Every January, the Presbytery of the Siouxlands convenes at the Watertown Event Center. It’s a fine venue for us in the middle of winter in the cold north since the hotel, meeting room, and restaurant are all connected in one complex. In our Presbytery, there are certainly difficult issues, but I do think that we [...]
Archive for January 2011
Presbytery of the Siouxlands January 2011 meeting
Monday, January 31, 2011Who will control Reformed University Ministries in Mississippi?
Saturday, January 29, 2011A week ago, a friend of mine in Mississippi told me, “We are more concerned about RUM…” I was curious his statement, so I did some research. Reformed University Ministries is the PCA outreach to universities. There is an interesting development in the Mississippi RUM. Mississippi’s RUM has always been independent from the national RUM. At [...]
Anthony Bradley on the Missional Movement: “Is It a Wrap?”
Friday, January 28, 2011The Missional Movement is one of the latest “movements” within the evangelical church. It emphasizes reaching out to the city, redeeming culture, and social justice. Tim Keller is one of the big names in this movement. Recently, Anthony Bradley has been highlighting important questions for the missional movement. Here’s one:
byFaith: CMC to Propose Alternative AC Funding Plan for 2012 Assembly
Thursday, January 27, 2011One day after the Cooperative Ministries Committee met, byFaith reports the following: CMC to Propose Alternative AC Funding Plan: New Plan Being Readied for 2012 Assembly A new funding plan for the PCA’s Administrative Committee (AC) is likely headed to the 2012 General Assembly (GA). The day after it became apparent that a fee-based funding [...]
Understanding the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church & Its Relation to Erskine Seminary
Thursday, January 27, 2011Over the past year, one of the biggest news items in the Reformed world was the conflict between the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church’s Synod and Erskine Seminary. This past week there were two headlines. I asked my friend Seth Stark, an ARP ruling elder who blogs at The Ruling Elder, if he would give an [...]
The Origin of byFaith
Wednesday, January 26, 2011Many people have asked about the origin of byFaith. I believe that the following section of the Administrative Committee’s report to the 32nd General Assembly, found on the PCA News web site, answers these questions: V. News Office, PCA News.com, PCA byFaith News Magazine The General Assembly approved the following recommendation, recorded in the Minutes of [...]
PCA Cooperative Ministries Committee to meet today
Wednesday, January 26, 2011If you are in the PCA or are interested in the PCA, you need to understand the work of the Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC). The CMC is at the helm of the PCA, since it is a special committee that directs the Strategic Planning of the PCA. The CMC is meeting today from 9 a.m. [...]
Leithart: “Apostasy Happens”
Tuesday, January 25, 2011Continuing my review of The Baptized Body (Moscow, Idaho: Canon Press, 2007), Peter Leithart perfectly communicates the Federal Vision, boldly advancing the premise that God makes all who are baptized with water members of the body of Christ and its conclusion that members of Christ’s body fall from His favor and suffer His eternal wrath. [...]
South Florida Presbytery (PCA) sends term-limits overture to 39th General Assembly
Sunday, January 23, 2011At its January 18, 2011, stated meeting, the South Florida Presbytery approved an overture to amend the PCA Rules of Assembly Operation to set term limits for the Coordinators of Program Committees and the Stated Clerk. The overture will be considered by the 39th PCA General Assembly meeting in Virginia Beach, Va., June 7–10, 2011. [...]
Breaking news: proposed funding plan fails
Sunday, January 23, 2011New York State Presbytery became the 27th Presbytery to vote against 14-1. Eastern Carolina earlier became the 27th vote against 14-2. Any amendment to the BCO requires approval of 2/3 of the Presbyteries. 27 Presbyteries constitute more than a third of the Presbyteries. Since we have reached the mark of 27 Presbyteries, the funding plan [...]
Updated: Funding Plan Super Saturday
Saturday, January 22, 2011Current amendment vote tally: BCO 14-1: 26–29 BCO 14-2: 26–30 We will update the count as results come in. Please check back. Update (3:28 p.m. MST): Calvary Presbytery votes in favor with a vote of 37-31-10 on BCO 14-1 and 38-29-10 on 14-2. Update (2:52 p.m. MST): South Coast votes against the amendments 18-25 on [...]
Replay: Blogging and the Founding of the PCA
Friday, January 21, 2011Blogging continues to be a hot topic in the PCA. I have decided to repost this article on blogging and the founding of the PCA: If you have not read any of the speeches of the PCA founding fathers posted by Andrew Barnes at aprofitableword.com, you are missing out. They are excellent reading. We really [...]
On the Distinction Between the Covenant of Works & the Covenant of Grace (Part 1)
Friday, January 21, 2011Much of the Federal Vision debate is about their failure to properly distinguish the covenant of works and covenant of grace. Sometimes, those who believe in those two covenants can fail to distinguish as clearly as they should. When dealing with theology, we can make advances and avoid mistakes by listening to those who have [...]
Why Don’t Churches Give to AC?
Thursday, January 20, 2011As usual, Martin Hedman is asking good and hard questions that we really need to answer in order to do good strategic planning in the PCA. I think his comments and questions should be considered, so I decided to post this on the front page: There are a couple of issues and/or complaints brought up [...]
More on MOP’s actions on 1/18/2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011“A Concerned Presbyter,” a commenter on my blog, has requested that I give a fuller report on MOP’s actions yesterday. I am happy to do so. Providentially, this meeting was held at Meyers’ church, Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church. In regard to the complaint, TE Joseph Rolison was not able to be at the meeting because [...]
Complaint Against Exoneration of TE Jeffrey Meyers
Tuesday, January 18, 2011And now this day, Sunday, January 16, 2011, TE M. Jay Bennett and TE Joseph E. Rolison come and complain against the action of Missouri Presbytery on January 8, 2011, in determining that there was insufficient evidence to raise a strong presumption of guilt in the teachings of TE Jeffrey Meyers in the areas of [...]
MOP forms committee to consider complaint against exoneration of TE Jeffrey Meyers
Tuesday, January 18, 2011Two TEs, M. Jay Bennett and Joseph E. Rolison of Missouri Presbytery (MOP), complained against MOP’s determination that there was insufficient evidence to find a strong presumption of guilt in the teachings of TE Jeffrey Meyers. MOP responded by forming a committee to consider the complaint. This committee will report back in April with a [...]
Home Is Where the Lord Is
Monday, January 17, 2011When I had supper with R. Scott Clark this past week, I asked him if he enjoyed living in Escondido. He said that there were good things and bad things about it. One thing that struck me is that he said, “It has never really felt like home.” Scott considers his hometown to be Lincoln, [...]
Meyers’ Q & A — V. Justification
Saturday, January 15, 2011V. Justification All of the questions about justification in this section might be answered quickly with reference to my response to the very last question (#8). To my knowledge, nothing I have written or said in lectures should cause anyone to question my commitment to the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. [...]
Meyers’ Q & A — IV. Perseverance
Saturday, January 15, 2011IV. Perseverance Because some of the questions in this section are similar, almost identical to ones asked in the previous section on Baptism I will try not to duplicate answers. But that will mean referencing where to find fuller statements in my earlier responses. Also, I believe many answers to the first four questions in [...]