To those in the PCA, where do you guys fall in the "contingent" of the PCA?

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SolaGratia

Puritan Board Junior
To those in the PCA, where do you guys fall in the "contingent" of the PCA according to a PCA committee?

"Hungry Progressives," "Hold Fast Conservative," "In-ward," "Backwards," "Broad," "Liberal," "Proud to be PCA," etc.

Here is Bryan Chapell talking about this "snapshot of the PCA": YouTube - Proposed PCA strategic plan 2010 Pt. 1
 
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Those kind of adjectives are not helpful. Some carry a pejorative connotation. It's hard to know what is meant by some of them, at least in the mind of one using them as they are not commonly used.

The PCA is a reformed denomination- covenanted in community and by confession to the doctrines of grace, covenant theology, a high view of the church and sacraments, a presbyterian polity of governance by deacons and elders, and a view of covenant that begins with infants.

Another way to describe it is by its motto:

Faithful to Scripture,
True to the Reformed Faith,
Obedient to the Great Commission.
 
We are attending a non PCA church, but the one we had been attending was all over the map. We had the SS teacher who thought it was wrong to light a wood stove fire on the Sabbath, and the elder who skipped church for Nascar. We had "Covenant kids" parents and children's church parents. Some Baptists, some charismatics, some diehard cessationists. Some good theology readers, some into Beth Moore, a couple into Christian politics, a few into strict two kingdoms. Diehard confessionals on justification and one former guy with sympathy for the FV.

The respect and love for the pastor seemed to be what held it all together. He was a mix, from Tim Keller to WSC.

I had (still do) contact with PCAers from different churches and different states. The diversity is so great that I can no longer make any assumptions if I hear a church is PCA. Might be great, might be awful.
 
Yeah, I think he does paint with too broad a brush, but there are certainly different perspectives in the PCA, and in a broad, general sense I think his curve is correct. As he defines it, I probably fall somewhere in between "Happy to be PCA" and "Hungry Progressive."
 
His categories are artificial and he grants too much to those on the left... he says they're engaged in cultural transformation... give me a break.
 
I watched the videos and I didn't really see anything that was all that objectionable. Even the talk of a safeplace to voice new opinions had the qualifier of only in that place. If you want to voice some wacko opinion there than fine but if you go back to your church and start preaching it you may or can be brought under dicipline. Myself I am more conservative but can't our tent be a little bigger than that? Since I don't know what leftwing in this context means I can't comment on whether or not the tent should include them but I doubt there is a serious classical liberalism movement in the PCA.
 
Lynnie, Perhaps its just the Garden State, but in Northern Jersey I ran into a PCA minister who will remain nameless who told me cold when I asked if he teaches doctrine, he indicated that no he would not, his congregation didn't want to know from it & he had a low opinion of it. A far cry from the folks @ 10th Presbyterian that I hold in high esteem....shakes head.
 
It has been a while since I was in the PCA, but if what Bryan describes is a reflection of reality, what I see is a Broadly Evangelical denomination, which sometimes acts like a Baptist affiliation.
 
I have no idea where I/we fit based on the report's designations.

I read various people blasting the Strategic Report and think to myself- "I'm not one of those guys (the ones blasting and announcing the imminent demise of the PCA)". I read the strategic report and think- "I'm not sure this thinking really represents me and our church".

I am increasingly feeling like a person with no where to lay my head.
 
Confessional

I don't remember Bryan Chapell giving this option or "contingent," but I am with you all the way with being confessional.

---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 AM ----------

The PCA is a reformed denomination- covenanted in community and by confession to the doctrines of grace, covenant theology, a high view of the church and sacraments, a presbyterian polity of governance by deacons and elders, and a view of covenant that begins with infants.

Really, I sure hope your right!
 
I'm definitely what many would call "Hungry Progressive", but at the same time I wish to (and know that we can) "Hold Fast" to the Scriptures as summarized in the Westminster Standards. It's a bit of a false dichotomy when only put into those terms.

