James River Presbytery and now Susquehanna Valley Presbytery have overtured the PCA GA to appoint a study committee on the role of women using the exact same overture.

This seems PC(USA)-ish in tactic doesn't it?

I'm a conspiracy theorist.
Presbyterian Church in America

__________________
Rev. Andrew J. Barnes
Husband of Dena
Father of Oliver
Master of Bruce
Pastor of Tchula Presbyterian Church

What can I say, I like blogs!

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you", the noted philosopher Mel Gibson said in his movie "Conspiracy Theory".

On a more analytically conspiratorial note, have you noticed any subtle trend of folks who stayed in the PCUSA forever until they finally gave it up over the homosexual issue, then come to the PCA with all the other baggage that should have been left behind (women's ordination, inter-religion social service affiliations, etc.)?

__________________
Warren
Member, PCA
South Carolina

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek"
Romans 1:16

That's the way the system works though. Any presbytery can overture when they choose to. Yes, that's what the revisionists do in the PC(USA), but if you don't like it in the PCA I think you'll have to alter your constitution.

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Rev. Toby L. Brown, pastor
Jefferson Center Presbyterian Church--in, but not of, the PC(USA)
Saxonburg, PA
A Classical Presbyterian
Proud member of The Westminster Fellowship

"The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which God is also highly exalted." --Jonathan Edwards

Warren, you steely-eyed-missile-man of the PB, you! Your observations are spot on about the tendency in all of the breakaway groups from major denoms. My group broke away from the ABC with the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back over homosexual ordination. But, with that minor genetic mutation, they are quite similar to the ABC DNA in most other respects. You put into words what I have observed in my group and suspect will be the case in other breakaway renewal groups from the major mainlines.

Those in the PCA who are recent expats from the PCUSA will likely carry a lot of mainline assumptions, attitudes, and doctrinal views, many of them unconsciously.

__________________
Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Exactly so, Dennis! Any refugees from the mainline being accepted into evangelical denominations had better be not only well vetted but also trained. Think of it as Liberal Abuse Detox!

I remember helping start three PCA churches. What I'm hoping is that this isn't part of "church growth" and "relevance" that seems to be sweeping the newer churches. When churches are more interested in growth than purity, they will grow like any other mold. If purity (including all those attributes of God that are just not "popular") is first, growth will happen if God is calling men to himself where the church is located. When the same overtures comes up multiple times proposing change to liberal positions the only thing that can be going on is the liberal factions must be thinking they are gaining ground. Look carefully at your seminary if that is happening. (Where are the pastors being taught this stuff? Why are those that hold to liberal positions getting through seminary without being filtered out?)

__________________
Brian Withnell
Deacon, OPC
Leesburg, Virginia

You cannot train for war in the midst of a battle. Prepare before the battle starts; if the battle is long and hard, you will wish you had.

It seems these Overtures are getting primetime billing on ByFaithOnline now so I'd like to humbly suggest a possible alternative report for the Overtures Committee when it responds:

Point 1) Wide reaching 'Study Committee's' on broad issues like the role of women in the church are not the purpose of GA established Study Committees. The proposed Study Committee is more like a fishing expedition.

Point 2) A Presbytery, or a group of Presbyteries of like concern, can get together anytime and create their own Study Committee that can come up with specific recommendations, then put them in the form of an Overture to petition GA to change the BCO anyway they think best. Then the specific proposals can be tested by the Brothers and Fathers at GA.

Point 3) Such resulting Overtures / recommendations should NOT include anything to do with the ordination of women, or any wink-wink nod-nod immitation like 'installation' or whatever. Go join the PCUSA or EPC if you want to do that. This should NOT be about ordination or 'titles'.

Point 4) It would be instructive to the church as a whole if such Presbytery level study committees would creat a SPECIFIC LIST of PCA polity and practice that prevents women from serving their proper role in the church. Maybe we can get down to brass tacks that way instead of endless vague overtures to GA.