Reasons for PCA Presbyteries to Vote YES on Amending BCO 35-11
Presbyteries should vote FOR approving the BCO 35-11 amendment.
The amendment closes this loophole while fully maintaining the rights of the accused. The accused may still appeal the decision of the lower court to the higher court for the reasons listed in BCO 42-3. But the higher court can only hear the matter after the lower court, the proper court of jurisdiction, has ruled... Continue Reading
Reasons to Support the GA’s Proposed Change to BCO 25-11
For the several reasons stated in this article the change to BCO 25-11 should be heartily supported.
With 30-days-notice, congregation members lose no rights. Greater notice actually protects their rights. And this proposal has NOTHING to do with property. That’s a red herring. This proposal simply prevents a Session from calling a short-notice meeting on an important matter. Congregations can still make a disaffiliation decision by a simple majority vote. Regarding the PCA General Assembly’s proposed... Continue Reading
Reasons for PCA Presbyteries to Vote NO on Amending BCO 25-11
There are no urgent, necessary, historical, structural, compelling or rational reasons to amend BCO 25-11.
Over the PCA’s 47 year history, hundreds of churches have chosen to withdraw from the PCA for a variety of reasons. BCO 25.8-11 makes it abundantly clear that the PCA, from its inception, chose to enshrine in its Constitution the principle of granting congregations full rights over their own property and the liberty to choose... Continue Reading
It’s Time for an Electronic PCA General Assembly
An Electronic General Assembly would be live-streamed via the Internet with some commissioners present and others in their home location.
What is an Electronic General Assembly? Since the Assembly is presently live-streamed via the Internet, I think our high-tech people could develop something I call a Distance Voting Commissioner (DVC). Legitimate representatives not present from a PCA church would be able to read reports from Committees and listen to the debates online. Then, at the... Continue Reading
PCA Foundation President Announces Retirement
PCA Foundation President, Randy Stair, has informed the board of directors of the PCA Foundation of his intent to retire from his current role as of June 30, 2019.
Randy Stair has served as President of the PCA Foundation since 1998. During his 21 years of leadership, the amount of donations to the Foundation has been over $205 million, the amount of grant distributions to ministry over $145 million and total assets have grown from $17 million to over $91 million. The staff and... Continue Reading
The Preliminary Principles in the PCA Book of Church Order
The Preliminary principles are generally recognized as having been authored by the Rev. John Witherspoon.
“Since the 16th Century Protestant Reformation, there have been numerous Reformed denominations with varying forms of church polity — some more hierarchical and others more democratic. These eight principles were originally adopted by the first American General Assembly in 1789. Our American Presbyterian forefathers had come to America with fresh memories of the persecutions under... Continue Reading
Actions of the 46th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America
A report of the 46th PCA General Assembly held June 13-15 in Atlanta from the Stated Clerk.
As the 2017 Assembly was historic in electing RE Dr. Alexander Jun as the first Korean-American Moderator of the General Assembly, the 2018 Assembly was historic in unanimously electing Rev. Dr. Irwin Ince as the first African-American Moderator…. Dr. Ince moderated the 2018 General Assembly with the efficiency of an engineer, the wisdom of a... Continue Reading
Reflections from Inside the Overtures Committee at the 46th PCA General Assembly
Or, how the proposed amendment to BCO 59, the Marriage Chapter, at the PCA GA was finally drafted and approved.
The PCA General Assembly voted to propose that BCO 59-3 be given constitutional authority and amended it to read: “Marriage is only to be between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24-25; Matt. 19:4-6; 1 Cor. 7:2), in accordance with the Word of God. Therefore ministers in the Presbyterian Church in America who solemnize marriages... Continue Reading
Without ‘Gravity,’ We Will Be Carried About by Every Wind of Doctrine
Reasons to Defeat Overtures 11, 15 and 27 at the 46th PCA General Assembly
Overtures 11, 15, and 27 recommend that the term “grave” be replaced by “dignified,” citing the fact that the Greek word that is translated as “grave” in the KJV is translated as “dignified” in the ESV. While “dignified” is a fine word, it conveys a different sense than “grave.” To be dignified is to carry... Continue Reading
Mere Presbyterianism
A call to Mere Presbyterianism is not an appeal for confessional or theological reductionism. On the contrary, it’s an earnest plea for confessional integrity.
Without getting into the weeds of the strict vs. good faith subscription debate, I simply want to encourage my fellow PCA teaching and ruling elders to prioritize in our churches that which our Reformed Confession prioritizes, especially as it concerns the Gospel, worship, confessionalism, piety, and missions. To be clear, this call to Mere Presbyterianism... Continue Reading