His categories are artificial and he grants too much to those on the left... he says they're engaged in cultural transformation... give me a break.

Why don't you think so?
 
Confessional

I don't remember Bryan Chapell giving this option or "contingent," but I am with you all the way with being confessional.

---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 AM ----------

The PCA is a reformed denomination- covenanted in community and by confession to the doctrines of grace, covenant theology, a high view of the church and sacraments, a presbyterian polity of governance by deacons and elders, and a view of covenant that begins with infants.

Really, I sure hope your right!

Careful there buddy...you're talking about my denomination and my peeps. :cheers2:
 
I am very confessional and hold strictly to the regulative principal of worship and strongly believe in women wearing head coverings. As far as the PCA goes I am very concerned with the direction they are headed. After reading the strategic plan I since a desperation to bring more into the denomination while compromising the confessions.
 
Confessional

I don't remember Bryan Chapell giving this option or "contingent," but I am with you all the way with being confessional.

---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 AM ----------

The PCA is a reformed denomination- covenanted in community and by confession to the doctrines of grace, covenant theology, a high view of the church and sacraments, a presbyterian polity of governance by deacons and elders, and a view of covenant that begins with infants.

Really, I sure hope your right!

Careful there buddy...you're talking about my denomination and my peeps. :cheers2:

Huh!
 
Cato.....must be the cousin of the pastor where we visited a PCA in Pa a couple summers ago, vacationing in the Poconos. He came over introduced himself; we told him we went to a PCA in NJ, and my hub said he noticed from the website that the guy went to WTS (as had hub.) Just making conversation.

The FIRST thing out of his mouth was to tell us firmly that he isn't into doctrine and his church isn't into doctrine and he doesn't care about teaching doctrine. Ironically his sermon was good but it was just so wierd. Maybe he got burned by TTR fights? So you see doctrinal infighting and decide to avoid the problem with no doctrine? On the plus side the next summer visiting my sister I took a long hike on Rt 81 to Tedd Tripps church in Hazleton for fun and loved it, his sermon was great.

I know a PCA church locally that kicked out a kids catechism class in SS, not seeker friendly.

Now my former PCA pastor was like another LLoyd Jones for trying to bring up young men ( and women) in good dcotrine. So you just never know.

We have friends who have been going to 10th pres for over 20 years and during a meal, the hub asked my hub what paedo and credo meant. I was shocked.

I think at this point if people don't read theology at home, even the finest pastors can't do it all. Had lunch today with a gal whose hub is going to Reformed seminary online, great guy, possible future pastor. In all her PCA years she never heard of CCEF!!! I almost fell over, I mean, I just figured everybody knew about them when it came to counseling biblically.

Pray for revival. I hear some real negatives about praying for revival coming out of WSC, but when it happens, people start praying and reading and thinking and get hungry for more truth. The church we are going to now has fantastic preaching ( WTS grad) and one lady who is going there asked me what is wrong with Joel Osteen. Gulp. Pastors and leaders just can't be everything an hour or two a week.
 
I would normally fit into the "hold fast conservative" category, but on the PB I sometimes find myself the "liberal" in one debate or another. Weird, the PB is the only place that has ever happened and it is an interesting exercise. :)

In all seriousness, though, I don't think these category are very helpful. I don't like being put into a box.
 
I would normally fit into the "hold fast conservative" category, but on the PB I sometimes find myself the "liberal" in one debate or another. Weird, the PB is the only place that has ever happened and it is an interesting exercise. :)

In all seriousness, though, I don't think these category are very helpful. I don't like being put into a box.

Yeah, I agree completely. I'm very theologically conservative, but on the PB I definitely find myself on the liberal end of things.
 
Had lunch today with a gal whose hub is going to Reformed seminary online, great guy, possible future pastor. In all her PCA years she never heard of CCEF!!! I almost fell over, I mean, I just figured everybody knew about them when it came to counseling biblically.

