PCA General Assembly Review (2024) 

In theory, why would a PCA church have anyone on the payroll that's not a believer? That in and of itself seems like it would be a potential conflict of interest.

Pastor Matt: Regarding the Korean American churches, I can clarify it for you (I am a Korean American). Due to the Confucianism influence, the Korean American society is very hierarchical, orderly, and title based. As people reach adults, only friends and relatives call you by name. It is considered very rude to call someone by name without adding some title before the name. In 20s, you can get away with using names but with adding the title "Mister" (in Korean) in front (actually at the end for Korean). After 30 and 40s, their first and middle names are only used for official purposes. Instead, they accrue titles and use that to call them. That's the culture (in time, you sometimes forget your grandparents name because you didn't call them by their names for 40+ years). This culture influenced the church, so they developed below titles. In the Korean and Korean American churches, you must use titles or it is considered rude. Here are some titles: Official and Ordained Positions: Senior Pastors (ordained) Associate Pastors (ordained) Elders (ordained) Deacons (ordained) Non-Official/Non-Ordained Titles: Jundosa: which is an evangelist in Korean, but for some reason when translated into English, they use the title "pastor" - Their purpose is to help pastors and elders in caring for church members. The problem here is that many of them are women and they preach to younger children and sometimes to the youth groups (not all of them, but many of them). Suri Deacon: Translates into Deputy/Situational/Temporary Deacons: They help elders and ordained deacons in serving members and programs. Many of them are women, but both men and women with this title aren't ordained. This title is used to evaluate future candidacy of "Ordained Deacon". Gwonsa: This title is mostly inherited by elders' wives or sometimes they are chosen from female "Suri Deacons". Mostly, they are over 50. They are the "Older Church Ladies" and they govern and discipline younger women. They officiate all church mean preparations and servings. Confusions and Problems: I have no idea why the title of Jundosa is translated into "pastor", but it happened (could be some liberal elements or an honest mistake). The recent problem (in the last 20 to 30 years) is that many women Jundosas started to "think" they are actually pastors because they are called "pastors" by English speaking congregation members. Many of them tried to exercise authority and some pastors allowed them. In some more conservative churches, senior pastors and elders put a stop to these Jundosa/pastors from overstepping their bounds. However, due to what we refer to as "American feminist influences" (words are actually meaner but I rather not translate it directly), some of them became delusional and started acting like American church "female pastors". Nowadays, may of them give sermons on the Lord's Day in Children's and Youth group ministries. It's actually becoming problematic. So, removing titles is not an option, but Korean PCA pastors and elders need to stop using the title "pastor" and use evangelist. As far as I know, most Gwonsas (older church ladies) won't put up with feminist influences, but things are changing... dude to what we call "too much intake of American water". 🙂

Great meeting you, Matt

Thank you Pastor. It was great meeting you. I agree completely, the networking at GA is my favorite aspect. The inside baseball is fine, and at times it’s vitally important, but I truly love meeting and mingling with PCA brothers. I made a recap video as well, and seems our recollections are similar.

Thanks for sharing Pastor! Appreciation from a PCA brother 🤝

Thank you for the recap, brother.

Thanks for this video!!

Always a great job pastor Matthew, and my pastor Lee Hutchings!!

Jesus Calling is based on the book called God Calling (hard to find but I found and own a copy) which was written by Two Listeners. It was written by the process called Automatic writing, which is a practice by pagans where the writer would clear their mind and become an open vessel to allow any spirit to take hold of them and write through the vessel. In the first editions of Jesus Calling, Sarah Young admitted to doing this practice to personally feel closer to God because the Bible was not enough, and then published the book. Why this book has not been denounced is beyond me. I hate that book with a passion (because at one of my jobs we were obliged to read it before work for devotion as a team).

It's was definitely a good GA, and it was great meeting you!

Thanks for the recap Matt! Also, Jesus Calling should not be endorsed by the PCA and they dropped the ball by not addressing this book way sooner.

Great work Pastor!

Thanks for making this.

I was there on Thursday! Lots of fun and very interesting debate. I also got to grab some great books. Cornstarch in a cemetery is now my favorite phrase lol

Thank you for this summary.

I hope you enjoyed Richmond VA!

I don't even like the title "worship leader" ; this should be just "pastor" or "elder."

