What I Love About the Presbyterian Church in America
I don’t know how much longer I’ll call the PCA my ecclesiastical home. Maybe I finish the race here. Maybe I’m out by next year. There are a lot of uncertainties just now in the great realignment that’s taking place across the Evangelical world, and as Michael Graham has noted, that shaking especially impacts conservative denominations and ministries. The PCA is passing through stormy waters and it's hard to predict where it all shakes out.
Still, as the PCA has been my home for more than twenty years of ministry, all of the storminess has made me pause to give thanks for all I love about the PCA. I started making a list and decided to share it. Maybe others can make a list too.
My list is a work in progress — it’ll be longer next year. It’s also based on my personal encounters. If I note that I love church A, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love church Z; it might just mean I don’t know church Z as well. Same for Pastors and others. Don’t get overly touchy about my list. Your list will be different and I’ll celebrate it with you.
First, I love General Assembly. Weird I know, but I do.
I like GA. It’s a great gathering. I’m kind of a GA junky really. It can be both weird and wondrous; we never know which of those two is about to break out and that makes it a bit more fun too.
Roy Taylor, up there every GA for so many years, keeping us between the lines and offering his understated, devoted service. Love that man. Now Bryan Chappell will do the job.
Love David Coffin, every single time he steps up to a microphone at GA. No, really. Every time. I learn from his smile as well as his seriousness of purpose and intelligence.
Worship is always so… controversial. We try so hard to include all of our flavors and it gets a little messy. And that’s beautiful.
I didn’t like my first GA - Pittsburgh. I didn’t know anyone and it felt like I was a stranger who wandered into a seminary class reunion. I wandered around the bookstore a few times. Drank coffee alone. I tried to follow the action on the Floor (with little success, trying to see how Charles McGowan voted so I’d have some clue as a rookie about what to do) and felt sorry for the guys preaching (What an impossible job — preach to a room full of great preachers! Yikes!). I finally gave up and went to see the Pirates play the Angels down the street. Eventually, I got the hang of GA and learned to love it. I still do. The bow tie game is AWESOME.
Second, I love all of these astonishingly gifted Pastors and Leaders I get to see as they serve Jesus.
Mark Davis from PCPC — deep rivers, man. Thank God for him. The dude should be Moderator.
Tim Keller… I don’t need to say more.
Ligon. Hey, that’s a one-name guy in the PCA — like “Michael”, or “Kobe”, or “Bo”. Just a rockstar. What he’s done for the Gospel through RTS is incredible.
Chris Hutchinson. My goodness. The embodiment of graciousness and deft humor
Did I mention David Coffin?
Brad Bradley… a Prince in the Church and a remarkable example.
Jay Kyle — just listen to him talk about God’s global mission some time.
Paul Vroom at prayer.
Mike Khandjian. There’s not a greater gift of encouragement and hopefulness anywhere. What a treasure.
Ray Cortese and David Richter and Joel St Clair. Patient wisdom, denominational insight, and noted graciousness, all with tears and joy.
Irwyn Ince. IRWYN INCE!!! Inspiration and Hope 101.
Ray Cannata — what a friend! What a thoughtful, creative, incredibly brilliant, and artistic man.
David Strain. His passion for the truth is so great. And he delivers it like he means it.
Rob Pacienza — Love my Ft Lauderdale neighbor.
Quiet world changers like Ron Tobias
Jeff Meyers and Josh Anderson
Ken Leggett & Charles Johnson & Greg Ward — three guys with whom I served who’ve made me laugh more than any other people I know. I mean, look, we all know that apart from people like this, we’d all just go completely insane in the ministry.
Scotty Smith. Where would I be without him and Darlene? Can’t imagine.
Walter Henegar, James Kessler, and Bob Flayhart.
Derek Radney
Scott Sauls.
Charles McGowan
Al Barth
Sean Lucas
Nate Shurden…. George Grant…. Mark Dalbey…. Tom Gibbs… On and on I could go… I really get to be in the same denomination as these guys? Really???!!!!???? Brothers, I have learned so much from you and I am so thankful for you.
