Observations on the PCA
by John Armstrong

"...The last thing the PCA needs to fear right now is real liberalism. The real danger in the PCA is sectarianism, a sectarianism which threatens to destroy this great fellowship before it begins to reach its fullest missional potential, which I think is still great. This fellowship is not even thirty-five years old ye, but the separatist DNA of its origins may yet slow its dynamic growth significantly in the next few decades if this constant commitment to controversy dosen't stop somewhere. I believe this with all my heart and I think history supports me in this observation. A sustained polemic will never build a great church! It will only produce more and more schism. At some point wiser heads must prevail and this family squabbling needs to stop. I pray for courageous leaders who seek this and who will stand up and say, "Enough!" "

Please click on the link above an read the whole article before responding. I'm not in a position to confirm or deny Armstrong's observations of the Presbyterian Church in America. I can say the description above does describe some other groups, Reformed and otherwise, I'm more familiar with, and the above issue is not limited to just the PCA.

The bottom line: When will we as Christians love and respect one another enough to give each other room for legitimate differences?

I'll close with one other related observation. The Westminster Confession itself yields it's right to settle controversies to the Bible alone. The issue is not if certain viewpoints are consistent with the WCF or not. The issue is are those viewpoints consistent with Scripture alone. If the PCA settles any of its controversies on any other basis, it will have betrayed its heritage of Sola Scriptura, and denied the very confession it says it is upholding.

Semper Reformanda!

~ The Billy Goat ~