Lynnie, just a note that a lot of reformed churches use NANC. I am not really familiar with CCEF around here. Of course, we are not too far from where Jay Adams lives, so that may be the reason. I believe Westminster CA uses nouthetic counseling for training in counseling, though.

We have been ARP and PCA, and the ARP church we are in now is more conservative and reformed compared to the other which was reformed but more broadly evangelical. There is a fine balance, though. When a church is new and the majority of the people have no reformed background, I think it may be best to introduce reformed doctrine as the Word is preached. We just had a Sunday school class where the topic turned to heresy, and someone said that Arminianism is heresy. There were some confused people after that and it probably made a few mad. But sometimes those things are going to come up and peoples' toes will get stepped on.

I think the key is to be welcoming to newcomers but don't sacrifice your doctrine in the process (not that there is a formula for doing that, of course).
 
Grace Alone
When a church is new and the majority of the people have no reformed background, I think it may be best to introduce reformed doctrine as the Word is preached. We just had a Sunday school class where the topic turned to heresy, and someone said that Arminianism is heresy. There were some confused people after that and it probably made a few mad. But sometimes those things are going to come up and peoples' toes will get stepped on.

I think the key is to be welcoming to newcomers but don't sacrifice your doctrine in the process (not that there is a formula for doing that, of course).

It took me about two years under good systematic teaching and my own studying, discussing and meditating to be able to say there is was a very strong case for the doctrines of grace in the whole of scripture, and to accept infant baptism and a method of sprinkling.

Many years later the case for the former became beyond reasonable doubt and only relatively recently have I come to understand the biblically wrong implications of the dispensational system and to rejoice in the continuity of covenant theology.

Each church is given a different set of people and circumstances. Part of the spiritual charge of each session, with some assistance from presbytery is to develop and mature the people from where they are toward the time tested confession of faith held by the denomination. The deacons and elders govern the church visible toward that end.

This is another reason I see great wisdom in the PCA system of allowing membership based on a credible profession of faith and vow to peaceably learn the church's doctrine. Officers (deacons and elders), as leaders, however do need to have a mature, tested understanding of the doctrines they confess, as well as an examined life.

Reformed theology is for a lifetime, always reforming one's life toward the Scripture. That is away from self, and toward God and toward one's neighbor- something the fallen nature remnant does not want, but which must be done for God's Honor and Glory.
 
Grace Alone
When a church is new and the majority of the people have no reformed background, I think it may be best to introduce reformed doctrine as the Word is preached. We just had a Sunday school class where the topic turned to heresy, and someone said that Arminianism is heresy. There were some confused people after that and it probably made a few mad. But sometimes those things are going to come up and peoples' toes will get stepped on.

I think the key is to be welcoming to newcomers but don't sacrifice your doctrine in the process (not that there is a formula for doing that, of course).

It took me about two years under good systematic teaching and my own studying, discussing and meditating to be able to say there is was a very strong case for the doctrines of grace in the whole of scripture, and to accept infant baptism and a method of sprinkling.

Many years later the case for the former became beyond reasonable doubt and only relatively recently have I come to understand the biblically wrong implications of the dispensational system and to rejoice in the continuity of covenant theology.

Each church is given a different set of people and circumstances. Part of the spiritual charge of each session, with some assistance from presbytery is to develop and mature the people from where they are toward the time tested confession of faith held by the denomination. The deacons and elders govern the church visible toward that end.

This is another reason I see great wisdom in the PCA system of allowing membership based on a credible profession of faith and vow to peaceably learn the church's doctrine. Officers (deacons and elders), as leaders, however do need to have a mature, tested understanding of the doctrines they confess, as well as an examined life.

Reformed theology is for a lifetime, always reforming one's life toward the Scripture. That is away from self, and toward God and toward one's neighbor- something the fallen nature remnant does not want, but which must be done for God's Honor and Glory.

Very well said, Scott.
 
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