The stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) announced his imminent retirement Thursday and issued a second apology amid fallout regarding a list of alleged church “scandalizers” he recently publicized.
The Rev. Bryan Chapell, who has served as the administrative head of the conservative Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) since 2020, made headlines earlier this week after appearing on a since-deleted episode of The Gospel Coalition’s “Gospelbound” podcast. During the show, he displayed a list of people whom he accused of either leaving their families, their faith or dying by suicide.
While shown briefly, the list went viral on social media after viewers paused the video and zoomed in. Some of the names included ministers in good standing within their denomination, including the late Rev. David Winecoff, who died in a mountain climbing accident in 1993.
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In a Thursday statement published by byFaith, the PCA’s online magazine, Chapell acknowledged that what he claimed was not true and expressed repentance.
“On a recent podcast I responded to a question by referencing a small piece of paper containing personal notes. I wrongly said that every name on the paper represented social media ‘scandalizers’ who later experienced personal consequences from their commentary habits. An enlarged screenshot of the note has since circulated, indicating that the podcast response I gave was not appropriate or true,” he said.
“As a consequence, I brought unwarranted disrepute upon persons identified in the screenshot. For this wrongdoing I repent to my Lord and I apologize to the individuals, their families, and the church I serve. I have begun, and will continue, personally to ask forgiveness from those I harmed. I also confess the seriousness of these errors and sin.”
Chapell said he would request the PCA’s Administrative Committee to accept his retirement during their next meeting and expressed gratitude to Jesus Christ for being gracious.
“Therefore, at the upcoming called meeting of the Administrative Committee, I will ask for approval of my retirement as Stated Clerk. I give thanks for my Savior whose provision for sinners such as I is according to his grace rather than my deserving.”
Danny McDaniel, a ruling elder who serves as chairman of the PCA’s Administrative Committee, noted in a separate statement that the committee “received Bryan’s request for retirement which will be acted on at our AC meeting next week along with any appropriate transition plans.”
The Rev. Andy Webb, a pastor in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church who was one of the names on Chapell’s list, posted on X in the wake of Chapell’s announcement that the stated clerk called him personally to apologize and that he had forgiven him.
“Today I received a gracious apology call from Bryan Chapell, and I sincerely forgave him,” said Webb. “Given his announcement, I regard the matter, as far as it concerns me, to be at an end. I would earnestly encourage people to pray for him as he goes into retirement.”
In an earlier X post after footage of Chapell’s list first went viral, Webb pushed back against the accusation that he had abandoned his family, faith or life, writing that “rumors of my demise (or apostasy or divorce) have been greatly exaggerated!”
He speculated that he might have landed on the list regarding a disagreement he had with Chapell in 2001 over a woman preaching in the chapel of the PCA’s Covenant Theological Seminary, where Chapell served as president at the time.
Chapell’s announcement came the same day that the Drudge Report, a popular news aggregation website, picked up a story from The Christian Post regarding multiple PCA ministers requesting an ethics investigation into Chapell for alleged violations of the Ninth Commandment against bearing false witness.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
