Presbyterian Church in America Focus on the Gospel ends second day of PCA General Assembly The Layman Thursday, June 12, 2008 PCA Statistics The PCA continues to enjoy sustained but modest growth. According to the PCA Stated Clerk's report, 2007 statistics include: Total churches -- 1666, an increase of 27 Total membership -- 342,041, an increase of 3168 or 1.98 percent annual growth rate Per capita giving -- $2517, an increase of $134 Per capita benevolences -- $460, an increase of $19 Total annual budget averages $630 million. The areas of decline include total professions of faith (10,201 total, 415 less than 2006) and Sunday school attendance (111, 911 total, 1932 less than 2006). Regarding membership, Stated Clerk L. Roy Taylor pointed out that a 2 percent annual growth rate "is in some respects positively impressive compared to the continued decline of the mainline theologically diverse Protestant denominations in North America. Other evangelical denominations are growing 1 to 2 percent annually." Taylor explained the drop in Sunday school attendance by describing it as "reflective of a trend in church life outside the usual Sunday school setting for discipleship." Of the 18 churches added to the PCA in 2007, all but one were organized or church plants. Seven churches were lost in 2007 by dissolution, merging, withdrawing or transferring. The Presbyterian Church in America ended its second day of its 36th General Assembly in Dallas by focusing on the preciousness of the Gospel. "The church of Jesus Christ advances strongly in the face of brokenness," said Rev. Rich Lambert of New St. Peter's Presbyterian Church in Dallas, prior to a corporate confession of sin. "It's been a long time since we have seen anything like that." Keith and Kristyn Getty, members of Parkside Church in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, led the congregation through several of their own modern hymns, including In Christ Alone. The combined voices of the commissioners reached peak volume with the words: "No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand; till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand." Dr. Philip G. Ryken, senior pastor of Tenth Avenue Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, delivered a message "More Precious than Life Itself," based on Acts 20:24. According to Ryken, the Apostle Paul declared that many things were precious to him, but he considered the "Gospel of the grace of God" more precious than life itself. "Consider whether we can really say that the proclamation of the Gospel is more important than life itself." Moderator Dr. Paul Kooistra reconvened the Assembly at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday after a full slate of morning seminars. Morning proceedings included reports from the stated clerk and the Committee for Interchurch Relations and the presentation of new business. The afternoon was given over to reports concerning cooperative ministries, administration, constitutional business, and the Standing Judicial Commission. Overtures to the General Assembly -- including overtures regarding the formation of a study committee on the ordination of women deacons -- are scheduled to be addressed by the report of the Overture Committee beginning Thursday afternoon.

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