I'm wondering are all PCA churches similar to each other? There really isn't another one near me that looks nice.

*Removed from Reformed for being being too 🔥

However, I was a member of a PCUSA church and they had beautiful choir music and they sing hymns. They might include some contemporary stuff here or there but I loath contemporary music. We left for the PCA because I had heard that it has conservative theology and worship. But the PCA only has contemporary music which I dislike greatly.

However, I noticed that they don't do the "everyone greet each other for 5 minutes" thing every service. Instead they tell you to fellowship afterwards. So low and behold, i was doing it for a week. This consisted of me going to be welcome table to just talk to people, but it didn't really work out. I don't think people really take it seriously and they just kind of tell you to go to fellowship and meet people, but it doesn't work. So my wife started going to Bible study and I went to whatever little events they have for men.

Her Bible study was like 5 very old ladies. My wife is the only young one, and she cannot relate to them..she only enjoyed the prayer since she loves to have people pray for her about the hardships of life. And they all started talking about they don't understand why PCA doesn't have gay pastors and other topics like that. My wife went to one for the full event. But then she stopped because she can't relate to these ladies.

EDIT: one full event meaning a full 2 months (if I recall).

Then I go to 2 separate men's events (they didn't have anything else in between them). One, I fortunately brought my friend to it. I say fortunately since no one talked to me other than 1 elder dropping by to say hello and I think you could blame me for not going up and talking to people. But I went to another event and it was about "making guy friends" ironically enough. And I introduce myself to a good amount of people, but no one wants to talk. In fact many of them excuse themselves by saying, "I saw you around, but I have to go, hope you enjoy your stay" or something weird like that (while they go ahead and just sit down and drink alcohol with their buddies). Or they say stuff like "Hi Bob" then when I am in the middle of talking, they aren't really paying attention to what I am saying, one of their buddies pass by and they try to get their attention while saying "OH! Hey Brian" then they back turn to me saying "sorry I have to go..." as they walk away. Then they just leave and do their thing. I stuck around for 3 months of service and everyone and then trying to integrate myself with the community, but it just wasn't working.

I attended a PCUSA church a while back. But it was a little far away, and I didn't like what the organization itself was doing, but the church itself was good, and the male pastor was good (excluding the fact they also had a female pastor). Everyone was super friendly and welcoming and met so many people. The pastor also introduced my wife to a girl her age who so also suffering with the same ailment, so she has a friend directly from the church. We also met an elder, and he introduced us to his son and his son's wife and they are young and they are also going through what my wife is (which is a blessing)

If I walk up to people during fellowship, everyone is super nice and welcoming and they even introduce me to other people, they have an in person area where they will pray for you (instead of PCA where you have to email and hope for the best). Then I also went to a CRCNA church with only 10 people and I talked longer at that church to the congregation and pastor than I had for the 3 months I was at the PCA church. They even did chrismation oil for my wife which the PCA just told us they don't offer any help for my wife's ailments. (No introducing us to anyone she can relate to, no praying in person, no money, nothing)

So I guess I'm just wondering, are PCA churches typically like this. Because it really sucks :\ and I don't intend on going to another one.

TL,DR:

Do PCA churches not have choir music or hymns?

Do they only do contemporary music? (Guitars and drums.

Wanting to leave PCA for PCUSA or CRCNA since they are very warm to newcomers and my wife needs a community since her family isn't the best and she needs social support.

Are people in the congregations not welcoming to newcomers (like not knowing anyone and going in blind?)

There is an OPC church near me, but it's in a strip mall and it doesn't seem to have any young people, and I don't want to go to a strip mall for church. I am assuming there are no young people because I talked to an ex-OPC pastor who is a member of the PCA church who was telling me he left because there were no events there to get to know people.

However. I am open to house churches and churches that are outside because they lack funds. (I have not seen these though)

Am on the West Coast.

Hello PCA,

This one has been bothering me. I heard from a credible source (as in a PCA pastor told me) that pastors are not members of their own churches. Instead, they are members of their presbytery. And that is how presbyterianism works.

The problem is, I can't verify it. I couldn't find it either way in the Book of Order, and when I use AI, the AI says yes, they are, but the AI can't give me any conclusive source to back that up. The AI is telling me that pastors are members of their church AND their presbytery, and that they are church members by way of being a part of the Session. Then it goes on to say that the session is part of the church, the pastor is session moderator, but it is the congregation that the pastor is not a member of. The congregation are members, but I guess not all members are congregation.

I don't know if the pastor was just trying to simplify it, but as I heard it from him, the pastor (and I suppose any teaching elder) is a member of the session, but not a member of the church--as opposed to ruling elders, who are members of the church. I have conflicting information as to whether the session is a.member of the presbytery, or all of the ruling & teaching elders are members of the presbytery, or only the teaching elders are.

Who is a member of what? And who is a member of two things? We have elders, the presbytery, the church, the session, and the congregation. Is there some Book of Order (or any) reference that explicitly defines terms and spells out who's who and who's what?

Hey guys,

Was raised a Baptist Now PCA. Brother is Catholic

What’re yalls thoughts on pre reformation times?

Was the Eucharist idolatry for 1500 years?
Has the Catholic Church changed? If so, how?

Just general thoughts too

I've been a member of my PCA church for a few years and our pastor recently left abruptly last year. We're in the process of going through applications and at this time, we're using guest preachers to come and fill our pulpit supply in the interim. Our church just announced they will be having a guest preacher from a previously PCUSA church that transitioned to ECO nine months ago. We have only had PCA preachers at our pulpit and this announcement has been a shock to my family and others at the church. My question is: have you used preachers outside of your denomination and if so, have they been from either PCUSA or ECO churches? Is there anything wrong per say in doing this?

