(Tim) It's a great help to have Jerram Barrs continue at his post at Covenant Theological Seminary. But not for the reason you'd think.
Rather, because having him such a prominent voice representing Covenant's commitments and vision gives fair warning what kind of education men and women don't get there...
Continue reading "Jerram Barrs has done research; he's so brave; he's my man..." »
(Tim) Since Metro New York Presbytery chose not to grant three of the four amends sought by those filing a complaint against her previous action by which she endorsed woman deacons and men and women serving together in the diaconate, without sexual distinction, the presbytery has now been taken before the Presbyterian Church in America's highest court, General Assembly's Standing Judicial Commission.
Here is the text of that complaint as it was filed.
Let us pray that God blesses the hard work these men are doing for the purity and peace of Christ's Bride, and her faithful witness to a world that hates biblical sexuality.
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Complaint
TE Mark Robinson, et. al. vs. Metropolitan New York Presbytery
And now, this 4th day of June, 2009, come TE Mark Robinson and RE James Macbeth and complain against the action of the Metropolitan New York Presbytery (the “Presbytery”) taken on May 8, 2009 in denying certain amends requested in the complaint filed against the Presbytery by the complainants hereto on April 10, 2009.
The complainants allege that the Presbytery erred in denying TE Mark Robinson and RE James Macbeth’s requested amends and in so doing condoned substantial and continuing violations of certain provisions of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America (“PCA”), especially those touching on the office of deacon and diaconal ministry. In support of said complaint the following is set forth...
(Tim, w/thanks to James) Please listen to Wake Up Sleeper (the title cut) and Where Are the Persecuted? as you read this post.
At Church of the Good Shepherd, we work to raise our children and disciple new believers in expectation of growing persecution. Calvin says times of peace are not to be used getting fat, but to prepare for the next battle already on the horizon and closing on us quickly.
This is our goal at CGS and it informs our preaching, Bible study, childrearing, reading, and worship. It's these last two things I want to focus on in this post--worship and reading. First then, worship; and within worship, the themes and instrumentation of our music.
STEP NUMBER ONE: MUSIC
In our age of feminized discourse and cheap grace, Church of the Good Shepherd makes a conscious effort to restore the biblical themes of persecution, conflict, suffering, Satan, death, the coming Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
Have you noticed these themes are absent from reformed worship today? And beyond absent, they're anathema to woman deacon/Emergelical churches where everyone has an iPhone, evangelism happens in the art gallery, sermons are eloquent discourses on the many faces of narcissism, and women administer the Lord's Supper.
Living in such a decadent age, we're working to restore them--particularly to the music of our worship.
Next to one of the world's largest music schools, Church of the Good Shepherd is a congregation filled with musicians and composers, most of them classical...
Continue reading "Preparing for persecution: two concrete steps to take..." »
(Tim--Partly in an effort to take into account some of the comments, I've changed this post substantially this Saturday evening. If you'd read it before, you might want to read it again.)
For years it's been clear the egalitarian feminist attack upon reformed ecclesiastical communions has not been content to limit itself to the Christian Reformed and Evangelical Presbyterian Churches, but is increasingly focused on our own Presbyterian Church in America. This became obvious to me while serving on our General Assembly's Ad Interim Study Committee on Women in the Military. The arguments I heard then concerning the meaning and purpose of sexuality were absolutely abysmal--particularly those emanating from sophisticated teaching elders who saw themselves as God's gift to the PCA provided to aid their country bumpkin colleagues at rural, small town, and southern churches in learning how to contextualize the Gospel within this postmodern world.
As I listened to them carefully, it was evident the sound bites they employed in denying the truth or application of God's order of sexuality everywhere but inside the elders meeting and pulpit Sunday morning perfectly reflected arguments I'd heard in prior years at presbytery and general assembly levels in the mainline Presbyterian Church (USA). You know: slavery, cultural context, wife abuse, barefoot and pregnant, you can't turn back the clock, people will laugh at us--that sort of thing.
Then, of course the conservatives had their own reasons for not standing in the gap, opposing the feminist heresy. There was that old battle axe of Southern Presbyterianism, the spirituality of the Church, that conveniently kept many from feeling any responsibility to oppose our civil magistrate sending off our mothers and sisters and daughters to die for us on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq. And there was also the federal vision to deal with--that issue alone took so much time and energy there was little zeal left for contending for God's order of sexuality.
(Tim) This just in from Mission to the World missionary to Taiwan, Mrs. Joel (Judy) Linton (Lin Huan-chun). Judy and I had the joy of being bound into the same church body back in the late nineties when I was Sr. Minister of Evangelical Community Church here in Bloomington, Indiana.
Readers will note Judy's husband, Joel, has been helpful commenting (under the name "JHL") here on the current promotion of woman deacons in the PCA. I commend a paper Joel's written on the main passage of Scripture used by proponents of woman deacons, 1Timothy 3:8-13.
If you'd like to know more about Joel and Judy, their ministry and family (past and present) here's a good place to start. As you'll quickly realize, Judy's typical of the strong-willed women who really are daughters of Sarah. (Here's a longer version of her testimony.)
Recently, a reader asked if I could recommend reading for her to suggest to a friend of hers in the PCA that would help her with the seeming unjust limitation of women within the PCA in their exclusion from teaching and exercising authority over men. This testimony from Judy is a good start.
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A WOMAN'S PERSPECTIVE ON WOMEN'S ROLE
I have had countless conversations with Christian women who are in various stages of dealing with the issue of women’s roles. Many of the conversations were incredibly tense, and some with heart-rending tears. I realize that this issue is emotional and controversial.
The controversy lies with...
Continue reading "An older woman teaching younger women, just as Scripture commands..." »
(Tim) Along with several others, Ruling Elder Brian Eschen of
Northern California (NorCal) Presbytery submitted a complaint which was one of two filed against the
recent action of his presbytery approving unordained male deacons serving alongside female deacons, without
sexual distinction.
The proposal adopted by NorCal Presbytery is the same proposal recently adopted by Metro NY and Metro Atlanta (Perimeter) Presbyteries.
In response to another complaint filed against Metro NY Presbytery, last week the presbytery rescinded the proposal, but granted only one of five amends. It may be further amends will be granted as time passes, but the well-established practice within the presbytery's bounds of non-conformity to Scripture and the PCA's Constitution leave some doubtful any further amends will be granted without formal discipline applied from the national level of the denomination.
After voting down an overture on woman deacons that would have put the presbytery on record as submitting to the PCA's Constitution and Scripture, two other proposals were voted on, with the pro-woman deacon proposal adopted by NCal and Metro NY getting 19 votes and another proposal presented to the presbytery by Steve Smallman and Phil Ryken that supports Tenth's current practice of women deaconesses getting 23.
