Image Credit: PCA General Assembly / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) voted to condemn racial supremacy and to form a committee to investigate Christian Nationalism during the 52nd PCA General Assembly held in Chattanooga last week.
An item creating a committee “to study the ideology and advise the denomination” on whether Christian nationalism lines up with or opposes the church’s theology was passed during this annual meeting.
The established study committee is charged with assessing the teachings and ideas typically associated with Christian nationalism through the lens of Presbyterianism.
The committee will then generate an informational packet on the issue for Presbyterians to review.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, two elders spoke against the idea of forming this committee during debate.
Zachary Groff, who pastors a church in Woodruff, South Carolina, argued that three other Presbyterian-funded study committees had already addressed the issue of Christian nationalism.
Groff felt that the creation of an additional study committee was unnecessary and would “give oxygen” to the flurry of Christian nationalism views shared by various online communities.
Another elder also argued that the topic had been sufficiently addressed by the Westminster Confession of Faith back in 1788 when PCA reevaluated and amended the confession’s chapter on the civil magistrate.
According to the current and revised version of the confession of faith, “the head of state has the duty to protect all its people, regardless of religion, that no person should suffer on the pretense of religion and that all religious assemblies should be able to be held without disturbance.”
Speaking in favor of the item was Pastor Mike Philliber out of Oklahoma.
“We know, sir, that, all of us, that that’s a promise to the church of Jesus Christ,” said Philliber. “Unfortunately, many people in our church hear that promise and they think what God really meant to say was, ‘If my American people will humble themselves and pray and repent and so forth, then I will heal America and make it great again’ or whatever.”
The study committee item was ultimately passed by PCA General Assembly alongside another item regarding racial supremacy.
The racial supremacy item reiterated sentiments of two other Presbyterian denominations who have already expressly condemned “any theological or political teaching that posits a superiority of race or ethnic identity born of immutable human characteristics.”
Additionally, the item called for the repentance of any individual who promotes or associates themselves with the ideals of racial supremacy.
Like with the study committee item, most arguments made against the racial supremacy item were not against the idea of condemning racial supremacy, but against the idea that the issue had not been previously addressed for the congregation.
“I would humbly request that this assembly be more deliberate and less acquiescent. Voting this down is not a vote for racial superiority, not for Kinism or for Christian nationalism,” Pastor Jason Cunningham out of Georgia said. “Voting this down is merely the assembly affirming that the statement before is not germane to [the item in consideration] nor the responsibility of the Overture Committee to produce.”
John Orlando, an elder out of Philadelphia, argued against the condemnation, saying that the proposed item neglected to condemn the rhetoric stemming from critical race theory.
“[The item] rightly addresses a toxic yet very small and vocal group, what some refer to as the ‘woke right,’” said Orlando. “My problem with the well-intentioned statement is that it ignores the toxic philosophy from the woke left that has had far more devastating effect both in the culture and our churches, that is critical race theory and similar types of view or views that arise from that on race and ethnicity.”
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
