Posted on 03/19/2015 5:38:13 AM PDT by Gamecock
The Office of the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has received numerous emails regarding the recent action of the mainline Presbyterian Church (USA) in redefining marriage. On March 17, 2015 the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved language that allows its ministers to officiate at same-sex marriages in its churches. The change comes after the General Assembly and a majority of that denomination’s 171 presbyteries approved an amendment to their Book of Order that describes marriage as “a unique relationship between two people, traditionally a man and a woman.”
There are several Presbyterian denominations in the United States. The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), formed in 1973 as an evangelical denomination in the Reformed theological tradition, is the second largest. We, like other evangelical, conservative, orthodox, and traditional Christians from many branches of the Christian faith, believe that, from creation, God ordained the marriage covenant to be a unique bond between one man and one woman. This biblical understanding is what the Church has always believed, taught, and confessed. Therefore, we believe that the divinely sanctioned standard for sexual activity is fidelity within a marriage between one man and one woman or chastity outside of such a marriage.
Throughout history, there has often been a conflict between what the Church has believed, taught, and confessed and the society to which the Church ministers. The Church, in contrast to the broader culture, is to base her views and practices on authoritative and timeless divine revelation found in the Holy Scriptures, and not on the changing and frequently subjective social practices within the society. The Church, therefore, has certain unchanging objective standards of biblical ethics.
This is especially challenging in this post-modern era of relativism. We think that the comparatively recent interpretation that biblical prohibitions against same-sex intimacy do not apply to “a same-sex marriage” is based on false premises and faulty reasoning and, therefore, is erroneous – no matter how well-intentioned.
The PCA in both its doctrinal standards (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 24 “Of Marriage and Divorce”) and church polity (Book of Church Order, Chapter 59, “The Solemnization of Marriage”) affirms biblical marriage as being between one man and one woman. Neither the General Assembly nor any of the Presbyteries nor any Session (board of elders) of any congregation that is presently a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has redefined marriage. Nor does the PCA intend to do so.
As we affirm what is sometimes called a traditional view of marriage, which we prefer to call biblical marriage, as we seek to follow the apostolic practice of “speaking the truth in love.” We reach out to all persons with the Good News by which we are being saved that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
Presbyterian Church (USA) votes to formally recognize gay marriage and allow same-sex weddings
The PCA in both its doctrinal standards (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 24 “Of Marriage and Divorce”) and church polity (Book of Church Order, Chapter 59, “The Solemnization of Marriage”) affirms biblical marriage as being between one man and one woman. Neither the General Assembly nor any of the Presbyteries nor any Session (board of elders) of any congregation that is presently a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has redefined marriage. Nor does the PCA intend to do so.
Problem is a covenant relationship includes God and God can never be partner to a lie without some sort of curse taking place.
So, he is lying to the people and he is putting God in a position to where He is forced to witness the lie.
Nothing good can come from this.
“On March 17, 2015 the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved language that allows its ministers to officiate at same-sex marriages in its churches.”
But only in the states where the civil authorities patted them on the head and told them it is OK. Think about that. Even though they believe it is possible, the state’s authority and their location determines if they will marry their members or not. Way to fight the power.
FReegards
I am a member of a PCA church. The only thing Presbyterian about the PC(USA) is their name. They are apostate and vile.
The PCA would do well to remove “Presbyterian” from their name to further distance themselves from the heretical behavior of the like-named group of hedonists.
The real problem is not capitulation in order that the Churches might prosper, prosper they will not. Socialism has shown it educates the children in a single generation to leave the Great Churches in Europe empty. The USA may have churches longer simply due to homeschooling and limited radio/TV/print media.
Because even the priests of old were seen in the Bible to serve both Good and Evil, or God and his evil competitor the Devil, it is easy to see organized religion becoming something where the priests either support Good or Bad.
Why bother? The PCUSA will be gone in a decade.
That would be a good thing...but in that time they will destroy the “brand”.
My experience is that PCA and RP churches attract a lot of informed believers. They are not very seeker-friendly, “we’ll turn down the message for the guests” types. PCA will grow as they absorb the more traditional PCUSA folks, leaving the empty shell for the social crowd.
We have a local non-denom that is based on the Presbyterian model. Most of the preachers are local college professors and it is VERY conservative. We’ll probably see more of that.
“The only thing Presbyterian about the PC(USA) is their name. “
Presbyterian refers to the leadership/church structure model.
It’s worse than that.
Imagine if a church preached it was not only OK to murder people, but it was sanctioned by the church and by God.
That’s what we are seeing only it is adultery, not murder. The church is sanctioning adultery. Soon, it will be polygamy and temporary marriage.
Slippery slope? Yeah but so was same-sex marriage a decade ago.
***They are not very seeker-friendly, “we’ll turn down the message for the guests” types.***
Sheep are drawn to the PCA. Goats to the PC(USA).
God bless them for upholding Christian moral truth.
>> There are several Presbyterian denominations in the United States <<
Several? You gotta be kidding. I think it’s more like “several dozen.”
The word Presbyterian is a form of church government not doctrine.. wishing the world would understand that ..
OK, name them.
I get the following:
Conservative Calvinist
OPC
PCA
ARP
RPCNA
K-APC
Conservative, Non-Calvinist
BPC
Moderate
EPC
KPCA
EAPCA
Liberal/NonCalvinist
PC(USA)
Cumberland Presbyterian
Cumberland Pres in America
And the offshoot of the PCUSA
ECO
Why should Christians allow a bunch of sodomites to coopt their name?
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