A couple of us are headed to our presbytery's quarterly meeting today and tomorrow. Meetings such as this are always a reminder to me of the fact that we belong to a larger body of the church. We are Presbyterians and that means that our church government is connected to more than just our local congregation. This provides both accountability and conformity to a Biblical standard and, we believe, is true to the way Scripture calls for the church to be governed.

But more than just the fact that we are connected to other PCA churches by our government, I am thankful that we are part of the universal church, throughout the world. It is my hope and desire that we will see greater unity around the truth between different branches of the church as the gospel spreads. Whether God is pleased to grant that in the near future, let us pray for the universal church and God's work throughout the world.

Today is both Halloween and Reformation Day. Though the overlap of these days may seem like a coincidence, that is likely not the case. October 31, 1517, marks the unofficial beginning of the Protestant Reformation. It is the day on which Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg. It was the circulation of these theses that started the maelstrom of controversy that ultimately resulted in the Reformation. 

However, rather than just being a regular day, Luther likely chose this day to post his theses because of its significance. October 31 is All Hallows' Eve (commonly shortened to Halloween). It is a day of preparation for November 1, which is All Saints' Day (or All Hallows' Day). All Saints' Day is a day of feasting and worship in which the church is called to remember the lives of the saints who have gone before. This is followed by All Souls ’ Day on November 2, which is a day to pray for those in Purgatory.

In the last few weeks, a controversy has been stirred up in the PCA regarding ministry positions for women. To set the stage for this controversy however, let me give some background. 

We believe that Scripture is clear that God gave government in the church to qualified men and that this flows from the way that God made men and women in general (1 Tim. 2:11-15; 3:1-13; Eph. 5:22-24; 1 Pet. 3:1-6). This authority is not for men to lord it over women, but is meant for the benefit of all when exercised in a right and godly manner. This understanding is not unique to us but has been the historical understanding of the church throughout the ages and the world.