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I am very thankful for the PCA—for the men and women on both "wings" of the denomination, and everyone in between. We need each other, even (and especially) when good-faith criticism is necessary.
People often ask me why I stay in the PCA—people from both “wings” as well as former-PCA and never-PCA folks. The long answer might need a blog post, but the short answer is this:
I affirm the Westminster Confession of Faith (save for the typical exceptions, taken also by those far more "conservative" than I am). The PCA is where I was catechized (under the teaching of Bob Hayes at Covenant PCA in Panama City).
The PCA is where I first heard the gospel and where I came to appreciate Reformed/covenantal theology. The PCA is where I began to understand what it means not just to believe but to live as a Christian (under the teaching of Harry Reeder as a college student at Briarwood).
The PCA is where I began to understand the full depths of my sin and rebellion *as well as* what it means to trust and rest in God's promises (under the teaching and care of Jason Sterling in RUF at Samford University).
The PCA is where, while working for RUF, I began to understand the importance of both mission and discipleship, and it was as a student at Covenant Seminary that I began to understand the importance of both right doctrine and right practice.
I am thankful to be in the same denomination as Tim Keller and Ligon Duncan...and a long list of other sisters and brothers in the PCA—including many with whom I disagree on occasion—many names you'd recognize and far more that you wouldn't.
These men and women have taught me to love and serve God, to love and obey his Word, to love his Church and promote its purity and peace, and to love our neighbors, sharing the hope of the gospel and advocating for justice and righteousness.
The PCA is far from perfect, and it's not the only place I could find home in the Church...but it is my home. We have problems, and I am part of those problems! We all are.
But I am thankful for a denomination that is deeply committed to the truth of God's Word, and the importance of right doctrine *and* right practice, of peace *and* purity in the church, of mission *and* Christian discipleship.
There are sure to be some disagreements amongst PCA folks in the coming weeks and months. I’m probably going to read some things on this website that hurt and frustrate me. I’ve been guilty of saying things on this website that hurt and frustrate others.
I’ll close this thread with an excellent (abbreviated) quote from @jake_meador’s Mere Orthodoxy piece back in early March:
Source: https://mereorthodoxy.com/notes/missouri-presbytery-pca/?fbclid=IwAR1MpfaOH53q4nD9-uDI4F6VR9eQ1d0WpiuBJ5csmjZnq9LZYKhxDZUYROI
Source: https://mereorthodoxy.com/notes/missouri-presbytery-pca/?fbclid=IwAR1MpfaOH53q4nD9-uDI4F6VR9eQ1d0WpiuBJ5csmjZnq9LZYKhxDZUYROI
“Paul tells us that love hopes all things. Amongst other things, a hopeful love does not rush to judgment, does not assume the worst, and is patient in its approach to the brethren [...]
[...] Were we to more consistently operate with this spirit of love, I expect ours would be a stronger, more fruitful, more faithful church.”
Amen!
Amen!
