“We can end up thinking that the doctrine of the church is more important than the gospel or, worse still, that the doctrine of the church is the gospel. The tendency to make our issues – of which ecclesiology and 2K are just two examples — into the gospel is always a danger.“ Carl Trueman (www.reformation21.org)

“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” Matt. 11:2-3

The 2012 PCA General Assembly will be the final assembly for some pastors. In addition to faithful saints in the final months of their natural lives and those who suffer an untimely death due to illness or accident there will also be a few tragic train-wrecks of ministry. Ministers who, next week, will vote on the business of the denomination and, by next year, will be selling insurance or real estate.

I’m not speculating. Such has been the case for each of the last 10 years that I’ve been at General Assembly on behalf of Covenant Theological Seminary. There are the very public cases, like that of Jason Stellman, who months ago was prosecuting Peter Leithart on charges of deviating from the reformed faith. But there are others, like the (multiple) pastors recently removed from the ministry because of moral failure. Another pastor, after four consecutive two-year stints at different churches, is now working in a non-ordained ministry capacity. And there are more, only you won’t see them at GA this year. They won’t be there.