I am a member of a PCA Church in Edmonton Alberta. I found your review to be quite interesting as we as a congregation don'tt hear much but I guess most people wouldn't be interested anyway. Thank you for that.

Jesus Calling is horrendous. Sara Young and her husband should have been excommunicated after the first edition was published. Find the original printing and read the beginning pages. It’s horrific that the book is connected to the PCA.

Greetings from France.

I agree we ought to constitutionalize the entire Directory of Public Worship. I hope we can eventually rid our denomination of “good faith” subscriptions to the Standards. In my estimation the presbyters that take this good faith subscription hold the Standards in low esteem, and there is little to stop ministers and elders from ordering worship/teaching which is contrary to the Standards. Thank you for your book… I plan to read it as soon as a can!

Should we work on an overture toward constitutionalizing the entirety of the BCO? Let’s get to drafting one! Catawba Valley Presbytery could help draft one perhaps.

Beard game always on point.

I pastor an International Presbyterian Church (IPC) out in Seoul, South Korean, and yes, I can attest to the very very loose use of the word for “deacon.” In many churches the title for deacon “jibsa” is hardly considered an office at this point. In some churches depending on your age, giving, time spent, popularity, etc. anyone can be called jibsa. I have family on my wife’s side who both husband and wife are called jibsa in the church though they’re very nominal in their faith.

According to a new study sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources, 10 percent of Protestant churchgoers under 35 have previously left a church because they felt sexual misconduct was not taken seriously. That’s twice as many as the 5 percent of all churchgoers who have done the same. Among the younger demographic, 9 percent said they have stopped attending a former congregation because they personally did not feel safe from misconduct.

Matt, I would love you to do a video outlaying your argument for male only deacons. You should also address church history views of women deacons

what of overture 23

After all I’ve heard about the book Jesus Calling I never knew she was PCA. I assumed by its content she was a new ager and an unbeliever who gave mystics the same respect than the actual word of God. Self describing her problem that the word of God wasn’t enough and she wanted more It’s been said her jesus was slightly effeminate and described sometimes like a boyfriend. Sounds like the machinations of a woman turning Jesus into an idol of her own making. Doreen Virtue’s channel has done good work regarding this book. Blessings🙏✝️

I am a Baptist. I am a member of an OPC church. Our church bylaws say you cannot be an officer in our local church if you do not agree 100% with the WCF. Therefore, I cannot be an elder. I think this is right, even though I am Biblically qualified. Couldn’t this, somehow, be introduced into PCA, OPC, and other forms of Reformed Presbyterian churches? Seems to me that would keep a lot of potential problems from coming up. I think the same idea would work for Reformed (or Particular, if you prefer) Baptists concerning the London Baptist Confession. Still struggling with understanding some of Presbyterian Church government, so I may be way off on this.

Why does the US presbyterian churches usually have GAs every year? Here in Brazil ours meet only every four years.

If person doesn't beloieve in Jesus, then that person hasn't been graced with faith by God.. The unbeliever isn't lying, b

here in central america we have Decons and Deconeses in church but we do not let them preach in the church we have home churches and there we let them participate and preach but not in church

Not to raise a hymn to the level of Scripture... but... I think its admonition would be wise to heed, especially in the legalistic application of man's limited understanding of the breadth of God. 3 But we make God’s love too narrow by false limits of our own, and we magnify its strictness with a zeal God will not own. 4 For the love of God is broader than the measures of the mind, and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.

Jesus Calling? It is totally heretical, new age, and in some cases "prophecy" is communicated by automatic writing! Somehow I ended up with a copy of it when I first got saved. After reading it, I didn't just throw it away, I tore the pages out and ripped them up as well! If Sarah Young's husband approved of her book, then someone needs to investigate what he is preaching and teaching!

HOW DARE YOU NOT TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE THAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT TO ME?! WHY THE COVER UP?

What happened to your punching bag?

There is no where in Scripture where the words, "pastor" or "deacon" should be used as a title. Their use (even the restricted use here described) is nothing more to solidify the higher standing and to make sure the people recognize their "authority" over them.

PC Church is a wreck, Confessional 1689 Baptist Church seems to be the best Biblical option if you can find one.

reformed zoomer is a jew, but keep recruiting him to your school

So... it's not the actual ministry the women does but the title which matters most. Right... There are literally women deacons in the Bible. LOL. Blessings to you.

What is PCA? Oh you believe in the bible. Okay so universalism? Got money? New church van!