The Ryken/Smallman proposal was acted on with the understanding that Steve and Phil would come back to the Presbytery's May stated meeting with their proposal perfected for final action. Then, the matter was tabled.
So New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and San Francisco continue to be the geographical centers of egalitarian feminist practices and initiatives within the PCA related to the removal of sexual distinctions in the office of deacon. Men from these presbyteries worked together toward the adoption of the same document (although there were some regional differences in their approach).
Although some would cavil at this, the rejection of the Book of Church Order at the heart of this proposal and the presbyteries' recent actions seems self-evident and would appear only to be remediable by changes to the BCO. It's also clear that, at the present time, the main thrust of these co-belligerents is not seeking redress at the national level. Rather, for the time being they appear to be turning aside from changing the Book of Church Order nationally or denominationally.
Their proposal and work seem to be moving toward a local option strategy similar to the strategy adopted by the pro-sodomy lobby of the PC(USA)...
Continue reading "The state of the PCA union: woman deacons and the local option..." »
(Tim) We've all been through it many times, with many different families. Struggling to survive, financially, and no high salary on the pastor's conscience keeping him from asking the Lord for His provision, one of the few wealthy families the church has managed to get bonded within her fellowship becomes an increasing problem and it becomes apparent the only answer is formal discipline.
The years past are littered with informal discipline: many pastoral visits to the home, pastoral counseling sessions, post-small group exhortations from fellow believers, deacons, and elders; the wife has had the sweetest and wisest Titus 2 women go aside with her to entreat and exhort her concerning the damage her sin is causing to her own home and the Household of Faith. But all the informal, quiet, gentle ministry has been to little avail.
The family's wealth has complicated matters beyond the simple question of the church's fiscal solvency. The pastor and elders wonder--at first privately, but then openly in elders meetings when harm the family has caused others in the flock is on the agenda--how the congregation and community would be able to understand the discipline of such a beautiful and gifted and (shall we say rich?) family. No one would deny the family's generosity has been used by God to strengthen the fellowship. They have been a blessing in many ways and are loved for it. But also for who they are: hospitable, kind, loving, generous.
Of course, the wealth also has been a key contributor to their failures. There's been a bodaciousness to the sin that's seemed to have its origin in the pride of wealth. But as the private admonitions have failed to produce any substantive change, the family's wealth and resources have continued...
(Tim) Meeting earlier today in the offices of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Metro New York Presbytery responded to a complaint filed by five members of presbytery by rescinding her previous (March 13, 2009) action.
The previous action of presbytery had been taken at Metro NY Presbytery's March 13th stated meeting, and it consisted of the presbytery endorsing the practice of churches not ordaining male deacons and having female deacons serve alongside those unordained male deacons, without sexual distinction.
Today's rescission carried by a large majority.
(Tim) Philadelphia Presbytery will be meeting in May, just prior to General Assembly. Whether the presbytery will put back on the table its commitment to allowing woman deacons within its bounds remains to be seen. Meanwhile, back in March, Philadelphia Presbytery (PCA) rejected the following overture submitted by the Session of Crossroads Community Church (PCA). The overture was presented to presbytery by Crossroads' pastor, Timothy Witmer.
After the moderator declared the overture defeated, Crossroads' commissioners moved that a roll call vote be taken. Roll call votes are the means by which the members of a presbytery record their votes personally, name by name, for public scrutinty and an historical record. In this case, a roll call vote would have provided a way for the members or officers of a congregation to know how their pastor(s) or commissioner elder(s) voted.
The presbytery then went on to vote on the text of two other documents promoting woman deacons...
Continue reading "Woman deacons and the PCA: Overture rejected by Philadelphia Presbytery..." »
(Tim) Metro New York Presbytery is meeting today and will respond to the complaint filed against her recent action by which she joined Northern California Presbytery (and more recently, Metro Atlanta Presbytery) approving churches not ordaining male deacons and having female deacons serve alongside those unordained male deacons, without sexual distinction.
Please pray for the men of this presbytery, that God would lead them to sincere repentance.
(Tim) Here is the full text of one of the two complaints that have been filed against the recent action of Northern California Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America--the action by which Northern California Presbytery approved not ordaining male deacons and having female deacons serve alongside those unordained male deacons, without sexual distinction.
If you find any error where I have not reproduced the complaint accurately, please send me an e-mail at tbbayly at gmail dot com. Thanks...
Continue reading "Woman deacons and Northern California Presbytery: Complaint filed..." »
(Tim) Here's an account of recent actions within Northern California Presbytery leading up to their March stated meeting action approving the practice within her bounds of withholding ordination from male deacons and affirming male and female deacons serving together without sexual distinction. This account was written by Ruling Elder Brian Eschen, one of the men who, since, has filed a complaint against his presbtyery for their action.
The text is Elder Eschen's, and I have not confirmed it for accuracy. If readers find errors, please correct them in the comments section or send me an e-mail at tbbayly at gmail dot com and I'll work to change the text as seems best. It must be emphasized that these are not approved minutes, but rather one man's narrative of the events leading up to the complaint. As such, they have all the strengths and weaknesses of narrative as opposed to approved minutes...
Continue reading "Woman deacons in Northern California Presbytery: account of recent actions..." »
(Tim) Knowing some won't persevere through the polity part of his most recent post, I'm pulling the closing paragraphs up here on the main page so readers won't miss the part that made me laugh out loud:
Continue reading "Woman deacons and the PCA: a time for laughter..." »
(David) I've been avoiding the deaconess issue for weeks now out of a desire to maintain a statin-free healthy blood pressure. There's a great big sucking rabbit-hole for obvious truth when it comes to this issue.
For instance, having had my attention directed to the Puritan Board by my brother's previous post, I found a woman there who claims to be non-egalitarian calling for Tim's defrocking because of his posts on the PCA and Redeemer. It's not surprising that a woman would suggest this. It is surprising that this kind of womanly pronouncement seems not-entirely-unusual in a venue dedicated to the preaching and practice of the Puritans. I had reason several years ago to ask another woman how her comments about a pastor on the Puritan Board accorded with her professed complementarianism. Very well, she responded, going her merry way.
Perhaps we should be glad to note that the keepers of the Puritan Board are not very, ahem, Puritanical in their approach to such matters.
Moving further into the rabbit hole...
