Fellow PCA Ruling Elders:

The 50th PCA General Assembly is now just 12 weeks away! I hope each of you are working to ensure that your local PCA congregation will be sending their full contingent of REs to Memphis. The PCA was founded with heavy RE engagement and I am convinced that RE engagement is critical to our continuing faithfulness in local congregations, Presbyteries and at General Assembly!

At the last GA we had a RE Social Gathering on Wednesday evening to encourage REs and to provide an opportunity for new relationships among REs to be formed and old relationships to be renewed. The turnout was outstanding and the gathering was a big success! Therefore, our friends at MORE in the PCA have once again stepped up and are sponsoring a RE Social Gathering in Memphis on Wednesday evening of GA at the The Rendezvous! The Rendezvous is a legendary Memphis BBQ restaurant that is only a short walk away from the Convention Center. This will be another great time to meet new friends and renew old relationships from around the PCA. We will have appetizers, a buffet that includes ribs, pork shoulder and chicken, as well as soft drinks, tea and beer to drink. This event has been planned just for Ruling Elders! We are size limited at the Rendezvous so you must sign up to attend, therefore go to the Eventbrite website and search for BBQ with other PCA Elders or use this link to sign up now! There is a small fee to attend but it is only a fraction of what a BBQ buffet at the Rendezvous would normally cost due to support provided to offset the expense of this event. Sign up now, put this on your calendar and please pass this information on to all your RE friends! I am very excited and look forward to seeing you at this event!

I also want to encourage all of you to participate with me in the Gospel Reformation Network National Conference on May 3-4. This conference has a great line up of speakers and will be an excellent way to focus on Pressing On with Holy Conviction prior to attending General Assembly. The conference will be held in Charlotte, NC and you can learn more and register on the GRN website here. I look forward to seeing you there! You can also use this same registration link to sign up for the GRN Luncheon on Wednesday afternoon at General Assembly or use this Eventbrite link to register. The GRN Luncheon at GA is another excellent opportunity for you to meet like minded REs and TEs and to be encouraged. I have my ticket and plan to be there.

All three of these events – BBQ with Other PCA Elders, GRN National Conference, and the GRN Luncheon – were discussed on Brad Isbell’s Presbycast on Thursday night with Jon Payne and Mel Duncan. I encourage you to listen to this Presbycast if you missed it.

If you or another RE you know need financial assistance to attend GA as a Commissioner please contact MORE in the PCA through their website. One of MORE in the PCA’s main goals is to provide stipends to REs who have financial obstacles to attending General Assembly.

As you know, these last weeks prior to GA are full of activity. First, most Presbyteries have now voted on the Overtures sent down from the 49th GA. You can find a summary of the voting on the Presbyterian Polity website.

There are already 19 Overtures to be considered at the 50th GA and I’m sure more will be added to this list. Overtures seeking to change the BCO have to be submitted 60 days prior to the start of GA which isn’t that far away. Other Overtures can be submitted up to 30 days prior to the start of GA. A list of current Overtures can be found on the PCAGA website.

The deadline for Presbyteries to submit names for Permanent Committee nominations has passed. Please be in prayer for the Nominations Committee as they do the work before them.

Presbyteries still have time to fill Committee of Commissioners (CoC) slots. The CoCs generally only meet once during GA week but can deal with some very important matters. The CoCs play a key role in the working of the PCA. Check with your Presbytery and make sure REs are well represented on the various CoCs, it is important and a great way for REs to get involved and learn!

I would encourage you, as a Ruling Elder, to personally consider how you can serve. Will your local Church be sending a full compliment of REs to serve as Commissioners at GA? Growing RE attendance and participation at GA over the last few years has made a significant difference! The PCA needs RE engagement to continue to grow to ensure she remains Faithful to the Scriptures, True to the Reformed Faith, and Obedient to the Great Commission. Having a conversation at a Session meeting on these matters can raise awareness and encourage other REs to learn more about the denominational processes and engage!

I plan to have a REN Zoom call in May so that we can discuss Overtures and other GA related topics. This can be a great way to begin preparing for GA and to hear what other folks are thinking. I will send out another email as we get closer with all the details.

I hope you found this email helpful! Please forward this to other REs you may know. If they wish to be added to my email list just contact me at rulingeldernetwork@gmail.com.

I am thankful for your engagement in the PCA and for your faithful service as a Ruling Elder in your local congregation!

To God be the Glory!
Billy Ball
RE Briarwood Presbyterian Church