In a letter released on Oct. 19, 2022, the session of Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis called a congregational meeting for Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, for the purpose of “deciding on matters pertaining to denominational alignment.” 

The session is recommending that the congregation vote to withdraw from the PCA. The session informed the congregation that their recommendation comes, “with a mixture of sorrow and hope . . . after fifteen months spent fasting, praying, waiting, consulting and listening.” They cite as their reason for this recommendation as “continued attacks” from within the denomination which distract the church from its mission. The session has scheduled “fireside chats and prayer gatherings” for the evenings of Oct. 24 and Nov. 9 to help the congregation process the issues before them and to pray together. Memorial’s pastor, Greg Johnson, is planning to leave with the congregation.

The call for this congregational meeting comes as the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC) has begun to examine requests from two presbyteries to assume jurisdiction over Pastor Johnson concerning statements he has made about same-sex attraction. The SJC must first determine if circumstances allow it to assume jurisdiction over Johnson and commence an investigation of him. And at its regular meeting on Saturday, Oct. 22, Missouri Presbytery (MOP), of which Johnson is a member, will consider what to do with petitions from sessions and presbyteries outside of Missouri to initiate further investigation of Johnson.

Last October, the SJC ruled that MOP committed no clear error in finding no “strong presumption” that Johnson was guilty of any of four allegations leveled against him.