Polity Matters
A podcast on the foundations of Presbyterian Church government. Hosted by Scott Edburg, Jared Nelson, and Ben Ratliff.
87. 52nd PCAGA Recap
Ben and Jared hit a few highlights of the 52nd General Assembly, and then Jared is joined by the PCA Archivist Wayne Sparkman for a brief interview.
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Check out the following GA roundups that are already published:
Presbyterian and Reformed Churchman Podcast
<...86. Revisiting RPR
Our AI substitute wasn't able to record an episode, so it seem like it generated an introduction with NotebookLM and then aired our RPR Deep Dive from last year. Enjoy.
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85. Crash Course on the PCA General Assembly
Jared, Scott, and Ben spend time with friend of the show Steve Dowling, discussing the week of General Assembly and what we might expect at the 52nd.
Fred Greco's Overtures Roundup
Jacob Gerber's Parliamentary Procedure for Presbyters
https://pcaga.org
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84. Some Sense of Order (Overtures 2025 Part Two)
Alex Ford is back! We quickly put him to work sifting through Overtures with the guys...
http://pcahistory.org
Overtures discussed: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50
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83. It's Almost GA, Where's Our Controversy? (Overtures 2025 Part One)
Alex Ford is back! We quickly put him to work sifting through Overtures with the guys...
http://pcahistory.org
Overtures discussed: 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 37, 40
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82. Orderly Meeting
Orderly Meeting Website
Orderly Meetings Twitter
Clerk Download Page
Clerk of Session Handbook
Presbytery Clerk Handbook
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81. BCO 37: The Removal of Censure
Mel Duncan joins the show to help us think through the removal of censures in BCO 27.Â
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80. BCO 36 The Infliction of Church Censures
Dr. Waters joins the guys to discuss the infliction of censures.
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79. Bigger Problems Than Testifying in a PCA Court (BCO 35 part two)
Ben, Jared, Scott, and Fred finish out BCO 35.
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78. An Out of Date Bunch of Malarkey (BCO 35 part one)
Ben, Jared, Scott, and Fred begin PCA BCO Chapter 35 on Evidence. They discuss the competency of witnesses, the rights of the accused and accuser, procedures for handling testimony, and the judgment of evidence in church courts.Â
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77. All of My Secrets Have Been Exposed (BCO 34)
Jared and Scott are joined by RE John Bise to work through matters pertaining to process against TEs.
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76. Until I Read Them Out Loud (BCO 33)
Steve Dowling joins the polity bros to work through BCO 33: Special Rules Pertaining to Process Before Sessions.
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75. The People I Lied to Are Dead: Part Three (BCO 32 part two)
Ben, Jared, Scott, and Fred continue their discussion and explanation of BCO 32.
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74. The People I Lied to Are Dead (BCO 32 Part One)
Ben, Jared, Scott, and Fred deal with the first six sections of BCO 32.
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73. Best Host Ever (BCO 31 part two)
Ben, Jared, Half-Scott, and Steve are back to finish BCO 31.Â
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72. Story Time with Steve (BCO 31 part one)
Ben, Jared, and Scott are joined by Steve Tipton to dive into BCO 31, which outlines the key players and procedures involved in formal judicial processes within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). They start off with a bit of fun—Jared presents a quiz on judicial cases that have shaped the PCA. Then, the discussion turns serious as they unpack the nuances of BCO 31, addressing questions of jurisdiction, the role of the courts, and the necessity of due process in church discipline.
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71. Pure Hypothetical (BCO 30)
In this episode of Polity Matters, hosts Ben Ratliff, Jared Nelson, and Scott Edberg welcome Dr. Guy Waters of Reformed Theological Seminary to discuss Chapter 30 of the PCA Book of Church Order (BCO), which deals with church censures. They explore the biblical, theological, and practical aspects of church discipline, the different types of censures available to church courts, and how they should be wisely applied in the life of the church.
Books by Dr. Waters:
How Jesus Runs the Church
Facing the Last Enemy: Death and the ChristianÂ
The Sabbath as R...
70. Just Give Me Another Hour (BCO 29)
In this episode of Polity Matters, hosts Ben Ratliff, Jared Nelson, and Scott Edberg welcome Ruling Elder John Bise to discuss Chapter 29 of the PCA Book of Church Order: Offenses.Â
The conversation tackles the distinctions between personal and general offenses, as well as private and public offenses, and how church courts should approach discipline in a biblical and pastoral manner.Â
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69. The Jared Nelson Memorial Episode (BCO 28)
Ben, Jared, and Scott are joined by Steve Tipton --the fourth polity bro-- to discuss BCO 28: Disciplining of Non-communing Members.
