PCA General Assembly Votes to Retain MNA Coordinator Despite Controversies

Bryan Chapell, former administrator of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), addressed the denomination’s annual leaders’ gathering on Tuesday night. His remarks came after weeks of public apologies for comments he made on a podcast in May. Chapell used the occasion to reaffirm his commitment to “malice for none, and love for all,” while also addressing what he called “internet imaginings” that had misrepresented his stance. John Bise, an elder from Huntsville, Ala., is serving as provisional stated clerk for the current General Assembly, with a new permanent clerk to be elected next year.

Chapell’s resignation from the role of stated clerk, the highest administrative position in the PCA, is one of several controversies that have reached a flashpoint or are nearing one within the denomination. While no single cause connects these debates, they all highlight the challenges the PCA faces in reconciling leaders’ differing views on maintaining Biblical orthodoxy.

The General Assembly, which is meeting in Chattanooga, Tenn., has seen several contentious debates. One of the most significant has centered on the future of the Mission to North America (MNA) agency. The assembly voted 1,210-738 to retain Irwyn Ince as MNA’s coordinator for another year. MNA has faced criticism this year for some of its communications to immigrants and for Ince’s participation in a racially exclusive church event. Concerns have also been raised about MNA’s financial management and its church-planting operations, with the agency reporting a nearly $2 million unbudgeted deficit for the previous year.

Pastor Sean Lucas, representing a congregation invested in MNA’s work, praised Ince’s leadership, stating that his guidance has been instrumental in developing leaders within his own church. “He has turned the focus of MNA back to church planting,” Lucas said. Others, however, expressed doubts about Ince’s administrative capabilities. Pastor Ryan Biese noted that while he respects Ince, he is uncertain about his ability to lead the agency effectively. “The number of church plants has steadily declined since 2020,” Biese said, “and I believe new leadership is needed at MNA.”

In the PCA, individual churches are governed by sessions, which are grouped into presbyteries. These presbyteries maintain records of any declarations by pastors of disagreement with the denomination’s stated doctrines. The General Assembly reviews these records annually, requiring presbyteries to be transparent in their actions. This system of accountability underscores the denomination’s emphasis on doctrinal fidelity and local church governance.

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