Two bald-faced lies proponents of ordained/commissioned women deacons (or, conversely, unordained male deacons) can't be permitted to continue to mouth:
First, though the BCO contains much that is non-Scriptural wisdom, nowhere does the BCO--or any denomination's constituting document--come closer to a principled stand on Biblical truth than in the areas of the sacraments and of church officers and government.
(Tim) There's an excellent online community called the Puritan Board (just to the left) where discussions have been carried on, recently, concerning a couple posts, here. Predictably, The longest discussion focused on the Complaint filed against Metro NY Presbytery after their recent adoption of a position contrary to the PCA Book of Church Order--namely, approving the practice within her bounds of withholding ordination from male deacons and affirming male and female deacons serving together in diaconal ministry without sexual distinction.
The apologist for Redeemer's practice frequently posting here under the name "Mason" has been active in the discussion there, also, but with a somewhat different posture. You don't need to be a member of the Puritan Board to read the comments and I encourage our readers to note the common sentiment expressed that Metro NY, Redeemer, and other churches, presbyteries, and elders taking similar positions may need to be questioned concerning their practice.
More interesting to me, though, is the discussion recently put on ice by the Puritan Board's moderators because it was getting warm. Started by a man who posts under the nom de plume, Pergamum/MacDaddy, he wrote:
Interesting discussion, and a couple noteworthy things:
First, even reformed men seem to have fallen into the pomo trap of thinking they can reason while avoiding generalizations...
(Tim) Here is the full complaint filed against the recent action of Metropolitan New York Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America--the action by which Metro NY Presbytery approved not ordaining male deacons and having female deacons serve alongside those unordained male deacons, without sexual distinction.
This complaint has been distributed to Metro NY Presbytery's presbyters.
Note that the complaint deals with both substance and process. The lead complainant, the Rev. Dr. David Miner, is the Stated Clerk of Metro NY Presbytery.
* * *
[NOTE FROM TIM BAYLY: For the blog, I have not been able to retain the pagination. Otherwise, the formatting should be precisely the same as the complaint itself. If you find any error where I have not reproduced the complaint exactly as is, please send me an e-mail at tbbayly at gmail dot com. Thanks.]
* * *
Complaint
TE David Miner, et al. vs. Metropolitan New York Presbytery
And now, this 10th day of April, 2009, come TE David Miner, RE Wade Speas, RE James Macbeth, RE Walter Morris and TE Mark Robinson and complain against the action of the Metropolitan New York Presbytery taken on March 13, 2009 in adopting the resolutions contained in that certain document entitled “A Proposal to the Metropolitan New York Presbytery Regarding Women in Diaconal Ministry” and dated as of March 13, 2009.
Introduction
The Metropolitan New York Presbytery (the “Presbytery”) erred in adopting a March 13, 2009 resolution that affirmed as not in violation of the Book of Church Order (the “BCO”) the current practices among churches within the Presbytery of (i) abstaining from ordaining deacons while permitting men and women described as deacons or deaconesses to “serve as equal partners in diaconal ministry” and (ii) commissioning deaconesses to serve alongside ordained male deacons as “equal partners in diaconal ministry.” Despite conceding “certain tensions” between these current practices and the BCO, the Presbytery nonetheless approved them...
Continue reading "Woman deacons and Metro NY Presbytery: Complaint filed..." »
(Tim, w/thanks to Dominic) Yesterday, Rocky Mountain Presbtyery (PCA) adopted a resolution that makes it clear they will require men serving within their bounds to submit to Scripture and the Book of Church Order in the matter of the diaconate. Unlike the document developed and circulated around the country by those working against the Book of Church Order to seek acceptance for unordained male deacons working alongside female deacons, without sexual distinction, this document is short. It's straighforward. It's simple.
But then, obedience and submission usually are.
For the record, then, here's Rocky Mountain Presbtery's public commitment to faithful doctrine and practice...
Continue reading "Woman deacons and Rocky Mountain Presbytery: short and sweet submission..." »
(Tim) Back on November 7, 2008, Metropolitan New York Presbytery held its 60th stated meeting at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Around fifteen minutes prior to adjournment, the Rev. Dr. Craig Higgins asked for permission to hand out a two page document titled, A Proposal to the Metropolitan New York Presbytery Regarding Women in the Diaconal Ministry.
The Proposal had not been on the docket for the meeting, hence Teaching Elder Higgins' request for permission to distribute it.
The Proposal had not been e-mailed to members of presbytery prior to the meeting, although Tim Keller, along with a number of fellow presbyters, had signed the Proposal prior to that meeting.
Since the Proposal was not distributed until the end of the meeting, a large proportion (maybe up to half) the presbyters had already departed.
The Proposal's signatories admitted there were "certain tensions" between the PCA's Book of Church Order and what they were here presenting...
(Tim) Two weeks ago, I wrote: "Places like New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and San Francisco will push for a liberalizing of the laws and practice of the PCA related to sexual matters, as we now see from 3 of those 4 metro areas in the documents related to woman deacons they've adopted in the past month."
Well, as of the meeting of Metro Atlanta Presbytery earlier today, make that 4 of 4.
The same position statement acted on by Northern California, Metro New York, and Philadelphia Presbyteries has now also been presented to and adopted by Metro Atlantic Presbytery. Although they changed some of the prefatory wording, they approved essentially the same document approved by Northern California and Metro New York Presbyteries.
In response, members of Northern California and Metro New York Presbyteries have filed three different complaints against their own presbyteries.
Let's pray there will also be a teaching elder or ruling elder in Metro Atlanta Presbytery who will file a complaint against his presbytery's action taken earlier today...
(Tim) From all the facts surrounding Metro New York Presbytery's recent formal approval of unordained male and female deacons serving together in her churches, without sexual distinction, what's the most noteworthy detail?
That the presbytery was informed that Teaching Elders Bryan Chapell and Joe Novenson, in agreement with TE Tim Keller, also did not think the presbytery should overture General Assembly with the proposal.
(Tim) In the article he wrote for the PCA's denominational magazine byFaith, Tim Keller gave his rationale for supporting... Well, exactly what?
Actually, he spent his entire article making elaborate arguments for what our Book of Church Order already permits.
Surprised?
Well, read what he wrote for national consumption and you'll see what I'm saying. Tim says he doesn't want women ordained to the diaconate.
So what's the big deal?
I'll let you in on a little-known fact not mentioned in the article: Tim and his session refuse ordination to the male deacons of their church.
Throw in that small fact and Tim's writing for the denominational magazine takes on an entirely different significance. Throw in that large fact and we realize the significance of Redeemer's mantra, their operative rule about all things sexual:
A woman may do anything a non-ordained man may do.
Since a woman may do anything a non-ordained man may do, they stopped ordaining deacons.
