Other than prayer, the best way Old School Confessionalists can support the agencies of the PCA at this time is by searching for more men who share a commitment to robust, Old School Presbyterianism who will be willing to serve on the permanent committees to help shape the policies and priorities of the College, the Seminary, MTW, MNA, etc. It’s not enough to serve on a General Assembly CofC! Instead of neglecting the Agencies of the PCA, let’s be willing to serve them on the permanent committees.

The PCA is comprised largely of three groups. In 2015, TE Bryan Chapell described these groups as “traditionalists, progressives, and neutrals.” I don’t like the label he chose for my segment of the PCA; I prefer the label “Old School” or “Confessionalist.”
By the way, I don’t think anybody likes the label he chose for their group, but – as I have written elsewhere – the unified dislike of the three labels suggests TE Chapell was at least over the target.
Regardless of what label is proffered, there are largely three groups who are united together in the Presbyterian Church in America. The two groups on each end of the spectrum both profess a love for the PCA, but their interests in the PCA are shaped by different concerns.
Love for the PCA

But there are others in the PCA who are drawn to the PCA not necessarily because of her robust Westministerian theology and her historic polity. They are eager to see how the PCA with her institutions and cultural cachet can influence society to restore people, places, and things. Their love for the PCA seems more centered on the PCA’s Agencies and Institutions and what the PCA represents for the culture. Their love for the PCA is exhibited especially in an unflinching and enthusiastic support for the PCA’s College and Seminary because of the opportunities for witness and cultural engagement that are afforded to the PCA through the institutions brought in to the PCA with the RPCES. Likewise, this segment of the PCA seems excited about the possibility of planting 120 churches a year until 2030 and are therefore wholeheartedly committed to MNA’s models, assessments, initiatives, and programs.
This is not to say the “traditionalists” are not motivated for evangelism or that those on the other side are not committed to the essentials of the Reformed Faith. The “traditionalists,” however, have been rather lackluster regarding enthusiasm for the institutions brought in with the RPCES as well as the other Agencies of the PCA. Their attention is to doctrine and the slow, but steady growth from discipleship in the ordinary means of grace.
A Pointed Critique of the PCA’s Agencies
On a recent episode of the Westminster Standard Podcast (WS Pod), we discussed the change that has taken place in the PCA since 2018 and the role of blogs and podcasts in that transformation.
In 2018, the National Partnership reflected on the success they had enjoyed in shifting the trajectory of the denomination. But six years later, former members of the now defunct partnership are decrying the General Assembly as “broken” and others share their disappointment with the PCA’s renewed commitments expressed in confessional fidelity and clarity.
In the episode, one of the guest commentators relayed some anecdotes shared with him based on experiences church members had with a couple of specific PCA Agencies (i.e. Covenant College and RUF) as well as his own perception of a Covenant College promotional video.
He pointedly expressed concern that some of the PCA agencies were failing to disciple men in particular, but instead accommodating cultural values he viewed as having diverged from historic Christian emphases.
At least one employee of the College has understandably expressed strenuous objection to the guest commentator’s critique. I note several things in this regard.
First, the opinions and views expressed on the WS Pod are not necessarily those of Jude 3 & the PCA, First Presbyterian Church, the Tennessee Valley Presbytery, or the PCA, but only those of the individual speaker who offers a particular opinion or viewpoint.
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These numbers suggest that the “no” votes on the highly-contested, SSA-related overtures were disproportionately those of teaching elders. Of course, the reverse can also be assumed, that a disproportionate number of the “yes” voters were ruling elders…. Does this suggest a disconnect between pew and pulpit (RE/TE)? Or is it a metro/blue suburbs vs. rural/red suburbs disconnect? Or southeastern vs. the rest of the country (assuming more REs attend from the southeast)? There are likely many theories, no one of which explains all.

