PCA announces transition plan after stated clerk’s retirement

The Administrative Committee of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) laid out a transition plan Friday in response to their former stated clerk retiring after falsely accusing some ministers of sin weeks before the denomination’s 52nd General Assembly.

The committee noted that during their Thursday meeting, they accepted the Rev. Bryan Chapell’s request to retire as stated clerk, which they said was “effective immediately,” according to a statement published in byFaith, the denomination’s online magazine.

The committee also noted that given the abrupt timing of Chapell’s retirement, it “decided unanimously to employ Ruling Elder John Bise as a provisional replacement pending his examination by the Theological Examining Committee.”

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Bise is a ruling elder and clerk of the session at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama, and served as moderator of the PCA’s 49th General Assembly in 2022, according to the committee, which plans to bring a formal nominee for a new stated clerk at its General Assembly next year.

Chapell, who served as the administrative head of the PCA since 2020, made headlines last week for appearing on The Gospel Coalition’s “Gospelbound” podcast and briefly displaying a handwritten list of people on his desk whom he accused of being “scandalizers.” He claimed “every name on that list” had abandoned their families, left the faith or died by suicide.

Viewers who paused the video and zoomed in on Chapell’s list found that it included men who are alive, married and ministers in good standing with their denomination, which prompted widespread backlash and Chapell’s eventual announcement last Thursday that he had repented and would step down as stated clerk.

Chapell issued two apologies, the second of which acknowledged “the seriousness of these errors and sin” while thanking Jesus Christ for His graciousness.

The Administrative Committee said Friday it had “met with Chapell and has gratefully received his repentance and apology for his comments on The Gospel Coalition podcast.”

“While recognizing the seriousness of the situation and with regret for its consequences, the Administrative Committee wishes to extend its great gratitude for the years of faithful service Dr. Chapell has given to the PCA and the broader church.”

“In our meeting, we had the opportunity to grieve together, pray together, and rejoice together in the grace extended to us all in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The committee will provide an opportunity for Chapell to address the Assembly when it convenes in Chattanooga for him to present his personal apology.”

The committee also addressed the damage Chapell’s public accusations potentially did to the relationship the PCA has with its sister denominations in the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC), which includes multiple denominations in both the U.S. and Canada.

“The committee acknowledges the need for reconciliation and healing between the PCA and some of its sister denominations, as well as specific ministers and members within them,” the committee said.

“Appropriate steps will be taken to ensure our fellow Reformed and Presbyterian branches of Christ’s church know our deep love for them and desire to continue [to] work alongside them for the advance of Christ’s Kingdom.”

“The committee urges churches to pray for our denomination and the upcoming Assembly, that it will prove effective for promoting the unity, purity, and peace of the Presbyterian Church in America,” the committee added.

The Rev. Zachary Groff, who pastors Antioch Presbyterian Church in Woodruff, South Carolina, approved of the committee’s statement, writing on X that the committee has shown it acknowledged “the severity of the offense and urgency of the matter.”

Groff also praised the choice of Bise as “most excellent,” noting he “is the PCA’s competent and honorable clean-up man.” He also praised the Administrative Committee for addressing the potential relational fracture with its sister churches.

“I’m sure that there’s a lot of work the PCA needs to do to repair the breach with our NAPARC partners, but this is a huge and good first step,” he said, adding, “I am much encouraged. God bless the PCA!”

The Rev. Andy Webb, who serves as a pastor in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and was named on Chapell’s list, issued a Friday statement on X praising Chapell for his courage to step down. He also expressed hope that the Administrative Committee’s announcement would mark the end of the scandal, despite lingering claims within the denomination that Chapell did not lie and that blame rests on those who zoomed in on his list.

Webb, who has speculated that he landed on Chapell’s list because of a disagreement they had nearly a quarter-century ago, noted last week that he had forgiven Chapell following a “gracious apology call” he received after news of Chapell’s list appeared on the Drudge Report.

“Two thoughts: 1) I hope that I will never be in circumstances similar to this, but I hope that if I am, I will have the courage to do likewise. 2) I hope this will bring an end to any further articles attempting to minimize what happened or change the outcome,” Webb wrote.

“Please, Lord, let this be the end of the matter,” he added.