Mission to North America seeks to provide expertise with excellence to all PCA churches, presbyteries and networks in North America. We also seek to support and empower our churches to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

MNA has recently received media attention on several issues, including our National Coordinator’s participation at an affinity ministry event hosted at a PCA church in Oakland, California. The organizers of this event did not prohibit or turn away anyone from attending.

We, the Permanent Committee of MNA, representing the breadth of PCA churches and presbyteries, have been actively working with our agency’s leadership to evaluate our witness for Christ. We met for our stated meeting on March 5-6 to conduct the regular business of the committee and to discuss the issues that have impacted the peace and purity of the church. After extensive prayer and discussion, we want to communicate the following to our church and to a watching world:

1. Christ, our Peace, has broken down the dividing wall of hostility (Eph 2:14) and has called Christ’s church to honor the dignity of all image-bearing people. With a vision to reach all nations, we condemn any form of racism or segregation as sin because this promotes division and destroys the peace of the church (James 2:1f). Our Coordinator and ministry leaders do not and will not participate in racially exclusive events unless given explicit approval to do so for the purpose of advancing the gospel and at the direction of the MNA Permanent Committee. An example of such an exceptional circumstance would be an event hosted by a racially defined organization that presents an opportunity for our staff to engage in spiritually focused dialogue otherwise closed to Christians.

2. MNA has been given the charge to lead the denomination in reflecting the diversity of Christ’s kingdom (6th GA (1978), Recommendation 5, pg. 76). Affinity ministries equip and encourage minority members who worship in so many of our churches. These ministries support shared cultural experiences for the edification of the whole body. We celebrate the dynamic diversity of the PCA which includes brothers and sisters from backgrounds including: African-American, Korean, Hispanic, Chinese, Haitian, Brazilian, and Native American, among others. We affirm that fellowship gatherings or events that center on the shared cultural experiences of ethnic minority brothers and sisters can be a great blessing and serve to enable a strong sense of welcome and belonging. We affirm affinity gatherings as a part of rejoicing in our unity and diversity (1 Cor 12, Rev 7).

3. We recognize the accomplishments of the 46th Moderator of General Assembly and current MNA Coordinator, Dr. Irwyn Ince. He has implemented important changes within MNA, including the “One Church, One Mission” vision which is renewing the denomination’s focus on church planting and vitality. Dr Ince has consistently demonstrated a heart for gathering people from different cultures together in Christ. He has served the PCA faithfully, welcoming and pursuing peace in the PCA and the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His love for God, the Reformed Faith, the Great Commission, and the PCA is evident for all to see.  

The MNA Permanent Committee, 2024-25

You can read a special statement from Steve Dowling and Irwyn Ince here.