryan to hold up a slip of unreadable paper, it was far worse for people to make the slip readable, publish the names, and then spread it around the internet. It was they that scandalized the names, more so than Bryan. The failure to realize that is weighing very heavy on me. How can our brothers and sisters – including ordained men – not see that?

My response was:

You have exactly and eloquently expressed my view of the matter. On the one hand, I am mystified, and grieved, at such wretchedness. On the other hand, it certainly is consistent with our me-too, gotcha, cancel culture. How miserable that the spirit of the age is driving out the spirit of gentleness that is our high calling (Gal. 6:1).

Now it is being said, that because of this circumstance, Dr. Chapell must resign, for the good of the church. But how can there be allegation, conviction and censure without any due process? How can such a thing be carried out without any attempt at reconciliation or restoration, with respect to one who has been a faithful and fruitful ordained servant of the Lord for some 50 years? Such a course violates every principle of justice and mercy, revealed in both creation and redemption.

Because of my concern, I want you to see what I have written to Dr. Chapell. In my judgement, the PCA is on the verge of a catastrophic misjudgment. We will wrongly demean a longstanding servant of Christ, do significant harm to the office of the State[d] Clerk, and thus to the health and peace of our denomination. All of this will be dishonoring the Lord of the church. If I am correct, surely we all, as commissioners to the Assembly, should be deeply troubled by the prospect.

[Dr. Chapell] My brother, if the PCA submits to “trial” of a denominational officer by social media, how will anyone be able to provide actual leadership, as opposed to merely blending into the background, or, worse yet, capitulating to, and thus facilitating, the current mob majority?

I am not privy to all that is going on, but do you really believe that you should resign? [A  former denominational officer] actually did violate the 9th commandment, live and in person, at one of our Assemblies years ago. There was some grumbling, but no one spoke of filing charges or demanding that he resign. It was considered a tolerable weakness of the flesh, under the pressure of the moment, without intention to do harm (Prov. 19:11). And the fact is, on the evidence, I do not believe you lied.

Your departure, in these circumstances, will profoundly debilitate the office of the Stated Clerk, an office that you have adorned by your labors. Further, in our current circumstances, is it likely to calm the waters, or roil them, for the PCA to be forced to choose a new clerk? It seems to me the latter.

Thus, if you are resigning for the sake of the peace of the church, it may well lead to the opposite. And in any case, it will almost certainly lead to a less qualified man in the office.

When I spoke to Chairman McDaniel, it seemed to me that he agreed with my assessment: I take it the Committee was more adamantly negative.

My brother, you have served the Lord faithfully and well, in a host of circumstances over many years. You deserve a rest. I can understand if you have concluded that you don’t have the calling continue your current labors—to continue to fight the good fight in this circumstance.

But let me say that I would be grateful to stand with you, and to recruit others of like mind, to try to persuade our brothers that it would be a catastrophic miscalculation to so demean you, the office of the Stated Clerk, and the future leadership of the PCA, by forcing resignation upon you. Please forgive me if I speak out of place, specially given my lack of information as to all the facts [of your thinking]. But I wanted you to be reminded that there are many who would support your cause for the sake of Christ and this branch of His Church. I am grateful to be numbered among that company, and I would be happy to rally others to support your cause.

Your servant in Christ,

David

Dr. David F. Coffin Jr. is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He served as a pastor at New Hope Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Va., for more than thirty years.