What I did find persuasive was George’s appeal to grace. I hear George’s plea to let grace prevail. But I have to say that Bryan’s current path speaks the more apt message for our day: pursue the path of humility even if it leads to obscurity. This too might be grace prevailing.

The ongoing conversation about Dr. Bryan Chapell and the Stated Clerk position has revealed… I believe… a great deal about us as a denomination and the culture of Evangelicalism in America. Some of it is good. Some of it is… interesting. Some of it is concerning. There were the predictable reactions on social media, both for and against Dr. Chapell’s resignation/retirement. Though impossible to respond to all that has been written, I did want to “interact” with one particular article for two reasons. First, I greatly appreciated the heart of affection it expressed and second, the author is personally known to me and he even served as my pastor for a time (he did my pre-marital counseling).

Dr. George Robertson penned a brief letter to the Presbyterian Church in America[1] (I suppose it was addressed to the PCA in broad terms and not specifically addressed to the General Assembly or the Administrative Committee), “imploring” that we ask our commissioners to General Assembly to ask the Administrative Committee to approach Dr. Chapell to reconsider his decision to retire. It was a letter asking for grace and pleading that grace might prevail in reconciliation and reinstatement. It was a substantive, but also sweet appeal. I am always glad to see folks in the church express affection for each other. We need more of this.

However, while I do not relish disagreement with friends, colleagues and former shepherds, I do sometimes get crosswise with my “betters.” I must disagree with George in this matter. I am not in disagreement in seeing grace prevail, just what that might mean in this circumstance. I also disagree with his characterization of the TGC incident.

George claims the TGC incident was an anomaly for Bryan and that George, himself, learned to speak “words full of grace seasoned with salt” from Dr. Chapell. Well… it wasn’t an anomaly. He kept a running list of the “naughty.”[2] Such a list is born of a sustained attitude and disposition. One name on the list is a man who died more than 30 years ago. The list is proof itself of a sustained failing and not a momentary lapse in judgment. Flashing the list on video was a momentary lapse in judgment. What that moment revealed was not.

George points to the good Bryan has done and to his repentance as reason to keep him in the position of Stated Clerk. Indeed, the Lord has worked through Dr. Chapell to accomplish many good things. And as for his apparent repentance, wonderful! But just because a spouse is repentant of an extra marital affair and is generally a good person doesn’t mean he or she gets to stay in his or her marriage. I’m not equating Dr. Chapell’s actions with an affair but simply pointing to our repentance doesn’t mean we get to go back to the way things were.

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[1] Click here to see the letter.

[2] Many have characterized the list as an “enemies” list. I believe this is not a fair nor accurate description. I prefer to call it the “naughty” list. For more about the “naughty list” and what I think it says about Church culture at the moment, see my article “Presbyterian Polity and Dr. Bryan Chapell’s Naughty List”