# RPCNA Woman Elder Ordination Trial



## jd.morrison

Has anyone heard of this? I did a search and didn't see anything threads on this.

Dr. Hemphill's Report Advocating Female Eldership in the RPCNA:
http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5758a78... men and women together, 8-19-14.Hemphill.pdf

http://www.fullrightsofsons.com/wordpress/2016/06/07/pray-for-the-rpcna/

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## NaphtaliPress

I heard about it but seen nothing online.


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## Wayne

Dr. Hemphill has heard of it.


[If Joshua's not around (the other, original Josh, that is), then someone has to step up!]


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## jd.morrison

His trial begins on the 11th of June.

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## Romans922

Humm? Shouldn't they proceed to trial and also deal with the complaint?


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## Jake

It's worth noting that the blog post you linked is from a member of the RPCNA who is in support of female eldership and wrote a book to that effect: http://www.fullrightsofsons.com/book.php


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## jd.morrison

Jake said:


> It's worth noting that the blog post you linked is from a member of the RPCNA who is in support of female eldership and wrote a book to that effect



Yes, I am aware of this. I only came across her blog and the actual case recently. I was wondering if there was more to the story that others could shed light too.

I am in the PCA.

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## NaphtaliPress

I heard some back ground but third hand, as to how it came about. It looks like it will be over soon enough so maybe there will be a report.


jd.morrison said:


> Jake said:
> 
> 
> 
> I was wondering if there was more to the story that others could shed light too.
> 
> I am in the PCA.
> 
> Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


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## ProtestantBankie

The sister who runs the blog has sadly an agenda of her own to pursue. It is ineresting that she accuses her church of an abandonment of Sola Scriptura and of the free grace and liberty of the Gospel. Very sad indeed.

With all that said, I await with interest the outcome of the case and I would hope that all could be satisfied with a God honouring outcome. I have some sympathy with the retired minister who cites the fact other papers of this nature have been submitted - what does surprise me, though, is that there seems to have been some debate about God's impassibility. Though both parties came to agreement on this point after counsel.

May God get the glory.


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## Romans922

You'd think she would come under charges for pursuing such an agenda and accusing her church (i.e. not submitting - 5th commandment).


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## ProtestantBankie

Romans922 said:


> You'd think she would come under charges for pursuing such an agenda and accusing her church (i.e. not submitting - 5th commandment).



I assume her literature is not widely read in RP circles and I have certainly never heard of her?


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## earl40

ProtestantBankie said:


> what does surprise me, though, is that there seems to have been some debate about God's impassibility. Though both parties came to agreement on this point after counsel.
> 
> May God get the glory.



Not to derail but since you brought this up I strongly suspect both sides probably sided to the belief God has some type of passions. Speaking from experience in that every pastor I know personally ultimately denies God is without passions and use a former teachers teachings to justify the unjustifiable.


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## Andres

I will give the short version of this - yes the RPCNA is aware of the paper. It came before our Presbytery last fall at our Presbytery meeting and was rejected. The author of the paper is not in our presbytery so I am not fully aware of all dealings with him personally.


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## Romans922

Andres said:


> I will give the short version of this - yes the RPCNA is aware of the paper. It came before our Presbytery last fall at our Presbytery meeting and was rejected. The author of the paper is not in our presbytery so I am not fully aware of all dealings with him personally.



What about the pro-women elderess woman blog poster?


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## Andres

Romans922 said:


> Andres said:
> 
> 
> 
> I will give the short version of this - yes the RPCNA is aware of the paper. It came before our Presbytery last fall at our Presbytery meeting and was rejected. The author of the paper is not in our presbytery so I am not fully aware of all dealings with him personally.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What about the pro-women elderess woman blog poster?
Click to expand...


PM sent.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian

Just curious: Does the RPCNA require subscription by members, or just officers?


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## ProtestantBankie

Any updates on the outcome of the meeting?

(Actually, I forget that I am several hours ahead of you! So the meeting may not have taken place yet)


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## NaphtaliPress

How did this end up?


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## ProtestantBankie

According to the blog of the lady above mentioned

"The Presbytery of the Alleghenies of the RPCNA voted to sustain the charges against Dr. Bruce Hemphill on June 11, 2016.

The following information came to me from those who personally attended and observed the Presbytery of the Alleghenies meeting. In brief, here’s how it happened:

In the morning, after a sermon by the moderator on Psalm 25, the presbytery proceeded with the trial. There were preliminary motions by the defense about the irregularity of the proceedings in light of the fact that neither Hemphill’s Letter of Response nor Complaint/Appeal had been considered and dealt with. Another defense motion questioned the propriety of jurors, who had taken exception to the sentence in RPCNA Testimony 25.8 allowing women to be deacons, standing in judgment over a peer in good standing for no longer fully believing the previous sentence that limits the office of elder to men. These motions were all defeated by close votes that required a standing “division.”

It was stipulated, the defense and the prosecution agreed together, that there was no evidence that Hemphill had ever taught contrary to the law and order of the church. It was also stipulated that there had been significant changes in the past to the RPCNA testimony, including close communion, political dissent, alcohol, and public covenanting, all without resorting to discipline, charges and trial.

Defendant, Bruce Hemphill, gave clear evidence through his direct and cross examination testimony that while he no longer could fully accept the sentence in the RPCNA Testimony 25.8 limiting the office of elder to men, he had not reached a settled belief in the position expressed in the paper “Men and Women Together.” He described it as a working hypothesis. He read a statement, which was distributed to all present and made a part of the record.

The verdict came after almost three hours of deliberation. The vote was 21-7 to sustain the first charge and 14-13 to sustain the second charge.

Hemphill’s ordination has been temporarily suspended and he has been placed under the care of the Covenant Fellowship session to counsel him to embrace fully the church’s position. Hemphill has appealed to the RPCNA Synod which will meet June 27-29, 2016."


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## Logan

From the RP Witness report of synod:



> After meeting all day, the Special Judicial Committee to Consider Communications 16-3 and 16-4 made two recommendations to Synod, both of which passed. This creates a judicial committee to review the appeal of Rev. Bruce Hemphill regarding his suspension from ministerial duties as well as consider the process leading up to the suspension. The committee will report to next year’s Synod.


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## Warren

GulfCoast Presbyterian said:


> Just curious: Does the RPCNA require subscription by members, or just officers?


A member needs to subscribe to the Confession of Faith and Testimony to be a member.


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## Parakaleo

Warren said:


> A member needs to subscribe to the Confession of Faith and Testimony to be a member.



May I ask a tangentially related, diagnostic question? Are there those in the RPNCA disapproving of Mrs. Rosaria Butterfield speaking at conferences, sharing the platform with ordained men, to audiences of men and women?


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