PCA declares transition plan after said clerk’s retirement

The Administrative Committee of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) laid out a transition plan Friday in response to their former said clerk retiring after falsely accusing some ministers of sin weeks earlier than the denomination’s 52nd Common Meeting.

The committee famous that in their Thursday assembly, they accepted the Rev. Bryan Chapell’s request to retire as said clerk, which they mentioned was “efficient instantly,” in line with a press release printed in byFaith, the denomination’s on-line journal.

The committee additionally famous that given the abrupt timing of Chapell’s retirement, it “determined unanimously to make use of Ruling Elder John Bise as a provisional alternative pending his examination by the Theological Analyzing Committee.”

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Bise is a ruling elder and clerk of the session at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama, and served as moderator of the PCA’s forty ninth Common Meeting in 2022, in line with the committee, which plans to convey a proper nominee for a brand new said clerk at its Common Meeting subsequent yr.

Chapell, who served as the executive head of the PCA since 2020, made headlines final week for showing on The Gospel Coalition’s “Gospelbound” podcast and briefly displaying a handwritten record of individuals on his desk whom he accused of being “scandalizers.” He claimed “each identify on that record” had deserted their households, left the religion or died by suicide.

Viewers who paused the video and zoomed in on Chapell’s record discovered that it included males who’re alive, married and ministers in good standing with their denomination, which prompted widespread backlash and Chapell’s eventual announcement final Thursday that he had repented and would step down as said clerk.

Chapell issued two apologies, the second of which acknowledged “the seriousness of those errors and sin” whereas thanking Jesus Christ for His graciousness.

The Administrative Committee mentioned Friday it had “met with Chapell and has gratefully acquired his repentance and apology for his feedback on The Gospel Coalition podcast.”

“Whereas recognizing the seriousness of the state of affairs and with remorse for its penalties, the Administrative Committee needs to increase its nice gratitude for the years of trustworthy service Dr. Chapell has given to the PCA and the broader church.”

“In our assembly, we had the chance to grieve collectively, pray collectively, and rejoice collectively within the grace prolonged to us all in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The committee will present a chance for Chapell to deal with the Meeting when it convenes in Chattanooga for him to current his private apology.”

The committee additionally addressed the injury Chapell’s public accusations doubtlessly did to the connection the PCA has with its sister denominations within the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC), which incorporates Reformed church buildings in each the U.S. and Canada.

“The committee acknowledges the necessity for reconciliation and therapeutic between the PCA and a few of its sister denominations, in addition to particular ministers and members inside them,” the committee mentioned.

“Acceptable steps will probably be taken to make sure our fellow Reformed and Presbyterian branches of Christ’s church know our deep love for them and need to proceed [to] work alongside them for the advance of Christ’s Kingdom.”

“The committee urges church buildings to hope for our denomination and the upcoming Meeting, that it’ll show efficient for selling the unity, purity, and peace of the Presbyterian Church in America,” the committee added.

The Rev. Zachary Groff, who pastors Antioch Presbyterian Church in Woodruff, South Carolina, accepted of the committee’s assertion, writing on X that the committee has proven it acknowledged “the severity of the offense and urgency of the matter.”

Groff additionally praised the selection of Bise as “most glorious,” noting he “is the PCA’s competent and honorable clean-up man.” He additionally praised the Administrative Committee for addressing the potential relational fracture with its sister church buildings.

“I’m certain that there’s lots of work the PCA must do to restore the breach with our NAPARC companions, however it is a enormous and good first step,” he mentioned, including, “I’m a lot inspired. God bless the PCA!”

The Rev. Andy Webb, who serves as a pastor within the Affiliate Reformed Presbyterian Church and was named on Chapell’s record, issued a Friday assertion on X praising Chapell for his braveness to step down. He additionally expressed hope that the Administrative Committee’s announcement would mark the tip of the scandal, regardless of lingering claims throughout the denomination that Chapell didn’t lie and that blame rests on those that zoomed in on his record.

Webb, who has speculated that he landed on Chapell’s record due to a disagreement they’d almost a quarter-century in the past, famous final week that he had forgiven Chapell following a “gracious apology name” he acquired after information of Chapell’s record appeared on the Drudge Report.

“Two ideas: 1) I hope that I’ll by no means be in circumstances much like this, however I hope that if I’m, I’ll have the braveness to do likewise. 2) I hope it will convey an finish to any additional articles trying to reduce what occurred or change the end result,” Webb wrote.

“Please, Lord, let this be the tip of the matter,” he added.