So now, as Deacons, women and men are both free to do the same things. Or, as unordained Deacons, women and men are free to do the same things. Or, as members of the Diaconate Team, women and men are free to do the same things. Or...
Whatever.
Wouldn't it have been helpful if Tim's article had mentioned the fact that Redeemer no longer ordains their male deacons?
Think about it: female deacons can do anything male deacons can do.
That is, after you've stopped ordaining your male deacons.
"Women at Redeemer will be free to use all the gifts, privately and publicly. There are no restrictions on (women's) ministry at all." -Keller/Redeemer
(Tim) In what was billed as a debate, but turned out to be more a love-fest between Tim Keller and Lig Duncan in the PCA's deniminational magazine byFaith, Tim gave his rationale for something approximating his church's practice of woman deacons. If readers take Tim's piece at face value without comparing this public argument with what Tim writes and does in his local church, everything will be muddied and obfuscation will win. The obfuscation may be unintentional or inadvertent, but it will win.
Thus it is that the article must be interpreted in the larger context of Redeemer's structure, words, and actions.
The operative rule at Redeemer with regard to all things sexual is, "A woman may do anything a non-ordained man may do." So the working out of Redeemer's theology of sexuality is that women at Redeemer are allowed to teach and exercise authority over men everywhere and always except from the pulpit Lord's Day morning and in any way reserved for the elders as they exercise something they call "teaching authority." But whatever this "teaching authority" is, it's not when women teach Scripture to men because that precise thing they explicitly allow:
"In a nutshell, our position is this: whatever a non-ruling elder male can do in the church, a woman can do. We do not believe that I Timothy 2:11 or I Cor.14:35-36 precludes women teaching the Bible to men or speaking publicly. To 'teach with authority' (I Tim.2:11) refers to disciplinary authority over the doctrine of someone. For example, when an elder says to a member: 'You are telling everyone that they must be circumcised in order to be saved--that is a destructive, non-Biblical teaching which is hurting people spiritually. You must desist from it or you will have to leave the church.' That is 'teaching authority'--it belongs only to the elders. Thus, women at Redeemer will be free to use all the gifts, privately and publicly. There are no restrictions on ministry at all...
Continue reading "A breach with the Church fathers combined with no work of contextualization..." »
(Tim) In the past month or two, members of three presbyteries have made a concerted effort to get their presbyteries to adopt an identical proposal endorsing unordained women and unordained men serving together "as equal partners" in the diaconate.
Each of the presbyteries was called to endorse the following declarations concerning the propriety of woman deacons serving within the PCA:
Therefore, be it resolved that (Metro New York, Philadelphia, or Northern California) Presbytery;
Acknowledge that ministers or sessions may hold and practice the following views ...while being “in conformity with the general principles of Biblical polity” (3rd ordination vow, BCO 21-5 & 24-6).
1. Only men are ordained as deacons and they conduct the diaconal ministries of the congregation.
2. Only men are ordained as deacons, yet Sessions select and appoint others--men and/or women--to assist the deacons in their work.
3. Only men are ordained as deacons and women are selected and appointed by the Session to serve as deaconesses who assist the male deacons.
4. Only men are ordained as deacons, yet the congregation elects women with the approval of the session to serve as deaconesses who assist the male deacons.
5. Men are ordained as deacons and women are commissioned as deaconesses without ordination, though both the men and the women are elected by the congregation and serve as equal partners in the diaconal ministry.
6. Both men and women serve as equal partners in diaconal ministry and are often described as “deacon” or “deaconess” though no one is ordained to this ministry.
The proposal was eventually displaced by another proposal submitted to Philadelphia Presbytery by Steve Smallman (former member of the RPCES study committee headed by Jim Hurley that overtured Synod in favor of woman deacons) and Phil Ryken (Sr. Pastor of Tenth Presbyterian).
Northern California and Metro New York Presbyteries adopted the proposal.
Although the original proposal called for Metro New York Presbytery to overture General Assembly with these six declarations, Tim Keller (who was a signatory to the proposal) specifically recorded that he did not agree...
...no opinion can be either more pernicious or more absurd than that which brings truth and falsehood upon the same level, and represents it as of no consequence what a man's opinions are. On the contrary, we are persuaded that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. Otherwise it would be of no consequence either to discover truth or to embrace it.
(Preliminary Principle Number Four, 1788 Synod of New York and Philadelphia, 1789 General Assembly; 1973 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America)
(Tim) If a pastor were embarrassed by the Biblical doctrine of sexuality; if he believed God's prohibition of woman exercising authority over man was a hindrance to the furtherance of the Gospel, and that to align himself with it would harm his ability to reach out to the arbiters of culture, winning some for Christ and His Kingdom; if he felt it wise to adopt a halfway covenant on sexuality and so he stood midway between the sexual anarchy of egalitarian feminism and the father-rule created and decreed by God in the perfection of Eden...
(Tim) Under the post titled, "Woman deacons in the PCA's Metro NY Presbytery: liberal deform is predictable," several questions were asked that seemed worth answering in a main post. Here then are the questions, followed by responses:
* * *
Question: What is the typical composition of a PCA presbytery?
Answer: Since I'm not the Stated Clerk of the denomination (who has all the stats in his office), I can't answer your question, other than by personal impressions gathered from conversations as well as attendance at both my own and other presbyteries' meetings. It would be my sense that the more southern and rural the presbyteries are, the greater the participation of ruling elders proportional to teaching elders (pastors). In the past week I've heard from one man down south that some of the southern presbyteries have nearly 50/50 teaching/ruling representation. But across the denomination, this is a constant integrity issue given our community's deep commitment to the parity of ruling and teaching elders. We work at it, trying various schedules and enticements to get more ruling elders to serve as commissioners, but little changes long-term. Why?
It would be impolitic to have a public discussion of this, I think, so I'll leave it for now.
Back to the larger issue...
Back to Metro NY Presbytery, though: their stats are exceptionally dismal. And, as I see it, what those stats reveal is part and parcel of Metro NY Presbytery's susceptibility to the sort of Biblical, theological, and polity error they as a presbytery have now adopted at their most recent March 13, 2009 Stated Meeting.
An explanation: in the past few weeks, the same twenty-one page document titled A Proposal to the ____ Presbytery Regarding Women in Diaconal Ministry was presented for adoption by Northern California, Metro New York, and Philadelphia Presbyteries. Adoption carried in Northern California and Metro New York Presbyteries, while Philadelphia took a...
(Tim) Here are a few details gleaned from the roll of two recent meetings of Metropolitan New York Presbytery (PCA). Both presbytery meetings were held in the offices of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, where Tim Keller serves.
