Backwoods Belief Save the PCA
Nov 3, 2025
Michael Foster, a passionate pastor and organizer, discusses his vital role in the grassroots Save the PCA movement along with Jesper. They delve into the creation of the Functional Female Officer report, addressing concerns over perceived shifts in PCA doctrine. The duo tackles the complexities of terminology like deaconess and argues that some female roles essentially equate to ordination. They emphasize the need for transparency, accountability, and active engagement within the church community to uphold Presbyterian values and resist external pressures.
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How Save The PCA Began
- Michael Foster traced his involvement to work he began in 2018 tracking female leadership in PCA churches and reposted it publicly as 'Save the PCA'.
- That grassroots reporting connected him with Jesper and others and launched a coordinated survey and website effort.
Systematic Data Collection Exposed Patterns
- Jesper described the project methodology: scraping the PCA directory, systematic data entry, and iterative refinement of categories.
- They narrowed ~1000 raw entries to a validated set near 796 cases and partitioned ambiguous items for review.
Wordplay Masks Equivalent Authority
- There is huge terminological variety (shepherdess, women's council, elder advisors) that masks equivalent governing authority.
- Different labels often functionally install representative female officers who advise, vote or influence elders.
