The Lamp Has Not Yet Gone Out
What does 1 Samuel say to a church in a bleak season? James Edwards reads Israel’s low point under Eli and finds a small, steady lamp that has not gone out, the sign that God is still in the story and still at work.
Tag
PCUSA
134 articles from 67 issues, 1995 to 2026 · Page 4 of 12
The Reformation of the Church: Where Is the Power Lodged?
Who holds the power to reform the church: the renewal groups, or the people in the pews? Sue Cyre argues that renewal’s successes belong to faithful commissioners, and that the constitution places the power with members, elders and clergy.
Preparing for the Debate on Amendment B
What is at stake when the presbyteries vote on Amendment B? This short note from the Board of Theology Matters introduces an issue gathered to help readers prepare for the debate over replacing the “Fidelity and Chastity” standard of G-6.0106b.
Jesus Christ, Scripture, and the Confessions: A Response to Amendment B
If a pledge to obey Jesus Christ can be separated from obedience to Scripture, what is left of the church’s ordination standards? James Edwards argues that Amendment B drives that wedge, and that the Book of Confessions refuses it.
Guidelines for Communal Discernment: A Critique
Can a church seek the mind of the Holy Spirit without ever voting? Viola Larson examines the Guidelines for Communal Discernment and argues that consensus decision-making manipulates participants and takes away rights they would keep under parliamentary procedure.
The Protracted Struggle as a Spiritual Discipline
What if the PCUSA’s long conflict is not a misfortune but the will of God? James Edwards turns to Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi, a border region where belief was tested, and calls the church to stay at its post through a protracted struggle, as it did against Arius.
The Reformation of the Church: Living the Hosea Life
What do you do when the church you love keeps being unfaithful? Faith Jongewaard retells Hosea’s marriage to Gomer and gives three reasons she will not leave the PC(USA): a call, imperfect alternatives, and a duty to those who cannot leave.
A Note from the Board on the 218th General Assembly
How should faithful Presbyterians answer a General Assembly that has blurred the church’s ordination standards? The Board of Theology Matters says it will speak out against false doctrine but will not leave the PC(USA), choosing to work from within for reform.
A Critique of the 218th GA Proposed Replacement of G-6.0106b
What would actually change if the proposed replacement of G-6.0106b passed? James Tony sets the current ordination standard beside the new text, sentence by sentence, and argues that it trades a specific standard of fidelity and repentance for vagueness.
The Danger of Losing “Fidelity” in G-6.0106b
How can a sentence use all the familiar words and still say something different? Paul Leggett likens the proposed G-6.0106b to a Watchtower tract and argues that it swaps obedience to Scripture for an unexamined pledge to an undefined Jesus.
Altering the Covenant: A Critique of the Proposed New Form of Government
What would Presbyterians lose if the whole Form of Government were replaced at once? This Presbyterian Coalition white paper weighs the proposed nFOG on Scripture, Christology, inclusiveness, checks and balances and local handbooks, and urges its disapproval.
The Proposed New Form of Government: Some Questions and Observations
What would the rewritten Form of Government coming to the 2008 General Assembly change? The Presbyterian Coalition sums up its white paper as a set of questions for commissioners, from the new “Foundations” section to local rules and handbooks.