First, the roll of Metro NY Presbytery's November 7, 2008 meeting records:
(Tim) The Fall 2008 issue of Covenant Seminary's review, Presbyterion, has an article by Covenant's Dean of Faculty, Jimmy Agan, titled "Deacons, Deaconesses, and Denominational Discussions: Romans 16:1 As a Test Case." Dr. Agan works hard not be viewed as putting his finger on the scale of a greatly controverted issue being weighed by our ecclesiastical association known as the Presbyterian Church in America. He warns his readers not to come to any easy conclusions about the meaning of the texts, but he does seem to have a few conclusions, himself, and they are helpful.
First, this from Footnote 29:
While fuller discussion is beyond the scope of the present article, we may at least name two implications... for the office of deacon if the conclusions summarized above are correct. First, it seems that the ecclesiastical title diakonos was chosen not because of its associations with the service rendered by domestic or table attendants, but because it well suited an arrangement in which "deacons" functioned as "agents" in authority over the congregation and under the authority of the elders, at whose behest they carried out a variety of tasks. Second, if deacons were such" agents," we should not speak of the office as one which was (or is) devoid of authority.
It can't be emphasized often enough that, whatever else deacons may be, they are officers and exercise authority over the believers of their church...
Continue reading "Helpful "Presbyterion" article on Romans 16:1 and woman deacons..." »
(Tim) Method often tells us as much as words themselves, do. Three cases come to mind.
First, when I had something to correct in what Phil Ryken had written, I wrote him privately asking him to issue the correction himself. He persisted in leaving the matter uncorrected so I took it public. But taking it public, I left the comments open below what I'd written so Phil could explain his words or actions.
When Phil had a complaint against me, though, he took it public first with no prior private e-mail to me. And when he took it public, he refused to allow any responses below what he wrote. Things he wrote were not true but they're likely to be out there uncorrected until the end of time...
Continue reading "Controlled dialog and other oxymorons..." »
(Tim) Because Tim Keller sought to use the RPCES heritage of the PCA as a lever to move us toward woman deacons in his recent byFaith article, I've spent a good bit of time the past few weeks immersing myself in RPCES history on the issue. And in the process, I've come to see the RPCES influences still visible within the PCA today.
Note how influential former RPCES men (Will Barker, Dominic Aquila, and Joel Belz, for instance) and institutions (Covenant College and Covenant Seminary) are among us. How will RPCES history influence PCA actions in the next decade or so?
The personal history we bring to a controversy will bear on our convictions and conduct during that controversy.
For myself, this is certainly true. I'm no charter member of the PCA, nor did I spend any time in the RPCES. (I did in the OPC and the RCA.) My own trajectory, then, was through the UPCUSA and then the PC(USA). With my church, Grace Presbyterian in Pardeeville, Wisconsin, I left the PC(USA) back in 1992, transferring into the the PCA's then-Northern Illinois Presbytery.
If we can understand how this influences my own actions and commitments, the same is true of so-called "charter members" of the PCA as well as RPCES men who were received into the PCA.
To help us get our history right, here are some interesting quotes from the RPCES house publication, Mandate. I've pulled these quotes from a hard copy of the Mandate issued immediately following the 155th (1977) RPCES Synod where woman deacons/officers were definitively rejected by Synod members. At the time, Mandate was edited by our own Joel Belz.
These quotes should be helpful to us as we proceed to have this debate for the umpteenth time, now, within the PCA. It does seem as if we're simply picking up the debate where it left off when Jim Hurley and his troops lost their effort in their former denomination...
(Tim) Today, Phil Ryken publicly repudiated his misquotation of B. B. Warfield in support of woman deacons. From Reformation 21, here's the complete text:
Deaconess Correction
The Reverend Tim Bayly is alleging publicly that I promote women deacons, that I have widely disseminated an error concerning the position of B. B. Warfield on the issue, and that I have refused his personal pleas to correct this error. These allegations are false, as Mr. Bayly should know...
Continue reading "Phil Ryken publicly corrects one error, and yet..." »
(Tim) The past couple of weeks, I've spent a great deal of time tracking down the historical record concerning the actions of the 154th (1976) Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod (RPCES) related to woman deacons.
Why?
Tim Keller wrote an article, recently, for the PCA's byFaith magazine arguing that the PCA should allow woman deacons because, just before joining with the PCA in 1982, the 154th (1976) Synod of the RPCES, "narrowly defeated a motion to ordain women as deacons."
Keller suggests the trajectory of the RPCES immediately prior to her union with the PCA was towards lifting her own restrictions against woman deacons, and therefore this same trajectory should lead the PCA now, thirty years later, to change our polity. Here's how Keller puts it:
For Keller's argument to work, though, his version of history has to be right.
It's not.
The RPCES did not vote whether to have woman deacons at its 154th (1976) Synod. And when the vote was taken, woman deacons were not "narrowly defeated." The vote was decisive...
(Tim) Adding to the historical record, here's another article on deaconesses by Princeton theologian, B. B. Warfield. As an explanation for the way we label such things, please note that not all who argue for deaconesses agree with the thrust of Tim Keller and his followers who are seeking to have the PCA change her polity to allow men and women to serve indiscriminately together in the diaconate.
B. B. Warfield here describes the work of deaconesses. And the one thing we can say about deaconesses is that they are not deacons. When Warfield asks "What is a deaconess?" he doesn't respond, "A deaconess is a deacon."
Unordained men and women serving in the same diaconate, on the same deacon board of a church with no distinction in their duties or authority, are what is being sought today by men like Pastor Keller. This is precisely what is contrary to the historic practice of the Church.
For this reason, when we refer to the change in polity sought by Keller and his followers, we call it "woman deacons." Woman deacons are not deaconesses.
If you finish this article more confused than ever, you'll understand the title of this post. Warfield seems to have slipped into an uncharacteristic obtuseness...
(Tim) This is the sixth in a series of posts critiquing an article promoting woman deacons written by Tim Keller for byFaith magazine. (Here are installments one, two, three, four, five, and six.) If you've already read the fifth in the series titled, Critique of Pastor Keller's promotion of woman deacons, part 5: RPCES history in need of correction..., please note this significant statement has now been added to that post:
Researching this matter, I've spoken to one of the RPCES fathers added to the Committee and he's confirmed the record of the Minutes, saying he remembers no vote on women deacons at the 154th Synod, let alone a motion approving women deacons being "narrowly defeated." The matter was recommitted.
It was the motion to add women to denominational boards and committees that was "narrowly defeated."
