Confessional P&R denominations stand almost alone on male-only pastors and elders
2024 may be a decisive year for this issue
It's 2024 and NAPARC denominations stand almost alone on male-only pastors/preachers and lay leaders (elders). The SBC is far from solid on this issue (https://sbcamendment.org/) and most evangelicals are giving way by degrees. Decisive action from the SBC would help, but many evangelicals and megachurchers have already given in. The presence of female deacons in a few NAPARC denominations doesn't help but has not yet led to formal female elders. Made-up quasi-office titles for females in the PCA are being addressed by an amendment that seems likely to pass the presbyteries, but unordained unisex "diaconates" still undermine the doctrine of ordination and are worrying, to say the least.
The EPC and ECO provide a place for egalitarian PCA folx1 to go, and some are taking advantage and relocating. Egalitarians in the SBC can simply go independent. The "cool" Anglicans are NOT helping...they are all over the map.
The wider culture and evangelical culture are against the SBC conservatives and NAPARC on egalitarian issues. Can they stand? What happens in 2024 will tell us what the future holds.
Other pieces by Brad on this issue:
https://pcapolity.com/2023/02/28/the-churchs-two-laws/
https://pcapolity.com/2023/04/27/an-overture-on-titles-ordination/
https://www.reformation21.org/blog/lady-preachers-in-pca-pulpits
https://www.reformation21.org/blog/ecclesial-disobedience
Questions for PCA officers on...offices
By Brad Isbell The fact that a significant number (likely hundreds) of Presbyterian Church in America congregations “have” female deacons or deaconesses or present females as holding the office of deacon or the imaginary office of deaconess is indisputable.* Also beyond question is the fact that a number of PCA churches do not ordain male deacons (presum…
This church was part of a multi-site “family” of churches and is one of several well-funded “trophy” plants that have left the PCA in the last few years over egalitarian convictions. https://kbindependent.org/2023/12/03/crossbridge-church-votes-to-leave-denomination-over-the-issue-of-ordaining-women/
May God be merciful and give wisdom and courage to stand on the WORD!
It seems clear that the gifts of women in mercy ministry are valuable and that they were used in the NT. The issue is simply a question of ordination. And the struggle seems to be that when men are ordained and women are not and leadership within a Diaconate is reserved for men then women feel slighted and complain. In other words they angle for egalitarianism which is problematic within our churches. And, it seems, that many pastors and elders do not have the strength to stand up and hold fast to scripture but instead they cave and finagle with things like not ordaining any deacon. Why is it so hard to believe we can value women and their gifts highly but we simply must follow scripture and not ordain them?