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What Went Down at The PCA General Assembly
Description
CrossPolitic 101 — Show Notes: PCA General Assembly Recap
On this episode of CrossPolitic 101, the Waterboy brings in a panel of guests fresh off the 53rd PCA General Assembly to break down what happened in Louisville the week of June 22nd. Pastor Josh Howard (New Covenant Church, Pittsburgh), Pastor Corey Wang (Sheer Presbyterian Church, Morrisville, NC), and Josiah Stowe (co-founder, Dominion Wealth Strategists) join Gabe to walk through the major outcomes — from the roundhouse defeat of Overture 37 on female deacons, to the cheeseburger patriotism moment, to the partial Christian nationalism study committee report and what it means for the denomination going forward.
Timestamps
00:00 — Intro & sponsors — Patriot Mobile and Dominion Wealth Strategists
03:07 — Meet the panel: Pastor Josh Howard, Pastor Corey Wang, and Josiah Stowe
06:45 — Overview of the 53rd PCA GA — Louisville, June 22nd; Mel Duncan moderator, Fred Greco clerk
08:29 — Why denomination meetings matter — Acts 15 and God working through the church
09:15 — General assessment: was this a good GA? Corey's take from the conservative 20%
11:05 — Overture 37 — female deacons: what it proposed and how it was defeated
14:07 — Can the overtures committee screen clearly unbiblical overtures before the floor?
15:13 — Why the PCA lets these come to a vote: gauging denominational health, not just screening error
17:49 — The 14 who voted for it — what happens next? Matthew 18 and the presbyteries
22:03 — Josiah's outside perspective: comparing Overture 37 to the SBC's Muller amendment
24:53 — Were conservatives also frustrated? The related overtures that didn't get floor debate
26:13 — Performative masculinity vs. functional female officers — a rhetorical imbalance?
30:18 — What the PCA needs: courageous young men, not crass ones — Pastor Josh
31:57 — Cheeseburger patriotism — Overture 66 and giving thanks to God for 250 years of America
36:04 — The Christian nationalism study committee report — overture vs. report, what's the difference?
38:13 — Dr. David Strain, the partial report, and why the committee asked for one more year
40:00 — Is the CN report fair? The problem of defining terms in a big-tent denomination
44:01 — Gabe's backstory — PCA roots, CrossPolitic's origin, and the deficiency in political theology
48:34 — Was the CN report too little too late? Pastors weigh in on the church's political theology gap
51:38 — Progressive sanctification and the PCA — Corey's framework for denominational growth
56:22 — Josiah's closing take: bounding the tent, defining good Presbyterian Christian nationalism
Connect with This Episode's Guests
Pastor Josh Howard
Church: New Covenant Church — Monroville (Pittsburgh), PA
Seminary: Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (adjunct professor)
Pastor Corey Wang
Church: Sheer Presbyterian Church — Morrisville, NC