This is additional corroboration of my contention that, in addition to Phil Ryken, Tim Keller also has been in error in his handling of the historical record as he gives himself to advocacy of woman deacons within the PCA...
(Tim) The Presbyterian Church in America's magazine, byFaith, recently published an article by Tim Keller arguing that we should change our Book of Church Order to allow woman deacons. We have had a series of posts critiquing Tim Keller's article and this is the fifth in that series. (Here are installments one, two, three, four, five, and six.)
First, this excerpt from Keller's article which we'll see is in need of correction:
In this first paragraph of his "Personal History," Tim Keller tells us the 154th (1976) RPCES Synod "narrowly defeated a motion to ordain women as deacons."
In fact, the request made by the Study Committee on Role of Women in the Church, that the Synod change its polity to "ordain woman as deacons," received the following response...
(Tim) Jake Mentzel bought Mark Driscoll's new booklet and reports Tim Keller has waved his magic wand and Mark's now walking around in a trance repeating Tim's mantra: "A woman can do anything an unordained man can do." I'm disappointed.
But really, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. When they hang out with each other, either Mark's going to rub off on Tim or Tim's going to rub off on Mark. And ninety-nine out of a hundred times, I'd have my money on Tim.
(Tim) On this blog, there's a growing series of posts critiquing an article in byFaith magazine by Tim Keller promoting woman deacons. This is the fourth in that series. (Here are installments one, two, three, four, five, and six.)
Meanwhile, our friend, Ron Gleason, is doing yeoman's work opposing feminism in the Presbyterian Church in America and has undertaken a similar series. So far, he's put up five posts: "The PCA and Female Deaconesses I," "The PCA and Female Deaconesses II," "The PCA and Female Deaconesses III," "The PCA and Female Deaconesses IV," and "The PCA and Female Deaconesses V." They're well worth your time--check them out.
Ron and Tim Keller both got their M.Div.s at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
(Tim) Pastor Tim Keller recently did a piece promoting woman deacons. It ran in the Presbyterian Church in America's byFaith e-monthly. Section by section, from time to time, I'm critiquing parts of Pastor Keller's article. This is the third installment. (Here are installments one, two, three, four, five, and six.) Readers will note I've not cut any of Pastor Keller's text. His words are indented, mine are not.
The first note struck is misleading. Reading Pastor Keller's words, we're led to believe that Redeemer is living well within the bounds of PCA polity, making a clear distinction between the men and women who serve in diaconal ministry. This is, of course, the one thing necessary in order to submit to Scripture's doctrine of sexuality--that male and female be clearly delineated in anything approximating authoritative function or office. So, according to Pastor Keller's words, here, he's led his congregation to make a distinction between the men and women serving as deacons. The women are commissioned, the men ordained, right?
That's what I thought when I first read the above. Yet in the back of my mind, a little bell was ringing, causing me to wonder if there wasn't some confusion, here...
(Tim) Recently, the PCA's institutional public relations voice, byFaith magazine, ran a point/counterpoint on woman deacons. This is the second in a series of posts I'll be doing critiquing Tim Keller's article promoting woman deacons. (Here are installments one, two, three, four, five, and six.) Tim Keller argued the point, Lig Duncan the counterpoint. This only to say I found the pictures of Tim and Lig that ran above their respective articles quite humorous. Here's Tim. Here's Lig. Yes yes, I'm sure it's no invidious plot.
Lig's scowl reminds me of some of the wording in the paper distributed to members of Ohio Valley Presbtery in our October stated meeting by Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. The twenty-one page untitled paper addressed the presbytery as follows...
(Tim) Over on byFaith's site, Tim Keller gave his rationale recently for Redeemer's practice related to woman deacons. This is the first in a series of posts critiquing Tim Keller's article. (Here are installments one, two, three, four, five, and six.)
What's interesting is not so much what Tim wrote, but what his readers commenting beneath his piece said and didn't say. Or what they considered and what they didn't consider in weighing his claims and arguments.
Tim Keller's article must be interpreted in the larger context of his ministry at Redeemer. Only then will it be understood properly. The operative rule at Redeemer with regard to all things sexual is, "A woman may do anything a non-ordained man may do." So the working out of Redeemer's theology of sexuality is that women at Redeemer are allowed to teach and exercise authority over men everywhere and always except from the pulpit Lord's Day morning and in any way reserved for the elders as they exercise something they call "teaching authority." But whatever this "teaching authority" is, it's not when women teach Scripture to men because that precise thing they explicitly allow.
When Tim Keller claims to hold firmly to Scripture's Creation Order of sexuality, those weighing his claim should know that the actual implementation of that Order in his church would be unrecognizable to any previous generation of Christians...
(Tim) Back on June 15, I wrote Phil Ryken, pastor of Philadelphia's historic Tenth Presbyterian Church, to point out two significant errors in a sermon he gave at Tenth later published as a commentary on 1Timothy by P&R as a volume in their Reformed Expository Commentary series. Then I followed up our private correspondence with a public post warning the church at large of these errors.
After the post, Phil and I exchanged several private e-mails in which I asked Phil to correct his errors by amending the PDF offered on his church's web site and inserting an errata sheet in any future copies of his commentary shipped by P&R.
It's now four months later.
A week ago at our Ohio Valley Presbytery meeting we received a document justifying woman officers in the PCA. Phil's commentary was cited with errors intact and prominently featured in the document's arguments. One of Tim Keller's Redeemer churches distributed the document as justification for the statement to us by their session that "It remains the conviction of Redeemer's session (Indianapolis) that there is no scriptural basis to differentiate between men and women serving as Deacons under the authority of the Session." (Emphasis in the original. Here's an article giving some of the past history of Ohio Valley Presbytery's work with Redeemer in Indianapolis.)
Seeing these errors continue to be cited by churches not in conformity with our Book of Church Order, I wondered whether the PDF on Tenth's web site had been corrected? On the way home, I pulled up the PDF from Tenth's web site and found...
Continue reading "Phil Ryken's errors alive and well four months later..." »
NOTE FROM TIM: I've just taken the liberty of changing a couple sentences and adding some quotes to clarify this piece. So if you already read this post in its first day on the blog, please read it again. Having two writers contributing to this piece allowed a couple things through we'd normally have caught. They've now been corrected.
(David and Tim, w/thanks to Dave) Search for "Langberg" on the Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) web site and fifty-seven links are returned offering products produced by Westminster
Theological Seminary adjunct professor Diane Langberg. (Here and here are sample pages.)
Check out CBE's directory for a recommended counselor in Pennsylvania and you will find Calvary Presbyterian Church (PCA) member Diane Langberg.
