The offices of the PCA are open only to men. In some contexts, this may be unpopular or difficult to explain. Withholding ordination from men (as some have admitted doing), making one office subject to local option (as one overture would do), or blurring the lines between ordained offices and larger, informal “leadership” pools is disorderly and cannot be the answer. Presbyterian polity is simple and effective if practiced, comprehensible to members, and clearly outlined. 

Every PCA elder knows that the PCA constitution specifies two offices (elder and deacon), and that those officeholders are to be ordained. The current “crisis” in the PCA has been precipitated by churches that defy the standards by dispensing with one ordained office (deacon) or that apply the titles of office (or something very near) to those who are not ordained. This seems to be an example of contextualization—seemingly or actually modifying the polity of a PCA church to better suit a local demographic. When we say “church,” we mean session. And these sessions seem to be heavily influenced by their teaching elders. Since many of these churches are newer or recently-particularized, it is likely that most of what the sessions and members know of presbyterianism, they have learned from the pastor.

We know that differences in biblical interpretation exist—that some New Testament passages that use the Greek word(s) variously translated as servant or deacon or that describe the qualifications and function of the office of deacon are in dispute. Somehow, the disputers seem to end up as pastors or planters in city or purple-to-blue suburban contexts,1 just as young, educated, professional females do. 

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1. It is quite obvious that the PCA churches most likely to “innovate”/deviate on leadership and office tend to congregate in “metro” presbyteries.