Our Shared Mission
Supporting and Connecting the PCA
A Letter from Bryan Chapell
Shared mission is the beating heart of Biblical Presbyterianism. Your church is connected to other congregations in very real and powerful ways by the way the Holy Spirit unites us for Christ’s purposes. There’s no go-it-alone or leave-me-alone in Presbyterianism. We plant churches in partnership, send missionaries together, cooperate in ministries on college campuses, and disciple the next generation in mutual support. We even review each other’s minutes of session and presbytery meetings!
Presbyterianism is counterintuitive in an increasingly fractured and tribalized culture. Christ describes his church as a body. It would be dangerous for any part of a body to isolate itself from another. A toe removed from the body will soon be lifeless. Even worse, the foot will be lacking a needed part! Christ has designed His body so that the whole body thrives as each part coordinates with others.
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) depends on the Administrative Committee (AC) as a kind of circulatory system. Sessions, presbyteries, and the Assembly depend on the AC to keep resources and information flowing throughout the denomination. In these pages, you will discover the vital role the AC plays on a daily basis to promote the unity, purity, and mission of the PCA.
The AC is part of Christ’s body and depends on the other parts of Christ’s body to support it. As you read this, would you and your church consider supporting the work of the Administrative Committee through your budgets and personal donations? Your generous support enables the AC to keep the parts of Christ’s body connected and the work of Christ’s church moving forward. Thanks for considering financially supporting this important work.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Bryan Chapell
Stated Clerk
Presbyterian Church in America
Stated Clerk’s Report – 48th Assembly of the PCA
We Promote:
UNITY
PURITY
MISSION
Unity
Unity is essential. Christ prayed for it. Elders take vows to preserve it. Unity is not a platitude. Rather, it takes form in very practical ways. We help the church function as one body. The PCA Administrative Committee coordinates and facilitates the work of the General Assembly, Nominating Committee, Cooperative Ministries Committee, byFaith Magazine, and Interchurch Relations Committee. We advise presbyteries and churches, facilitate pastoral placement, and help all agencies and institutions pull together in a united mission. We are responsible for helping the church preserve its records, its history, and God’s standards of truth and justice. Some of our many responsibilities are:
The AC organizes every aspect of the PCA’s annual gathering, from negotiating with city officials to organizing the docket and enabling commissioners to do the work God has called them to do for His church.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee recommends qualified officers to serve on the committees and boards overseeing the work of the committees, agencies, and institutions of the PCA. The Nominating Committee depends on the AC to coordinate its annual meeting and facilitate regular communications.
Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC)
The CMC fosters cooperative ministry among all Committees and Agencies, enabling permanent committee and agency leaders to hear concerns and strategize solutions with the church’s elected representatives.
As the official magazine of the PCA, byFaith informs and encourages local church members with the work God is doing through the various parts of the whole denomination. byFaith speaks for the church and is a communication hub for the administrative and financial support the AC provides to unite the denomination.
Interchurch Relations Committee (IRC)
This committee serves as a liaison between the Presbyterian Church in America and other biblically committed denominations and church councils. The Interchurch Relations Committee depends on the AC to maintain and coordinate communications with other valuable parts of Christ’s kingdom.
Purity
Our holiness is as needful as our harmony. Purity is the refusal to compromise our principles. We help the church comply with its constitutional standards. The PCA Administrative Committee coordinates and facilitates the work of the Standing Judicial Commission, the Committee on Review of Presbytery Records, the Theological Examining Committee, and the Committee on Constitutional Business. Each of these bodies depends on the AC to facilitate its communication, coordinate its meetings, maintain its records, and provide other administrative support as needed.
Standing Judicial Commission (SJC)
The General Assembly annually elects twenty-four elders to serve as members of the Standing Judicial Commission to which it commits all matters of doctrine and justice governed by the Rules of Discipline.
Committee on Review of Presbytery Records (RPR)
Representatives from every presbytery convene annually to review the records of all presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in America. In this way we hold each other accountable to God’s Word, maintaining our mutual commitments and supporting our shared mission.
