By Gordon Miller
Moderator, 34th EPC General Assembly
“Meanderings” definition: Rambling or passing from one topic to another.
I hope you find the following collection of articles, quotes, quips, and Scripture to be informative, edifying, and thought-provoking. This information is not as thorough or detailed as the other articles in the Plumb Line. But I hope to stimulate honest and open debate on a variety of topics and challenges facing the church — especially the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. With cultural changes coming at ever-increasing speed, all of us on the Plumb Line Editorial Board desire that believers will stand firm, rooted in Scripture. I pray that you read this content in the spirit intended: love for Christ and for each other.
Note: The views and opinions expressed here are mine alone, and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the full Editorial Board of the Plumb Line.
Books You Might Enjoy
Confessing the Faith: A Reader’s Guide to the Westminster Confession of Faith
by Chad Van Dixhoorn
Banner of Truth Trust, last reprint 2024.
If you’re Reformed in your faith, it’s likely you are familiar with the Westminster Confession of Faith. Before being ordained you may even have had to swear your adoption of the Confession as containing the system of doctrine taught in Scripture. The Confessions importance to Reformed doctrine demands more than a passing familiarity with what the Divines had to say. Within Reformed circles, many reviewers would suggest a great place to start in obtaining a working knowledge of the Confession is Van Dixhoorn’s book. Laypersons will find it easy to read and enjoy its devotional tenor. Long recognized as an expert on the theology and history of the Assembly, the author combines historical context, the Divines proof texts, and traditional Reformed theology to offer a great place to gain a fuller understanding of and appreciation for the Confession.
The Five Points of Calvinism Defined, Defended, and Documented
by David Steele, Curtis Thomas, and S. Lance Quinn
P&R Publishing, second edition 2004.
Continuing with an emphasis on the Reformed faith, The Five Points of Calvinism is recognized as a classic Reformed resource. (Add this and R.C. Sproul’s What is Reformed Theology to your library and you can rest easy when your neighbor wants to argue with you over free will!) I first read this book when I was new to the Reformed faith and Calvin was still some mysterious guy a lot of people seemed to dislike. It brought clarity and understanding to the main points of Calvinism and made Scripture come alive. I was able to understand God’s role in bringing me to faith. What a joy it was to see how from Genesis through Revelation a God I could trust was in control. (I had already proven to myself that I was not trustworthy.) I’m now taking a class being taught by one of our Elders using this classic as the basic resource. If this book has been sitting on a shelf in your library for an extended period of time, “tolle lege” — take up and read! May your faith be as rejuvenated as mine has been by revisiting this wonderful explanation of God’s amazing grace.
Articles of Interest
EPC Teaching Elders: Church History’s Inconvenient Truths
by Helen Louis Herndon
“The Aquila Report” May 9, 2026
The author points out the obvious. The gay agenda has not been kind to mainline Protestant denominations. Starting down the road to homosexuals being ordained disturbs the peace and unity of the church and leads to division. If a homosexual can be ordained because his/her desires arise only infrequently, why not a pedophile? The author asks, “If the door is opened, where will it stop?” In my view, these are great questions.
Normalizing Pedophilia: The Implication of Ordaining Men who Experience Unnatural Lust
by Tom Hervey
“The Aquila Report” February 2, 2026
As the discussions surrounding the possible decisions the AIC might make began to percolate, I rejected arguments where the issue of pedophilia was used to criticize the AIC. Whatever their final documents might say, they would be clear enough for all of us to understand we could not possibly ordain someone sexually attracted to children. The Final Report of the AIC demonstrates I was wrong. Read the report then read Hervey’s article. We cringe at the thought of such an idea and intuitively reject it. Emotionally we find such a thing abhorrent. Follow Hervey’s logic and see if the AIC report doesn’t allow a pedophile to be ordained who does not identify as a pedophile, does not act on such desires, regrets such desires, repents of such desires, does his best to mortify such desires, and only occasionally is tempted by such desires. Hervey’s examples point out an obvious problem:
- “For livestock? (‘Other species attraction’)”
- “Dead bodies? (‘Other vital state attraction’)”
- “For multiple people at once? (‘Multiple people at once attraction’)”
- “Children? (‘Minor attraction’)”
The response of AIC supporters needs to be more than “No, we’d never allow for that!” I would argue that to say more would require them to use words like “heinous” and “unnatural.” Words they ignore, words their opponents use, words found in our Constitution.
Pastor Sam Allberry Resigns From Church After Revealing ‘Inappropriate relationship with another man’
by Staff Writer
“Protestia” May 3, 2026
Read this article in conjunction with Peter Larson’s article in this edition of the Plumb Line, “Searching for Unicorns, The Sad Case of Sam Allberry” and the above two articles, and you can see the Pandora’s Box of problems we will unleash if we follow the AIC’s suggestions. Sam Allberry was the poster boy for those advocating for allowing the ordination of those dealing with same sex attraction. Allberry would seem to have been able to check all the boxes required by the AIC. Yet it was necessary for him to resign from his church for an inappropriate relationship with another man. Larson reports on another Christian leader, Alan Chambers, who has also failed in his struggle with same sex attraction, leading to his arrest for soliciting someone he thought was a 14-year-old boy. Turns out it was the cops. These three articles in Meanderings point out the possible dangers found in the AIC Report. Should we not demand a full explanation from those advocating for acceptance of the Report why these dangers are unfounded? For a fuller explanation as to why the AIC position does not work, see Teaching Elder David Weber’s article in this edition, “Calibrating a Dial or Rendering a Verdict? How the AIC Improperly Frames the Question.”
Quotes
“You cannot change what you refuse to confront.”
—Unknown.
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
—Winston Churchill.
“Wisdom begins in wonder.”
—Socrates.
Humor
“But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.” (Carl Sagan)
“What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is at all times? A widow!” (Unknown)
“I hate being placed on committees. They are always having meetings at which half are absent and the rest late.” (Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.)
Personal Observations
We can strive to serve the culture, or we can strive to serve God. If we first strive to serve God, we will be enabled to serve the culture. If we first strive to serve the culture, we will distance ourselves from God. We all must choose.
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