Several years ago, controversy erupted within the Presbyterian Church in America over whether or not a certain woman actually preached at Covenant Theological Seminary. The controversy came to a head at the 29th General Assembly when Covenant's president, Dr. Bryan Chapell, explained the chapel address had mostly not been preaching although some parts strayed into "sermonic (and) some applicatory material." Bryan Chapell explained to the Assembly:
That Diane Langberg had been told ahead of time what the standards were for her speaking during the chapel time;
That after she spoke at Covenant Seminary, Diane Langberg received a letter reminding her of the standards, and expressing concern that those standards had not been followed; and
That the administration of Covenant Seminary met with students to explain the situation and to assure the seminary community that what had happened was not according to the standards they were committed to upholding.
Note that the chapel message at the root of the controversy was given by Dr.
Diane Langberg. Yet, despite her being at the center of this controversy...
Two years ago, the Christian education arm of the Presbyterian Church
in America, Christian Education and Publications (CE&P), held its
2006 International Women in the Church Conference
in Atlanta. The three women employed to teach the 4,000 assembled women
of the PCA? Joni Eareckson Tada, Paige Benton Brown, and Dr. Diane
Langberg.
Again, at Women in the Church's (WIC) 2007 Leadership Training Conference Dr. Diane Langberg was a plenary speaker.
Diane Langberg was principal speaker at Tenth Presbyterian (PCA) Church's 2008 TenthWomen Conference.
And this same Diane Langberg is featured speaker at the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals' Princeton Regional Conference on Reformed Theology--together with Al Mohler and Don Carson.
(Tim) Several years ago, I was talking with one of the patriarchs of the PCA about a series of pieces we'd published here exposing the promotion of false doctrine within one of our largest denominational institutions. Although we've worked together in other battles outside the denomination, any thought of discipline or conflict inside these hallowed grounds of the PCA was beyond the pale to this church father. He expressed his disapproval of what I'd written with the simple statement, "Tim, I'm a loyalist when it comes to (that institution) and the PCA."
What is loyalty?
Was Hezekiah loyal when, informed by Isaiah of the coming Babylonian captivity his people and his own sons would suffer, he responded, "'The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good.' For he thought, 'There will be peace and security in my lifetime?" Was the Apostle Peter loyal when he left the Gentiles and went over to the Jews at church potlucks? Were those giving preferential treatment to rich men within the church loyal in seeking to provide for the church's financial well-being? Was Eli loyal when he allowed his sons to continue to profane the holy things as they held sacred office?--family first, you know.
From loyalty, Monday we called attention to the fact that friends from CBMW days seem to have no problem with a woman, Dr. Diane Langberg, publicly teaching men doctrine at a theology conference their professional association, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, is co-sponsoring. There they all are--John, Al, C.J., Lig, Phil, John--and they're promoting the ministry of a woman teaching men. In fact, beyond promoting, a couple of them (Don and Al) are sharing the pulpit with her.
From loyalty, yesterday we ran a piece on the apparent lack of discipline of faculty members at our denomination's Covenant College, pointing out that one third of them support Barack Obama's presidential bid and half of them decline to acknowledge abortion to be "Very important" in their choice. To put this in perspective, imagine a PCA college in Germany during the Third Reich, keeping in mind that the number of little babies slaughtered now by abortion absolutely dwarfs the number of Christians and Jews Hitler's men slaughtered during the Nazi regime.
Once again, from loyalty to this faith community known as the PCA, we turn to the Rev. Dr. Tim Keller...
Continue reading "Tim Keller blithely continues down the broad egalitarian path..." »
(Tim) Speaking of those championing a change in the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America to allow for woman deacons, one commenter on this blog defended them, writing "No one who is asking us to look into this says we should ignore the scriptures."
Respectfully, I must disagree. If we look at PCA teaching elders who are championing woman deacons, it must be said that some of them fail to affirm, while others oppose the plain teaching of Scripture on sexuality: That since Adam was created first, and then Eve; and since Eve was the one deceived; woman is forbidden to teach or exercise authority over man.
They occasionally come up with scholars (usually modern) they can cite in support of woman deacons, but these scholars have not done any heavy lifting on this issue. Rather, their work amounts to the sort of incidental treatments of a subject that ought never to displace the witness of the Church across history. Thus, it can't be said often enough that the present practice of non-compliant churches within the PCA bears no resemblance to the practice of the Church of the past two thousand years.
For example, some have cited Drs. Doug Moo, Tom Schreiner, and Andreas Köstenberger, as well as the late Dr. Ed Clowney, in support of woman deacons. Several of these men I know and respect. Yet there are others who have given themselves to this subject on a systematic basis who are far better sources in this debate.
Take, for instance, the French historian, Aime Georges Martimort, author of Deaconesses: An Historical Study
This book can be considered the last word on the subject of deaconesses. It deserves a wide readership since there is so much interest in the ordination of women. (Homiletic & Pastoral Review)
Martimort uses his refined skills to give us what should be the definitive work on the subject. (The Diaconate)
So Martimort is foundational to the debate over woman deacons in the PCA and other reformed denominations today. Knowing some will not have the time or inclination to read his work, here are some excerpts...
Continue reading "Martimort demonstrates deaconesses are exotics in church history..." »
(Tim) Within a number of reformed denominations holding to the Westminster Standards, we have men who seem not to have a heart for opposing the heresy of feminism. To work to reform this reality, we would do well to ask several questions on the floor of presbytery of candidates for ordination. Here are a couple that might serve the purpose.
First, we might ask, "Do you believe it's a faithful summary of the Biblical doctrine of sexuality to say, as many have said publicly in our denomination, that 'a woman may do anything a non-ordained man may do?'"
If the man responds, "Yes" or "Maybe," it's clear he's either woefully uninformed or opposed to the Biblical doctrine of sexuality and has no heart for opposing this heresy even though he likely knows he can't advocate women elders or senior pastors. Certainly no prior father of the Church would recognize this as a faithful summary of Scripture's teaching. They would be left scratching their heads.
If he says "No, I don't think that's a good summary of Scripture's doctrine" we ought to be encouraged, but still, we're not yet finished.
The first follow-up question could be: "Will you require the bride to repeat, as part of her marriage vow, the historic Biblical promise to "obey" her husband in those marriage ceremonies at which you officiate?"
If he says "No," our work is cut out for us. If he says "Yes," we're still not finished...
Continue reading "A modest proposal for ordination exams..." »
(Tim: Given the importance of this correction, we'll leave this post at the top for a few days. Please check below for more recent posts. Thanks.)
