It is incumbent to recognize that the PCA’s middle determined to assess Jesus Calling‘s fitness for use by Christians, and to inquire about the book’s history in the denomination’s discipleship and world missions efforts. I got it wrong. Did the middle?

After 25 years serving the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a rather scruffy, nobody pastor is watching what the PCA will do in June at the 52nd General Assembly. In 2014, he encountered Jesus Calling, written by Sarah Young—a career missionary for the PCA. As have many, he took offense at pages and pages of Jesus speaking anew—an imposter, a counterfeit. Foolishly, he ignored his responsibility as a Teaching Elder; arrogantly, he assumed the PCA would be too ungodly to care. At least, not as godly as himself. The idiot didn’t do anything.

Last year at the PCA’s General Assembly, he finally did something. He brought an overture against the book. It was amended by the Overtures Committee, advanced to the Assembly’s floor, tensely debated, and passed by a 5% margin. The PCA officially asked the question about Jesus Calling. Now the PCA will act on the answer. What will the PCA do in June?

Will Jesus Calling fly under the radar? It has for twenty years. The older cohorts of PCA elders are not ignorant. Perhaps silence seemed prudent. They ignored it. Surely Young’s soliloquies- from-Jesus only ephemeral Christian kitsch. Others approved it. Former moderator of the General Assembly Charle McGowan reviewed and praised the first manuscript, but told the author, “I doubt very much if you’ll be able to find a publisher for it.” Will the PCA claim it now?

Twenty years on, the Jesus Calling series has sold 45 million copies in 35 languages—children’s editions, even a Jesus Calling devotional Bible. The PCA’s own ByFaith magazine repeats the publisher’s claim that Young is “the bestselling Christian author of all time.” Outside the PCA, evangelicals have attacked it as New Age Occult channeling. Inside the PCA, there had not been significant public controversy. In 2012, Kathy Keller criticized the book as displacing the sufficiency of Scripture. PCA Pastor Todd Pruitt along with OPC minister Carl Trueman offered  criticism along the same line in 2014. Will the PCA just try to make it go away in June?

When overture #33 passed last summer, all observers were surprised, even shocked. I was the most shocked. I’m that pastor. I’m that idiot, that idiot repenting ten years later. Overtures are how the PCA fixes things. I had no earthly expectation my overture would be received, or amended, or debated on the Assembly floor—let alone passed. What on earth happened? This series of four articles seeks to explain the confusion that surprisingly failed to scuttle my overture’s purpose. That purpose is on the docket for the 52nd General Assembly in June.

Error of Expectations

In the Presbytery

I penned my overture as an act of repentance, with no earthly reason to expect success. I knew it had been ignored for 20 years. My overture was subject to two readings at quarterly stated Presbytery meetings, and only three men in the presbytery even discussed it with me. At the time of voting, no speeches for or against were offered. More words from me were superfluous, and no other member stood to speak. When it was defeated on the floor of presbytery, I was surprised by a 25% minority. That much support in my presbytery exceeded my expectations.

A rarely noticed rule allows a lone Teaching Elder to submit an overture directly to the General Assembly—if it has been considered and rejected by his presbytery. I also knew that, per Robert’s Rules of Order, a motion to postpone indefinitely can quash that opportunity. Given that three micro-popular PCA podcasts had done hour-long segments on my overture, I wondered if a proper use of RRO might end the mechanics of my repentance. It did not; thus, with no earthly expectation and a bit of embarrassment, I submitted my overture to the Stated Clerk’s office.

In the Overtures Committee

The Overtures Committee (OC) was 135 men. OC deliberates and recommends a final action to be taken by the General Assembly on each overture. They are not shy in recommending that an overture be summarily rejected. They can amend an overture as part of delivering it for the General Assembly’s decision, but the larger body cannot amend. A minority of OC can offer an alternative course of action, but the larger body cannot. OC recommends an action; the Assembly votes yes or no on that specified recommendation.

I didn’t expect even the surprising minority which I saw in my presbytery. Their deliberations would be far more substantive, as their work is more decisive. They can’t kick the can down the road. OC reflects the breadth of the PCA, being composed of two elders from each of the presbyteries across the nation. I expected that they would toss Overture #33 as the product of some crazy from some corner.

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Editor’s [Ref21] Note: The views expressed by the author are not necessarily the views expressed by Ref21 or the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.