Theological Examining Committee (TEC)
All senior staff of every committee and agency must meet the approval of the Theological Examining Committee prior to being presented to the Assembly for leadership approval. By organizing this work the AC helps preserve the original vision and ongoing integrity of our leaders.
Committee on Constitutional Business (CCB)
The CCB provides advice to the Stated Clerk and the Assembly concerning questions or overtures from presbyteries affecting the Constitution of the PCA or proposed amendments to it.
Mission
The Book of Church Order encourages every element of the church to be concerned for Christ’s mission and anything that would injure it. The Administrative Committee helps the church keep the PCA’s ministries moving forward. The AC coordinates and facilitates pastoral search resources, presbytery clerk support, study committees, and the Historical Center.
When requested, the Administrative Committee provides pulpit search committees and candidates the help they need as they seek to fill openings or find positions. The PCA also provides and maintains a centralized online database of opportunities and candidates to help each become aware of the other.
Presbytery Clerk Support
To keep the work of the church moving forward, the Administrative Committee functions as a support system for presbytery clerks. The Stated Clerk’s Office works under the AC, answering inquiries regarding constitutional and administrative matters. Moreover, the AC annually convenes clerks from all our presbyteries to discuss latest updates to the Book of Church Order and provide opportunities for them to learn from each other.
Study Committees
The General Assembly regularly appoints committees to study issues of importance to the church. The Administrative Committee helps organize and fund these committees that help us work through thorny issues for both church and culture.
The PCA Historical Center serves as central repository for the records and artifacts from congregations, presbyteries, and the General Assembly. The Administrative Committee is charged with the oversight and funding of the Historical Center.
Our Financials
To see our full financial statement, click here.
2022 Budgeted Comparison of Program and Administrative Expenses
Program
91.94% | $2,836,300
Administration
8.06% | $272,450
Standing Committees
11.99%
General Assembly
20.11%
Historical Center
4.84%
News Office
(includes byFaith Magazine)
16.03%
Committees and Agencies
3.78%
Churches and Presbyteries
19.04%
Statistics and Publications
7.82%
Surplus for Operations Cashflow
8.06%
Management and General
3.74%
Fundraising
4.32%
Total AC Budget = $3,381,662
A Letter From John Robertson
How can we thank you for your exceptional generosity to the PCA Administrative Committee (AC) through the COVID-19 pandemic? Our individual churches have displayed their love for the Lord’s church and we thank God for you that during very painful and threatening times you gave sacrificially to keep the ministries of the PCA functioning and the gospel going out across our country and even to the far ends of the earth.
PCA congregants have given generously, not only with financial support for their own local churches but also with encouraging and essential gifts to all of our PCA General Assembly ministries! We cannot help but thank the Lord for you.
A special word of “thank you” is due also to all those who were able and gave their 2020 General Assembly registration fee to the AC as a contribution! During 2020, we were able to cut our budget by approximately 22 percent, yet manage the main operations of our ministries and the expenses of our transition year (from Dr. Taylor to Dr. Chapell) without laying off staff or completely closing any ministry. Without the extraordinary giving which flowed from our commissioners and churches, we would not have been able to accomplish this.
As of this writing, May 6, 2021, we at the Administrative Committee/Office of the Stated Clerk are strategizing to restore the ministries assigned to us to full operation over the next two to three years.
This, of course, requires that the budget also be restored. The largest step will occur in 2021 because we are, in God’s providence, able to restore our General Assembly at a budget factor of $650K to $700K.
For the 2022 Budget, we are proposing expenses of $3,108,750, with contributions budgeted at $1,881,000 and the remainder of the expenses being covered by earned income. Our request to our churches remains the same as it has been. Would you please endeavor to give in the financial range of 0.35% of tithes and offerings, or if you prefer to give by per capita, give $8 per member?
We believe this is a reasonable expense for connecting the PCA and helping to move forward the evangelical, Reformed church and mission that God in His providence has so generously given us. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus,
John W. Robertson
PCA Business Administrator
Ways to Give
Online at pcaac.org/giving/
By Mail
PCA Administrative Committee
1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105
Lawrenceville, Ga 30043