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68. Chapter 27 is Chiastic (BCO 27)
Steve Dowling joins Ben, Jared, and Scott to discuss BCO 27 on the nature, subjects, and ends of church discipline.
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67. Procedural Checklist (w/T. David Gordon)
Procedural Checklist for PCA BCO Rules of Discipline
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66. Motion to Reconsider: Assistant Pastors
In this special installment of Motion to Reconsider, we return to our interview with TE Adam Parker regarding his article on Assistant Pastors.
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65. The Sherlocking of Scott Edburg
In this special episode, Ben sits down with co-host Scott Edberg for an inside look at the history and future of the BCO Amendment Tracker—a project that started as a grassroots effort to bring transparency and accountability to the amendment process and has become a vital tool for the denomination.
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64. Potentially Edifying (Ordination Questions with Groff)
In this episode of Polity Matters, Ben Ratliff, Jared Nelson, Scott Edburg, and special guest Zachary Groff take a deep dive into the ordination vows for teaching elders in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The conversation explores the significance of each vow, offering practical insights and theological reflections for ministers and members alike.
Presbyterian Polity
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
The Christian Ministry
12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You
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63. A Heightened Sense of Americana (BCO 26)
In this milestone episode, Ben, Jared, and Scott conclude their journey through the Form of Government section of the PCA Book of Church Order. The discussion centers on BCO Chapter 26, which outlines the process for amending the PCA Constitution. The hosts explore the complexities of modifying both the BCO and the Westminster Standards, unpacking the historical, procedural, and theological implications of these changes.
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62. No Authority Over Your Assets (BCO 25)
In this episode of Polity Matters, we delve into Chapter 25 of the PCA Book of Church Order, focusing on congregational meetings. We discuss the structure, rights, and responsibilities of the congregation, including voting rights, quorum requirements, the role of trustees, and property ownership. Join us as we explore the practical and theological implications of how congregations govern themselves within the PCA framework.
Glorifying and Enjoying God WSC devotional
Van Dixhoorn on WCF
Matthew Everhard’s Hold Fast the Faith
Watson’s Body of Divinity
Polity Matters Merch StoreÂ
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61. Ten Pages of Minor Scruples (BCO 24)
BCO 24 Election, Ordination, and Installation of Ruling Elders and Deacons
Scott's Superior Navigator's Reading Plan
Daily Readings by JC Ryle
Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung
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60. Edburgs Don't Live A Long Time (BCO 23)
BCO 23 The Dissolution of the Pastoral Relation and the Procedure for Honorable Retirement
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59. Mercenary of the Session (BCO 22)
Polity Matters with Adam Parker
Adam Parker on Assistant Pastors @ Presbyterian Polity
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58. Good Faith Subscription with David Strain
Jared, Scott, and Ben are joined by David Strain to discuss good faith subscription in the PCA.
David Strain
Good Faith Subscription? (Part 1) Confessional Integrity in the PCA
Good Faith Subscription? (Part 2) Confessional Integrity in the PCA
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57. Listener Comment on BCO 21
Jeff Smith wrote in concerning BCO 21.
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56. As the Prayer Goes Longer and Longer (BCO 21 Part 2)
Ordination services! Ben, Jared, and Steve finish up BCO 21.
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55. [Insert Title Here] (BCO 21 Part 1)
Steve joins Ben and Jared to discuss BCO 21 on the Ordination and Installation of minister.Â
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54. Your Ruling Elders Will Be Taxed Further (BCO 20 Part Two)
We jump right in to finish up BCO 20 on the election of pastors.Â
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53. 🇺🇸 (BCO 20 Part 1)
Listen in as the guys begin their discussion of BCO 20 on the Election of Pastors.
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52. Jared's Mythical Intern Checklist (BCO 19 Part 2)
Buy Me A Coffee
BCO online
Overcast podcast app
Presbytery of Mississippi Valley
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52. The Whole Thing Is A Chonk (BCO 19 Part 1)
It's time to talk about licensure!
PREPARING FOR LICENSURE & ORDINATION EXAMS by Chapell & Meek
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51. Fantasy Presbytery (BCO 18)
The one where Ben comes out against youth ministers. And we talk about BCO 18.
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50. The Backslap of Fellowship (BCO 17)
It's a short chapter today as the boys jump into BCO 17: the Doctrine of Ordination.
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49. Just Meant to Shovel Manure (BCO 16)
It's all about being called to ministry! BCO 16 is here.
Called to the Ministry by Ed Clowney
The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter
The Call by Os Guinness
The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges
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