Ordained PCA ministers (as well as those considering ministry in the PCA) who differ from the PCA’s theological Standards have two options before them: (1) They may lay aside their personal freedom and respect the denomination’s doctrine for the good of others and in the service of others, or (2) They may seek to enter a denomination closer to their theological convictions where they can serve the Lord in good conscience. What they should not do is voluntarily join a denomination that they differ with and then claim the church is “binding their conscience” when they are instructed not to teach the doctrines that are contrary to the denominational Standards.

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) practices ‘good-faith subscription’ when it comes to its confessional Standards. According to the Book of Church Order (BCO 19-2), each presbytery is to ask candidates for the gospel ministry, as part of an examination for licensure, where they differ with the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

The candidate is to state where he differs with the Standards, and it is up to the presbytery to determine if an ‘exception’ is to be granted. The presbytery may only grant an exception so long as the difference is not “out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine.” A stated difference is defined as being “out of accord with any fundamental of our system of doctrine” when it is “hostile to the system” or “strikes at the vitals of religion” (BCO 21-4(f)). This provision allows pastors to minister within the bounds of the denomination while personally holding to a position that is contrary to the theology of the denomination.

However, there is disagreement within the PCA as to whether or not a man may teach his stated differences to the standards. Some have reasoned that since an exception was granted, then teaching that exception is permissible. Others disagree. This disagreement was played out recently at the General Assembly. The Assembly took issue with a presbytery that prohibited a man from teaching his stated difference in one year, but came to the opposite conclusion the following year. Some of the common exceptions granted by presbyteries have to do with the creation days, Sabbath recreation, and images of Christ. Some PCA ministers have even written publicly disagreeing with their denomination’s theology.

This article will argue that officers in the church should not be allowed to teach their stated differences to the Standards, even when those differences as granted as permissible exceptions by a presbytery. The argument is threefold—by instructing ministers to not teach their differences, PCA presbyteries model cohesion as a denomination, prevent corruption of its theological tradition, and avoid confusion among PCA members.

Modeling Cohesion

As a denomination, the PCA has adopted the Westminster Confession and Catechisms as its theological Standards. BCO 26-1 states:

The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America, which is subject to and subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word of God, consists of its doctrinal standards set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms…

The PCA has declared, as a denomination, that it believes this historic Confession and Catechisms faithfully summarize what is contained in the inerrant Word of God. Therefore, the standard for the church should be the standard for its churches. What is taught in PCA pulpits and institutions ought to conform to the denomination’s theology. Hence, when a presbytery grants an exception to a minister, it does not undermine the standards of the denomination. It simply allows that man to serve in the bounds of a PCA church or ministry. What it does not do is allow a man to teach contrary to our Standards because the Standards of the denomination do not change—regardless of what individual ministers may privately believe.

Because the PCA holds that their theological Standards are subordinate to the Word of God, there is a constitutional way to amend its theology. BCO 26-3 explains the appropriate way to change the doctrine of the church requires an approval of three-fourths of a General Assembly, an approval of three-fourths of the presbyteries, and an approval of three-fourths of a subsequent Assembly. Thus, there is a high bar for changing the PCA Standards.

Yet the question may rightly be raised, why do we allow such a high bar to change our theology if presbyteries can allow ministers to undermine that doctrine by teaching their differences? When exceptions to the Standards are widely taught and practiced by PCA ministers, they become de facto amendments to the Standards of the church. The unity of the PCA as a denomination demands that we forbid pastors from teaching their differences. Otherwise, at least theologically, we are functionally 87 quasi-denominations. On a practical level, this unity is important because  it makes it easy for PCA members to find a church for the first time or transfer to a new congregation. They do not have to ask each local church what they believe because PCA churches are bound to uphold the Westminster Standards. It is the Standards that unifies us, as we confess them together as a body.

Preventing Corruption

A second reason why the PCA should not allow officers to publicly teach their differences is in order to prevent corruption of the denomination’s theology. To be clear, I am not making a moral statement about the officers in the PCA that have stated differences to the Standards. I am not claiming that they are heretics or anything of the kind. I personally know many godly men in the PCA that have differences with the Confession and Catechisms. What I am saying is that any public teaching that is contrary to the theology of the PCA within its pulpits and institutions alters or dilutes the doctrine that our church confesses.

We are not relativists when it comes to our theology. If the PCA genuinely believes that the Westminster Standards contain the best doctrinal summary of the Scriptures, then it ought to be extra vigilant in making sure that nothing contrary to those Standards are taught in its churches. This is especially true since the PCA does not require its members to subscribe to the Westminster Standards.

Consider the following scenario: There is a PCA church where the majority of the membership does not come from a Reformed background. The ministers on staff were granted exceptions by their presbytery on images of Christ and Sabbath recreation. Since they were granted these exceptions, they openly teach that it is permissible to make images of Jesus and to engage in worldly recreations on the Lord’s Day.

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