PCA Cancels Panel With David French At Upcoming General Assembly

Last week, the Presbyterian Church in America announced it was inviting David French to be on a panel titled, “Supporting Your Pastor and Church Leaders in a Polarized Political Year.” The backlash to this announcement was intense as David French has come out in support of gay marriage, transgenderism, and Branch Covidianism in the past and was being brought on an an authoritative figure on politics and Christianity. On Tuesday, the PCA would reverse course.

In an announcement, the PCA announced that the assembly-wide seminar has been canceled.

The concerns that have been raised about the seminar and its topic have been so significant that it seems wisest for the peace and unity of the church not to proceed in this way. Instead, the seminar time will be allocated to a prayer convocation that humbly petitions our God for the good of his church in a polarized political year, utilizing the means of grace provided by our Lord for his people.  

Bryan Chapell apologized for the event.

I apologize to the members and staff of the Administrative Committee for the controversy over the upcoming General Assembly seminar. Concerns about a panel participant have caused some brothers to be concerned for the witness of our church and other brothers to be concerned for how our church processes differing views while protecting reputations. I am thankful for both sets of brothers, and regret that my composition of panelists has put them at odds with each other.

The purpose of the seminar was to help our churches deal with political tensions and, instead, controversy has ensued. This is contrary to the intended purposes of the seminar and the purposes that AC members and staff have so conscientiously pursued with me over the last four years. We have worked together to advance the peace and unity of the church, trying to build trust and godly expression among those of differing viewpoints.

Had I known some of the ways that the panelist has expressed himself or been understood in past writings, I would have made a different choice for the purposes of this seminar. Without seeking to debate or invalidate the merits of any brothers’ concerns, I acknowledge that I did not become aware of significant background issues before making this decision. This was my mistake, and I apologize to the PCA that I love.

Traditionally, supporting homosexual marriage as David French has led to deplatforming in Christianity because such a compromise was outside biblical sexuality. The activism of Christians led to the PCA reversing course on inviting a man of low character and bad theology as David French.

The cancellation of the David French panel is the product of righteous and measured activism on the Christian right, @realchrisrufo style.

Ben Dunson’s piece at @AmReformer played a huge role

As did @megbasham’s reporting

And @seanmdav’s messaging https://t.co/HkUJXDkkER

— William Wolfe 🇺🇸 (@William_E_Wolfe) May 14, 2024

This story is yet another example of why discernment ministries are necessary and effective.