The Pastor's Perspective: Faithful Response to Federal Vision

The Pastor’s Perspective

“Faithful Response to Federal Vision”

First Published: June 19, 2007

The 35th General Assembly of the PCA met last week in Memphis, with just over 1,200 commissioners present. We heard informational reports from all our denominational committees and agencies, all of which were encouraging. This year the formal business meetings took less than two days to finish. This efficiency was (at least in part) due to the new organization of GA that we passed last year.

The Moderator of GA alternates each year from Teaching Elder (or a Minister) to Ruling Elder. The Moderator this year was a Ruling Elder from Colorado, named E.J. Nussbaum, who was nominated by Jospeh Wheat (Pastor of our daughter church – Highlands). Mr. Nussbaum was very good at procedure. He kept things from getting personal and moved everything along on or ahead schedule. No easy thing to do with a room full of preachers!

The main event at this years GA was the debate over a study committee report that dealt with a new theological movement within the church known as the “Federal Vision.” The “Federal Vision,” sometimes called the “Auburn Avenue Theology” (after one of the key churches teaching it) along with what has been called “The New Perspectives on Paul” have been controversial in the PCA the last few years.

To make a long story short, the Study Committee report was adopted overwhelmingly – something like a 95% majority affirmed it. Well it means that in the strongest possible terms the 35th PCA General Assembly is asking presbyteries and local churches to distance themselves from this teaching.

Your friend,

Ligon Duncan