The 43rd PCA General Assembly begins next week in Chattanooga, TN. At last year's GA the Cooperative Ministries Committee identified five key issues for the Presbyterian Church in America. As I understand it, they sent each issue to a subcommittee for examination and a full report will be made to this year's GA (scheduled for 2:15, next Wednesday). With that in mind, I'm bringing back to the surface the five posts on the key issues I wrote shortly after last year's GA. Think my thoughts will be reflected in the official report?
Here are the five items the CMC identified with links to my posts...
The role of women in the PCA – particularly, giving women a greater voice and more visible roles, while maintaining the denomination’s position on male ordained leadership in governing.
The elders of the PCA approach the definition of their leadership like a defeated husband. He vaguely remembers there are verses in the Bible that talk about his wife’s submission, and femininity, and silence, and gentleness, and busy-ness at home, but he’s married a woman whose father trained her not to submit, not to be feminine, not to be silent, not to be gentle, and not to be busy at home. Read on...
Homosexuality and related issues – particularly, how the PCA may best minister in a fallen world to homosexual persons, graciously sharing the Gospel and maintaining biblical standards of conduct and biblical marriage.
As we were reminded repeatedly throughout the PCA's 42nd General Assembly, committees do their work carefully, thoughtfully, and intentionally. So I take it that the particular wording of these five key areas is not just a mumble. To be fair, I did not hear the CMC's report and have not seen the document, so I am going out on a limb by trusting the writer of the byFaith article. If the byFaith staff is faithfully reporting the CMC statement, I've got a bone to pick. Read on...
The rising generation of leaders in the PCA – particularly, seeking to find new avenues of including younger people in denominational leadership.
Are the fathers of the PCA really ready to grant younger men access to the reins of power? Here's a case study based on the Board of Trustees of the denomination's Covenant Theological Seminary... Read on...
Making the General Assembly more attractive to younger pastors and ruling elders.
General Assemblies, like elder board and presbytery meetings, are work sessions. If we try to lure men to attend GA by it's attractiveness we detract from the task at hand: doing the work of the church. For me, GA would be more attractive if we dispensed with the pre-assembly sideshows and seminars and immediately got to work. Read on...
Practicing diversity well in the PCA – particularly, theological diversity within our confessional parameters, ethnic diversity, generational diversity, urban-suburban-small-town-rural diversity, worship style diversity, philosophy of ministry diversity, etc.
"Diversity" is one of those words that makes an alarm bell go off in my head. The same goes for Stanford professor Thomas Sowell:
If there is ever a contest for words that substitute for thought, “diversity” should be recognized as the undisputed world champion. You don’t need a speck of evidence, or a single step of logic, when you rhapsodize about the supposed benefits of diversity.
"Diversity" is not a Scripture-word... Read on...
Andrew Dionne is the pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Spartanburg, SC. He and his wife Sarah have six children. Read more from Andrew here.