The recorded “no” votes on the controversial overtures 23 and 37 from the last Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly (PCAGA) are now available in the just-released minutes of the 2021 summer assembly. Recording of votes is optional and generally indicates strong feelings or convictions on a given issue or measure. One conclusion that might be drawn from these numbers is that teaching elders (TEs) in the PCA are far more likely to have strong feelings about these overtures than are ruling elders (REs).
Overture 23 had 1855 votes cast. It passed 1438-417 (71% for, 29% against). 137 “no” voters recorded their votes (33% of those against). Of that 137 only 18 (13%) were ruling elders. Ruling elders made up 25% of all commissioners (616 out of 2115 total elders).
Overture 37 had 1826 votes cast. It passed 1209-617 (66% for, 34% against). 177 “no” voters recorded their votes (29% of those against). Of that 177 only 18 (10%) were ruling elders. Again, ruling elders made up 25% of all commissioners.
These numbers suggest that the “no” votes on the highly-contested, SSA-related overtures were disproportionately those of teaching elders. Of course, the reverse can also be assumed, that a disproportionate number of the “yes” voters were ruling elders.
This is speculative, but if the recorded TE:RE “no” vote proportions are an accurate representation of all “no” voters it might be reasonable to suggest that approximately 55 ruling elders voted against overture 23 out of 616 in attendance. For overture 37 the number of total ruling elder “no” votes might have been around 62 out of 616 in attendance.
Does this suggest a disconnect between pew and pulpit (RE/TE)? Or is it a metro/blue suburbs vs. rural/red suburbs disconnect? Or southeastern vs. the rest of the country (assuming more REs attend from the southeast)? There are likely many theories, no one of which explains all.
The recorded “no” votes can be found on pages 89-99 of the 2021 GA minutes.
Brad Isbell is a Ruling Elder in Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. This article is used with permission.

Our secular world tells us to look inside ourselves so that we might find the good within, but at the Lord’s Table, we are asked to examine ourselves so that we might find our weakness and sin so that we might be taught to rely more and more upon Christ’s sacrifice, which becomes more endearing to us once we have determined through introspection that we are lost apart from his broken body and redeeming blood. As Gentiles were invited to humble themselves during the Day of Atonement, so we invite our guests to examine themselves and pray that they might find their need for Christ and become jealous for what we have found signed and sealed in those little tokens of Christ’s body and blood.

The mission and purpose of church outreach are best summarized by Christ in the commission that he gave his church: to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all of his commandments. These marching orders tell us that by reaching out to the world, we are to draw them into the covenant communion of the Church. Discipleship does not end at the water cooler at work or wherever the gospel is first believed. It follows the road that brings us into communion with the people of God.
Unfortunately, many churches and denominations have adopted a policy of outreach that involves conforming the church to the image of the world in some way, thus making the church more palatable. For instance, if the church is seeking to draw in more young people the worship becomes more youthful and energetic. On the other hand, if the church is targeting another niche group, such as “cowboys,” the service will take on a more western theme.
Now it might be good to offer a little conviction on this matter. This is something that churches can do without even realizing it. In 2016, I know of many members of Presbyterian churches who voted for Donald Trump that were made to feel as if they had done something immoral and hurtful by things said from the pulpit. I know of others whose experience was the reverse. They had not voted for President Trump and were anxious about what was to come from his presidency, only to find in their churches, rather than Christ centered worship that left political concerns in the parking lot, a political victory parade in the guise of Christian fellowship. We must ask the question and be serious in answering it, “Do our church services, how we decorate, or how we preach focus on attracting only certain kinds of people with specific political affiliations to our congregations?”
I bring this up to make a point. If our worship of Christ is made contemporary to our present time or culture, our worship becomes enslaved to current events and proclivities. By allowing the secular to invade the sacred, we have tragically, and perhaps inadvertently, made the sacred less appealing to those who have grown weary of the vanity of the secular. This is precisely what we see taking place in our world. More and more people are beginning to wake up to the fact that they have been sold a lie by those who seem influential in the world. Atheism has not offered them the hedonistic utopia that they were promised. Guilt and shame did not disappear with their belief in God, and now, rather than having a compassionate and merciful God to go to with their sin, they have nothing but a blind, pitiless, and indifferent universe of stuff. These people have judged the secular and have found it to be wanting.
How unfortunate it is that all some churches have to offer these people is more secular art, music, motivational speeches, and politics all rebranded with a Jesus FishTM slapped on it. We, as Presbyterians, must have something to offer the world that is not of this world. Something like the Kingdom of God! (John 18:36)
There is nothing more peculiar to the Church of Christ than the sacraments that He has given to us, through which he gives us the grace that sets us apart from the secular world. These sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are things that are not given to the world but only to those in the household of faith. Baptism is given to those who have believed in Christ and their children, whereas the Lord’s Supper is given to those who are able to feed upon Christ as he is offered in the elements of bread and wine by faith alone.
The exclusivity of the sacraments, however, does not make them unserviceable in our outreach to the world. Christianity is not a gnostic religion, whereby we hide secret knowledge from outsiders. There is no “inner sanctum” of knowledge or revelation that the church has been commanded to keep out of the sight of the unenlightened.
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