The Westminster Standard

In 2004 Covenant Seminary Graduate and MTW Missionary Sarah Young Published Jesus Calling, a daily devotional written in the first person as if Jesus were speaking directly to the reader. But the words were not those of Christ, but the private thoughts and reflections of the author. Since the time of publication, Young's book has sold more than 45 million copies making it perhaps the most influential book written by a member of the PCA or Covenant Seminary graduate. On this week's episode TE Zack Groff joins along with Mrs Sean Morris and Mrs Ryan Biese to discuss what Groff described as a "defiling influence" upon evangelicalism. Why was it so few PCA people warned about this book, which seems to deviate from what the PCA confesses regarding the way God meets with His people. Read TE Benj. Inman's articles on this topic: Here: https://www.knotsbetter.com/post/the-pca-ga-corporate-repentance-and-jesus-calling And Here: https://www.knotsbetter.com/post/jesus-calling-pca-lament-repent Check out the Presbycast episode on this subject: https://presbycast.libsyn.com/a-pca-pastor-calls-for-repentance-over-jesus-calling

On Reformation Sunday in 2021 a Priestess of The Episcopal Church gave an oration as part of the worship service of Trinity PCA in Rye, New York. The prospect of a woman preaching in a congregation of the PCA created a great deal of confusion. The 50th General Assembly referred the matter to the Standing Judicial Commission, which has recently returned its decision and given Metro New York Presbytery a number of directives to rectify the issue and report to the 51st General Assembly's Review of Presbytery Records Committee. TE Stephen O'Neill of New Jersey Presbytery helps us understand the issues at play here. Read the SJC Decision: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mzitnxd6gb13yl53hj958/SJC-2023-13-BCO-40-5-Report-re-Metro-NY-Final-Decision.pdf?rlkey=h9pkchvbdgpo2afx4awv1qfm0&dl=0 See Episode 5 for excerpts from the address given by Mrs Rutledge at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Rye, NY.

The PCA continues to grow in her commitment to the historic Reformed Faith as she experiences a renewal of confessional integrity. A consequence of this revival is that congregations who share a love for the historic Reformed Faith are drawn into the PCA, but also those congregations whose commitments to the Reformed Faith are compromised by deviant views on issues such as paedocommunion, feminism, the federal vision, or human sexuality are departing the PCA for broader faith communions. In today's episode, we consider the case of the Providence Reformed Congregation in St. Louis, which voted to leave the PCA to join the CREC. Link to episode with video witnessing the practice of paedocommiunion when this was a congregation of the PCA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jayx1389gaw.

On this week's Westminster Standard Podcast TEs Todd Pruitt, Nick Bullock, and Matt Stanghelle as well as RE Steve Dowling join the program to assess the dangers posed by the distortions of the Federal Vision theology and mood..

RE Joshua Torrey joins the program to discuss an overture he wrote that would require PCA Presbyteries and Sessions to create policies to implement background checks as part of their examinations of potential elders and deacons. The overture Torrey wrote has since been passed by two presbyteries (Warrior and South Texas). View the overture passed by South Texas Presbytery here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6fkd3wrjxvpws7iw8psfs/Mandatory-Background-Checks-for-Officers-2024-STP-FINAL.pdf?rlkey=dssu04j67qwse5geaej4d9f7v&dl=0

What are the limits of state power and the Christian's duty of obedience? Christians are called at all times to be submissive to the governing authorities, but is submission to the governing authorities the same as obedience? In this episode we contemplate both the origin of the civil magistrate and his authority as well as the limits on the civil magistrate's lawful authority as understood by Reformed Theologians historically.

At the end of last year, RE Melton Duncan was kind enough to share a few minutes with me reflecting on what it was like growing up in the PCA as those faithful men of the founding generation labored to seek God bring a Continuing Presbyterian Church into existence. As we looked back on the 50th Anniversary of the PCA last year, we can see how God has strengthened and enriched the PCA in her commitment to the historic Reformed Faith through the work of the faithful seminaries serving the PCA. RE Duncan provides an overview of the many histories that have been written about the PCA and the events leading up to her formation. Many of these books would make great additions to your 2024 reading list.

TE Burk Parsons discusses the PCA's revival and St. Andrews Chapel's decision to join. They talk about embracing Reformed theology, covenant theology, and Presbytery involvement. The importance of preserving conservative confessional beliefs, unity rooted in truth, and upholding biblical teachings in the PCA are highlighted.

PCA Pastor Alex Ford is the stated clerk of Northern California Presbytery and the author of Overture 2, which proposes to bring greater clarity to our process for transferring ministers into PCA Presbyteries. Link: https://pcaga.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Overture-2-Northern-California-BCO-13-6-website.pdf BCO History Project: https://www.pcahistory.org/bco/index.html

The Second Commandment, like all of God's Law, promotes the glory of God, the freedom and peace of His people. Increasingly ministers in the PCA are stating differences with the Westminister Standards related to the Second Commandment. What are we to make of this?PCA TEs T. David Gordon, George Sayour, and Aldo Leon as well as OPC Pastor Andrew Smyth join the show to discuss this issue as well as a forthcoming article written by Dr T. David Gordon. The Westminster Standard is the podcast of Jude 3 & the PCA. Visit our website: www.Jude3pca.org.