Speaking of Bryan Chapell putting forward Phil Ryken for service on a study committee on woman deacons, I held off correcting some significant errors in Phil's commentary on 1Timothy 3:8-13 until I'd been able to notify him of those errors, giving him a chance to correct the text of the PDF available for download. A week and a half after we exchanged e-mails (Phil was quite cordial, by the way), it appears the text hasn't yet been corrected. The errors appear in Phil's commentary issued as part of P&R's Reformed Expository Commentary Series, and specifically his comments on 1Timothy 3:8-13 where the Apostle Paul enumerates qualifications for the office of deacon. In this text, Phil misquotes B. B. Warfield...
Continue reading "Phil Ryken on B. B. Warfield and woman deacons: a correction..." »
(Tim) One news source worth checking out because it isn't dependent on denominational money and the approval of denominational leaders for its existence is Dominic Aquila's eponymous Aquila Report. And concerning the PCA and woman deacons, here's a good article from Aquila Report summarizing this past assembly's actions on the matter.
Also from Aquila Report, here's an article reporting on the actions taken by my own Ohio Valley Presbytery concerning Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis in the matter of their practice of woman deacons. Here is most of the text of the recommendations made by a committee that had been appointed by presbytery to deal with this matter. These recommendations were adopted by Ohio Valley Presbytery...
Continue reading "Woman deacons: two articles from Aquilla Report worth reading..." »
(Tim) A reader asks: "(D)id I understand your introduction to say that you agreed with Warfield's approach inasmuch as 'deaconess' could be a valid office in the church as long as it did not entail the exercise of authority over men, and thus was not conflated with the male diaconate?"
I respond: Yes, but I think such an action on the part of the PCA right now would be unwise in the extreme, given the conflation of the biblical office of deacon and these various helps women performed at times in church history. Furthermore, as Warfield points out quite clearly, Scripture itself cannot be said to provide a biblical basis for woman deacons. Warfield's exactly right.
What we find is that at various times the church did precisely what our Book of Church Order (BCO) allows: namely, to create ad hoc or ancillary groups of women for service to the church--including helping those officers called "deacons." Those women might be called "deaconesses," but across church history they were never exercising authority over men.
And this is where the practice of so many churches of the uber-hip metro-sophisticate variety leave us in a position that we must oppose woman deacons...
Continue reading "Woman deacons: what about Warfield's approach today..." »
(Tim) Pushing for Philadelphia Presbytery's overture to study woman deacons, Bryan Chapell presented the Bills and Overture Committee's Minority Report, arguing “We have to listen to one another. We have to be willing to talk about difficult things without fear of demoralizing the church. We must get people together in the same room to talk about (these things) in an atmosphere that’s not highly charged.”
Our denominational magazine, Byfaith, reported that Chapell's minority proposal "recommended that a committee comprised of theologians on both sides of the issue—including Tim Keller, Phil Ryken, Ligon Duncan, and Jimmy Agan—meet together over the coming year to come to a Scriptural understanding of deaconesses." The remaining three members of the study committee were to be appointed by the moderator, but somewhere Chapell was quoted as saying he hoped the majority would be in favor of the status quo--namely, woman deacons forbidden by our Book of Church Order.
So let's do the numbers.
The churches Tim Keller and Phil Ryken serve have woman deacons. And reading what they've written on the subject, we could expect them to support amending the Book of Church Order. Jimmy Agan is a junior faculty member under Bryan Chapell at Covenant Seminary, so he's likely to stand where Bryan stands.
Where is that? I'm guessing some sort of compromise that keeps large churches happy both north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line...
Continue reading "PCA and woman deacons: unity requires submission..." »
(NOTE: About fifty deep in the comments under this post is one made by "PCA friend" that readers will find helpful in clarifying what happened at the assembly, as well as the actions' larger context in the intricacies of PCA polity. PCA friend also makes the valid point others also made; namely, that some supported the minority report--and thus a study committee--not out of a desire for change, but because they believed this would be the wisest course to take in supporting our church's present constitutional requirements.)
(Tim) Just now, I received a report on what is likely the most significant decision facing this year's General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. Several overtures to the assembly--most notably, one from Philadelphia Presbytery that came to the presbytery by recommendation of a presbytery committee including Tenth Presbyterian Church's senior minister, Rev. Dr. Philip Ryken--asked the assembly to appoint an ad interim study committee on women deacons. Others within the PCA (including Central Georgia Presbytery) opposed such a study committee, seeing it as a Trojan Horse for northern city churches moving the denomination in an egalitarian feminist direction.
Overtures to the assembly pass through the Bills and Overtures Committee which meets prior to the assembly and brings recommendations on each overture to the assembly floor. This year's Bills and Overtures Committee was chaired by Rev. Fred Greco who brought the committee's recommendation (its Majority Report) to the assembly floor. This Majority Report called for the overture requesting the appointment of a study committee on women deacons to be answered in the negative, in which case no such committee would be constituted.
The president of Covenant Seminary, Bryan Chapell...
Continue reading "PCA General Assembly votes not to move in the direction of woman deacons..." »
"It is the settled doctrine of our church that women are excluded from
licensure and ordination by the plain teaching of the Scriptures, and,
therefore, cannot be admitted to our pulpits as authorized preachers of
the Word; and, also, that they are prohibited from speaking by way of
exhortation, or leading in prayer, or discussing any question publicly
in the meetings of the church or congregation as a mixed assembly. This
is according to the mind of the Spirit as expressed by Paul in 1 Cor.
xiv. 34, 35, and I Tim. ii. II, 12."
* * *
(Tim, w/thanks to Wayne) Here are excerpts from the PCUS Digest of Assembly Actions, showing the course of relevant actions in the Southern Presbyterian Church from 1861-1944.
Note how change comes to the church. Deform takes the guise of reform and begins its assault. Year after year it returns, knocking at the door of successive general assemblies. It says the church should "not make laws or bind consciences where Scripture is silent." Past generations believed Scripture speaks to the issue clearly, but things obvious to past generations are invisible to moderns. Eventually, men working to guard the good deposit grow weary of the task and begin to make concessions. After all, every concession appears reasonable and harmless.
I'm reminded of a scrap off Kierkegaard's table:
Imagine a fortress, absolutely impregnable, provisioned for an eternity. There comes a new commandant. He conceives that it might be a good idea to build bridges over the moats--so as to be able to attack the besiegers. Charmant! He transforms the fortress into a countryseat, and naturally the enemy takes it.
So it is with Christianity. They changed the method--and naturally the world conquered.
-Soren Kierkegaard, Attack Upon "Christendom," (Princeton University Press, 1944), p. 138.
Here, then, are the excerpts...
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