On April 22, 2025, the Missouri Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) approved the ordination of a same sex attracted (SSA) man. A Ruling Elder present at the meeting filed a complaint arguing that the presbytery action violated the PCA’s constitution. The complaint was denied by Missouri Presbytery and carried to the PCA Standing Judicial Commission (SJC).
The complaint alleges that Missouri Presbytery erred by acting contrary to the PCA’s Constitution by approving the ordination of a candidate to ministry without properly examining him regarding his self-description as being celibate homosexual and same sex attracted.
The complaint argues that Missouri Presbytery failed to properly examine the candidate by not bringing the matter of the candidate’s same sex attraction before the floor of presbytery during the ordination examination in violation of BCO 21-4.(e) which states:
In the examination of the candidate’s personal character, the presbytery shall give specific attention to potential notorious concerns. Careful attention must be given to his practical struggle against sinful actions, as well as to persistent sinful desires.
The complaint also argues that Missouri Presbytery erred in failing to apply WLC 138 and 139 as the constitutional definition of BCO 8-2 which states:
He should conform to the biblical requirement of chastity and sexual purity in his descriptions of himself, and in his convictions, character, and conduct.
Presbytery records confirm that the man ordained was received as an intern in 2022 while a MDiv student at Covenant Theological Seminary and employed by Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) as a campus ministry assistant in St. Louis.
In 2024 Missouri Presbytery began a new RUF campus ministry in St. Louis. The presbytery approved a plan from its RUF Committee, that would include training and assessing the candidate for the new campus position, then after his graduation from CTS he would be examined for ordination, and the presbytery would then call him to serve in this campus position.
In 2025, following graduation from CTS and ordination by Missouri Presbytery, the candidate was installed as campus minister in the new work administered under the RUF Affiliation Agreement. During his Missouri Presbytery floor examinations on Christian experience in 2022 as an intern, in 2024 as campus minister candidate, and 2025 as candidate for ordination, he described himself as celibate homosexual and same sex attracted.
The complaint does not address the candidate’s character or qualifications per se. The complaint contends that the candidate’s self-description as celibate homosexual and same sex attracted required that Missouri Presbytery exercise its constitutional responsibility to diligently inquire further into the candidate’s fitness for ordination in the PCA. However, Missouri Presbytery failed to fulfill this duty to examine the candidate’s personal character, with specific attention to potential notorious concerns that had become known to the court.
History may be repeating itself since it was from Missouri Presbytery that the Revoice controversy was introduced into the PCA in 2018. Consequently, over the next five-six years, the PCA was engaged in lengthy debates on the nature of biblical sexuality. This resulted in the General Assembly establishing a study Committee on Human Sexuality, as well as approving several amendments to its Book of Church Order providing guidance to church courts in examining candidates for church office regarding their need to conform to the biblical requirement of chastity and sexual purity in their descriptions of themselves, and in their convictions, character, and conduct. The SJC has begun processing the case, but a date has not yet been set for the hearing.
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