I could start naming the ones that are with the Lord too. Like Francis Schaeffer, David Nicholas, James Kennedy, R.C. Sproul, James Boice, and so many more… it’s overwhelming. Or even men who were in the PCA but serve elsewhere now, like Peter Leithart, Greg Thompson, or George Robertson.
And I didn’t even to get to the Ruling Elders… like the late Todd Hardy, John Giffen, and Bob Phillips, or the incredible Barry McBee, Dan Allen, and Scott Brister, Greg Hazel, and Hank Kreh.
I Love our Churches. The PCA has so many fine churches that give so much for the Kingdom.
I love Spanish River Church in Boca Raton. What a privilege to see first-hand all that the church has done and God-willing is determined yet to do in order to reach the world with the Gospel.
Redeemer and All Saints in Austin, Texas. That liturgical and musical wealth is unparalleled. Eric, George, Tim — you guys are amazing. I love you. I love those churches.
PCPC — impossible to begin to quantify the difference this church has made in so many lives.
Christ Community and Christ Pres in Franklin and Nashville
Those Nashville Mid-Town dudes.
Perimeter.
Cornerstone in Franklin.
I love RUF and her incredible ministers (too smart and gifted for words).
Richie Sessions and Kevin Twit — it’s embarrassing riches for Nashville there. Sheesh. Y’all are amazing
Jeff Lee at FAU — one of the best-kept secrets in the PCA (and no, you can’t have him)
Derek Rishmawy
So many more faithful and generous leaders.
Perimeter
I love Covenant Theological Seminary so much.
When I lived in Kentucky — back before there was such a thing as the internet — I’d drive up there and buy the class guides and books that went with them. I bought the little booklet with all the stuff in it you needed to know to pass an ordination exam. I read and read and read. I finally drove up and took a one-day-a-week class — on Leviticus! I’d dream of being there to study even though I knew I couldn’t go. Over the years, kind people there took in the stray guy and eventually I got into some more classes — and my love for the place has only grown.
I Love Our PCA Diversity
You may have noticed this is a diverse list. I love that about the PCA. I love that we are a good-faith subscription denomination that has both breadth and depth. I hope we keep it that way.
There are a lot of very narrow Reformed denominations and some too that are so loose that they need suspenders to hold up their theological convictions. We stumble along, lurching a little to the strident and a little to the latitudinarian… making each other angry in the process at times. I wish that weren’t the case. We’re often like rich kids having a food fight in a mansion, forgetting what a joyful privilege we’ve been given in our theological heritage, our BCO, and our — often annoying — fellow leaders. I’m annoying too. Please forgive me.
I love that I could lead worship in Austin wearing a Geneva Gown (and a collar too!), with organ music and the finest church choir I’ve ever heard — to this day. I love that after that experience I could lead in Franklin wearing jeans accompanied by some of the best dang Nashville musicians anyone’s ever heard. I love that at Redeemer ATX a guitar on Sunday would be viewed with deep suspicion, and that at C3 in Franklin a Sunday without a guitar would be equally suspicious. I love that Spanish River went Willow Creek and then Rock and is discovering a whole new sound now.
I know there are guys who want the PCA to be a whole lot more narrow. I hope you lose every single vote that would do that. I really do. Do you know why? You won’t believe it, but it’s because I love you and I need you. I don’t want you to win and make things so narrow a bunch of people like me lose our home.
It’s also because twenty years ago I needed the PCA and people like David Filson, Kevin Twit, Richard Jennings, Len Hendrix, Charles McGowan, and Scotty Smith were able to coach me up and take me in, making me at home in this weird and beautiful denomination. I want the PCA to stay that way… evangelical and reformed, gracious, kind, and warm to the hungry and thirsty beggars like me who show up at the door.
So let’s figure this out. There’s too much here that’s lovely to let it go without a fight for each other instead of a constant fight with each other.