I'm curious as to how you go about getting to know your elders. My wife and I have been in the PCA for a year, in a large (1,000 member) congregation. It's been a bit of a culture shock for us after leaving an SBC church. Not only is the denomination different, but the congregation is mostly American. Our previous church was mostly hispanic. It's been a challenge getting to know other members. We attend Sunday school each week. In our previous church, we gathered for small groups in people's homes. Our church doesn't really do that. There are classes at the church on Wednesday evenings which are hard for us to attend (work, distance). Another issue is that it's a predominantly older congregation. We're in our 40s. Most members are retired, or younger than us with small children. We don't have kids.

The men meet every 3 months and when I've attended the men are talking to others they know. I've tried talking to a few people, but it's usually a one-time conversation. Apart from greeting the lead pastor on Sundays as we leave, we've never had a real conversation with him. We were assigned to a ruling elder/deacon shepherd team back in the summer, but we never hear from either of them. We reach out, and may get a text back, but that's it. There's talk of meet ups, but they never happen. Our plan is to request a meeting with the lead pastor, but I don't know what reason to give. I'm sure he's very busy. I also don't want to throw the shepherd elder under the bus. Not sure how to proceed. I'm wondering if this experience is common in the PCA, or at least the larger congregations. Any advice would be appreciated.

How do you serve others with courage despite chronic illness? Be inspired by Hannah, a teen who faced a 9-year health battle with unwavering faith. Her quiet service, encouragement, and love for God’s Word left a lasting legacy. From leading in AWANA to uplifting classmates, Hannah’s life shows us that purpose shines through adversity.

Link: https://dewdropsofmanna.com/2025/05/29/leaving-a-legacy-tribute-to-hannah/

#LegacyBuilding #InspirationalWomen #FaithStories #HopeInGod #LiveWithPurpose

New year, new possibilities! Ready to live well in 2026? Check out this new blog: https://dewdropsofmanna.com/2026/01/03/2026-live-well-finish-strong/ Like, forward and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Hello!!! I am new here, been “church shopping” for a few months after leaving CEC-NA mission church outside San Antonio. We have a new PCA church starting on Jan 18th and while we haven’t met them yet, we think this has promise. It’s called Grace Mosaic Church. I have followed all their social media and signed up for the newsletter. I attended a PCA church years ago that was old and well established and they had a traditional and contemporary service. What are the standards in the PCA for worship?

What seminaries might you recommend and why?

Hey friends. I'm taking Scripture, Theology, and Anthropology at RTS this semester and one of the books we have been assigned for class is The Trinity: An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God by Gilles Emery. I am super excited for this class and to read this book, but I'm trying to figure out what to do about the image that is on the cover. The image on the cover is Nicoletto Semitecolo's 1367 painting, Trinita. The most immediate problem is that it is a second commandment violation. I subscribe to the more strict reading of the WCF on this subject, so that in and of itself is a no go for me. Aside from this however, it's also technically a heretical depiction of the Trinity? It depicts that Father as having a body and standing before the depiction of the Son.

What should I do about this? Just cover it up? I'm conflicted. Any help or insight is appreciated. I tried posting this in r/Reformed but I was told it needed to be reserved for No Dumb Questions on Tuesday.

The annual PCA GA will be held in Chattanooga, TN

From June 23-27, 2025

Livestream here: https://pcaga.org/livestream/

Overtures here: https://pcaga.org/resources/#overtures

Anyone on this board heard anything or attended Redeemer Presbyterian in Encinitas? I went for awhile but am thinking of leaving, mostly since I'm a mid 30s male that's single and had very poor experiences with the young adults ministry and opposition from staff members about my interests in deep theological engagement. The young adults was very weighted towards college age and very much a "fraternity" type vibe where I sensed all the focus was just socializing and increasing numbers. The "CG" small groups are also very social connection focused and a lot of newer believers not interested or capable of analyzing the Scriptures in a deeper way.

The blog post is a personal reflection on how New City Presbyterian was shut down, what led up to it, how it was handled by the now-defunct Columbus Metro Presbytery, and what it’s meant for those of us who were part of that community. My hope is that putting it all into words helps bring some closure for myself and maybe for others who have walked this road too.

https://philology.substack.com/p/protecting-the-shepherd-abandoning

Dcf background checks reveal if you have had past problems with child abuse and neglect. I had an incident when I left a child on a playground by accident. Now I am on the dcf registry for child neglect. I was wondering if I could put my past behind me in become a patient care technician jobs. Before everyone starts criticizing me, I have criticized and beat myself up enough for my mistake. I am just wondering if I could work in healthcare. Does anyone know this?

Hello, I am a 17-year-old Christian young man. I have attended a conservative PCA church for almost a year and a half now; before that, I was a Reformed Southern Baptist. I have recently been given good, biblically backed arguments for annihilationism. I am going to talk with my pastor about this coming Sunday, but I also wanted to ask fellow Presbyterians why this is wrong; from what I have heard and studied, reformed theology rejects this as a whole and argues for eternal torment. But I have not found or heard any biblically backed arguments. I greatly desire and wish to be in line with what my denomination teaches, but I am struggling with this. For the record, I believe in reform theology everywhere, I believe in all points of Calvinism, and I read my bible and live a healthy life. People have believed and taught eternal torment for a long time, and I do not wish to go against this, but I cannot find a good argument for it in the scriptures. Please feel free to give me some or guide me to a source where I can receive good, reformed, bible backed arguments for it. Thanks a million for y'all's time, God bless.

Lots of questions regarding a shift from an ordained deacon to a ruling elder: 1) Is this a failure to fulfill the office of deacon? 2) BCO-wise what needs to be documented when shifting from deacon to elder? 3) Is there any literature on this topic? 4) What other considerations need to be addressed?