PCA Pastor in New Mexico Suspended Over “Unwholesome Speech” Charge

The Rio Grande Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has reportedly suspended the Rev. Zachary Garris, a New Mexico pastor, over what the presbytery deemed “unwholesome speech.” The charge stemmed from two 2023 interactions on the social media platform X. In one, Garris implied a subject was too complicated for Dr. Anthony Bradley. In the other, he suggested Bradley was too arrogant to “tolerate banter.” The case concerns how a pastor speaks in public, a matter of speaking truth with care (Ephesians 4:15).

Bradley is a prominent African American theologian with strong connections in Reformed evangelical circles. According to the source, the charge on which Garris was found guilty did not involve racialized beliefs, although the initial charge brought against him did.

In a 2024 exchange on X, Lamont English, an official in a PCA mission agency, repeatedly pressed Garris on whether the historic practice of chattel slavery in the U.S. was “absolutely sinful.” Garris suggested that, although “abuses” within the chattel slavery system were wrong, the Bible never supported the abolition of slavery, and so neither did he. He appeared to draw a distinction between being against slavery, which he said he was, and being for its abolition, which he said was not a historic Presbyterian belief.

According to reports, Garris was cleared of the charge regarding his comments on chattel slavery.

Neither Garris nor the Rio Grande Presbytery has released an official statement regarding the action. Garris did, however, repost a summary of the findings that another PCA pastor shared on X.

The case reflects broader tensions within the conservative denomination, according to the source, pitting younger, more hard-edged pastors against an older generation seeking to soften the PCA’s theological messaging to appeal to a wider audience. Much of the conflict has resulted from a 2016 PCA declaration of confession and repentance for the church’s involvement in racial segregation.

The PCA is the nation’s second-largest Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1973 as a conservative offshoot of the mainline Presbyterian tradition in the U.S.

Source: Read the original report