A Reason to Leave the PCA — Structures that work for us

A year or so ago I clicked on a link from our denominational benefits group. They were advertising a new counselling service that they had established for ministers and their wives. It was free (or cheap) counselling. I was looking for a counsellor, but a few clicks in I found the fine print.

“For residents of the United States only.”

It wasn’t the first time. Everyone at Geneva Benefits has been really kind to me when I’ve contacted them with questions, but there is nothing they offer that Canadian ministers can access.

This is true for a number of PCA denominational agencies and committees.

If you want to support an MTW missionary as a Canadian, you cannot get a tax receipt. Our presbytery cannot legally support an MTW missionary (according to Canadian tax law).

RUF? Canada does not have any current RUF ministries.

Do you want to use the PCA Foundation as a Canadian? Impossible. You cannot give through the foundation nor can Canadian projects receive funding.

Do you want to attend Covenant College or Covenant Seminary? Possible, but you’ll need a student visa, an international application and to pay a premium because of the exchange rate.

Do you want to order books through the bookstore or resources through CDM or the PCA Bookstore? Again possible, but our last order of Sunday School materials through Great Commission Publishing cost $80 USD in shipping and were held up at the border.

And so on.

I’m not blaming any of these committees or agencies because they are mostly run by volunteers or those raising support and they have enough to do in serving the whole of the United States.

But I do want to point out that the majority of the structures in the PCA do not work for Canadian PCA churches and Canadian ministers. Perhaps they could in the future, but right now the PCA in Canada is essentially Mission to North America.

If we were to start a new denomination, it’s never been easier to do some logistical things online: Seminary education, a magazine/blog/web resource, etc. And perhaps it would spur us to start structures that work for Canadian ministers and churches.

Imagine a foundation that could loan Canadian churches money for a building or a Group Benefits plan that would lower the costs for extended health care benefits for ministers?

It’s worth thinking about.