David French appears to be persona non grata in the Presbyterian denomination he called home until recently.
French, a conservative columnist for The New York Times, was a darling of political and theological conservatives until he and his wife, Nancy French, publicly opposed Donald Trump. As a result, they have been scorned by the very people who once embraced them and listened to them.
David French
Now add to that list the Presbyterian Church in America. Until recently, the Frenches had been members of a PCA church in Nashville but had to leave there because of hostility from fellow church members.
French had been invited by the PCA Administrative Committee to be a panelist at the conservative denomination’s upcoming General Assembly June 10-14 in Richmond, Va. The seminar was to be titled, “Supporting Your Pastor and Church Leaders in a Polarized Political Year.”
What ensued after the announcement last week was political polarization, according to a statement from the Administrative Committee, which has cancelled the entire panel.
“After making this announcement, the AC’s office has heard from a number of people voicing opposition to the panel as well as those wanting it to take place as planned,” the statement said. “Most of the attention was centered on the selection of David French as a panelist.”
The Administrative Committee offered a rationale for its decision: “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 Chappell
And Bryan Chapell, a pastor serving as stated clerk of the PCA, issued a public apology: “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.”
He added: “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.”
And then he placed the blame on French’s changing political views: “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.”
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