The OPC’s New Modern Version of the Westminster Standards
I’ve written before about the EPC’s modern language edition of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms, and noted several years ago that the OPC had in 2018 created a study to modernize all of the Standards. Well, the OPC finally finished this work — in summer 2025! The OPC never does anything quickly. True presbyterians are they.
The OPC had previously in 1993 published a modern language, study version of the Westminster Confession, and I had thought that perhaps this new effort would change their actual constitutional documents. The changes were limited to morphological adjustments, replacing archaic pronouns, replacing obsolete and/or archaic words, substituting a modern translation of the Scriptures for the text of the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, and doing all in a way that preserved the cadence, memorability and dignified style of the standards. Like the previous study version, these are very conservative changes that don’t touch the substance of the Standards’ grammar, much less its doctrine. My hope was that if the OPC formally made such a modernized constitutional change, that not only would there be a new, solid modern language version (rather than a modernized version that also lowers the reading level of the documents, as in the EPC), but also something could be pointed to as a future constitutional option for the EPC and other churches. Such an update could be a solid ecumenical foundation for modernized confessionalism. If the conservative OPC did it, why not us?…
O Cross that Liftest Up My Head
I first heard “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” during my seminary days. The version to which I was introduced was the Indelible Grace “rehymned” tune, and it quickly became a favorite. It was the one song I requested be sung at my ordination service, and it swiftly entered into the hymn rotation of both my church and its youth group.
When I moved to Langhorne Presbyterian the hymnals in use included “O Love”, but used its older St. Margaret tune. When I initially heard the classic version I immediately understood why Indelible Grace had rehymned it. St. Margaret is much slower and more contemplative. In many ways the tune captures the essence of the lyrics better than the energetic force of Indelible Grace, but importantly for me as a pastor it is not easy for a congregation to sing well. A wonderful rendition using St. Margaret by the Gettys can be heard here, with a great choral recording here. I want our church to use the hymnal as much as possible, and so the Indelible Grace version was not introduced, while the version of “O Love” in the hymnal is also not in the song rotation due to the difficulty in singing the St. Margaret tune. The result of this is that I haven’t sung “O Love” in years nor given it much thought.
Josh Garrels’ new album Peace to All Who Enter Here, vol. 2 includes a version of “O Love” that is just beautiful…
New and Old Calvinism, Enchantment, and AI: Article Up at Mere Orthodoxy
I have an article on New Calvinism up at Mere Orthodoxy. Here’s an excerpt:
Yet in confessional Reformed theology the sacraments are not incidentals to gospel ministry, but central to gospel ministry. The sacraments are more than “visible words” which proclaim the gospel. With the sacraments, God not only speaks, but God acts. The sacraments are not just reminders or challenges related to the content of the gospel message, but a divinely established avenue by which the gospel is applied to the heart of the partaker so as to conform them by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ.
Presbyterians in the gospel-centered coalition should press for a re-centering and prioritization of Reformed sacramentology as part of a recalibrated New Calvinist-evangelical collaboration — not as something annexed to gospel-centered ministry, but as part of its core identity.
A Summary of Actions Taken by the 45th General Assembly of the EPC
This week my denomination, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, held its 45th stated General Assembly in Detroit, Michigan. This is the annual meeting and council (synod) of my church, and every pastor has a right to attend and every congregation may send elder representatives. This was a quiet assembly, and in many ways an archetype of EPC gatherings. Lots of things went on at the assembly, but below is a summary of its official actions.
To amend the EPC’s constitution requires a majority vote of one assembly, a majority vote of three-fourths of the presbyteries over the next year, and then a majority vote of the subsequent assembly. The GA completed that amendment process to clarify how presbyteries deal with transitional pastors (interim pastors) who are ordained in other denominations, want to maintain their ordination in their home denominations, but still want to temporarily serve an EPC congregation in a transitional role…
AI is Coming for Online Pastoral Training
I have an article on AI and online pastoral education up at Mere Orthodoxy. Here’s an excerpt,
The online pitch is: Our education provides good information cheap; you can stay home (convenience!) and formation will occur in your church where you serve.
The AI pitch will be: Our education provides even better information more cheaply; you still get to stay home and formation will occur in your church where you serve.
