The Alliance for Mission and Renewal Podcast

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An alliance for the unity, faithfulness, and flourishing of the PCA. a4mr.substack.com

  1. Aug 20

    Who Will Fill the Pulpits?

    The PCA is approaching an important long-term question: How will the denomination raise up enough qualified pastors to serve its churches, plant new ones, and lead growing ministries in the decades ahead? A large generation of pastors is nearing retirement, the PCA continues to grow, and RUF and other ministries are expanding into new places. At the same time, fewer young men are imagining pastoral ministry as a possible vocation, financial barriers can make seminary difficult to pursue, and pastors are leaving pulpits because of burnout, early retirement, and other pressures. These converging factors raise questions about the entire pastoral pipeline—from identifying and encouraging potential ministers to training, supporting, and placing them well. That work cannot belong to seminaries alone. It requires local churches, presbyteries, campus ministries, seminaries, and the wider denomination to see themselves as partners in raising up the next generation. In this conversation, Derek Radney speaks with seminary presidents Ligon Duncan and Tom Gibbs about the challenges and opportunities ahead—and how the whole church can work together to prepare pastors for a lifetime of faithful ministry. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a4mr.substack.com

  2. Jul 22

    The Long Road to BCO 34-1: An Interview with Mel Duncan, Howie Donahoe, and Derek Radney

    In this conversation, former PCA General Assembly Moderators Howie Donahoe and Mel Duncan join Derek Radney to discuss the proposed revision to BCO 34-1 and the doctrine of assumption of original jurisdiction.Drawing on decades of experience in the PCA's judicial process, they trace the history of BCO 34-1, explain why previous attempts to revise it fell short, and walk through how the current proposal seeks to provide a clearer, more workable process while preserving the Presbyterian principle of respecting lower courts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a4mr.substack.com

  3. Jun 26

    After the General Assembly: Reflections on Trust, Unity, and the Work Ahead

    The 53rd PCA General Assembly brought record numbers of overtures, voting delays, and several significant decisions—but it also revealed something more encouraging. In this conversation, Derek Radney, Geoff Ziegler, and Eric Bonkovsky reflect on why the Assembly ultimately fostered confidence rather than anxiety, how face-to-face statesmanship prevailed over online controversy, what the Assembly’s decisions say about the health of the PCA, and the important conversations that still lie ahead. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a4mr.substack.com

  4. Jun 11

    2026 Overtures Round Table Discussion (Part 3)

    Join Derek Radney, Steve Tipton, David Coffin, and Howie Donahoe for a roundtable discussion exploring the overtures and key questions facing the PCA ahead of the 2026 General Assembly. In Part 3, the panel discusses the judicial, administrative, and polity overtures under consideration this year. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a4mr.substack.com

  5. Jun 1

    2026 Overtures Round Table Discussion (Part 2)

    Derek Radney, Steve Tipton, David Coffin, and Howie Donahoe join for round two of a roundtable discussion exploring the overtures and key questions facing the PCA ahead of the 2026 General Assembly. In Part 2, the panel discusses women as deacons, the Danvers Statement, the Lord’s Supper, among other topics. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a4mr.substack.com

  6. May 27

    The PCA’s Directory for Worship: A Conversation with the Ad Interim Committee

    Derek Radney speaks with Nate Shurden, Joel St. Clair, and Chad van Dixhoorn about the Directory for Worship and the work of the Ad Interim Committee. The conversation covers the committee’s process, the historical Reformed background of the directory, and the hope that it will serve the worship, unity, and long-term health of the PCA. Derek Radney has served as a pastor at Trinity Church (PCA) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, since 2012, after studying at Wake Forest University, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Duke Divinity School. He and his wife, Sally, were married in 2005 and have four children. Joel St. Clair (MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the Senior Pastor of Mosaic Community Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. He coaches youth soccer, serves as a guest lecturer at Reformed Theological Seminary, and has contributed to Heal Us, Emmanuel. He lives in Silver Spring with his wife and four children. Nate Shurden is the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Franklin, TN. Before moving to Franklin to plant Cornerstone, Nate served as Minister of Discipleship & Young Adults at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS, and the Assistant Editor of reformation21, the online magazine of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Nate is a graduate of Bannockburn College (Franklin, TN) and Reformed Theological Seminary (Jackson, MS). Nate is an adjunct professor at New College Franklin and a visiting lecturer at Reformed Theological Seminary (Nashville/Atlanta). Nate is a regular contributor to Ligonier Ministries, Christward Collective, and He Reads Truth. Nate has been married to Christy for twenty-five years, and they have five children. Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn is Professor of Church History and Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte and a leading scholar of the Westminster Assembly. He is ordained in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and has served as a pastor in Cambridge, U.K., and Vienna, Virginia. He and his wife, Emily, have five children and a son-in-law. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a4mr.substack.com

  7. May 20

    2026 Overtures Round Table Discussion (Part 1)

    Join Derek Radney, Steve Tipton, David Coffin, and Howie Donahoe for a roundtable discussion exploring the overtures and key questions facing the PCA ahead of the 2026 General Assembly. In Part 1, the panel discusses the growing number of overtures, proposed changes to PCA procedures, and the broader challenges facing the denomination. We will be releasing two more videos, as a part of this series in the coming weeks. Highlights from the Conversation: * The unusually high number of overtures in 2026 and what that says about the PCA * Whether overtures are becoming reactive, polarizing, or weaponized rather than constructive * Proposed resolutions to questions about ordination, officers, and deacons * Practical strategies for handling an overloaded Overtures Committee * Initial reactions to the most important overtures before the Assembly * Proposed changes to the Review of Presbytery Records (RPR) process * Debate over omnibus motions and whether a single commissioner should be able to pull items for debate * Concerns about leadership stability, coordinator terms, and the future of PCA agencies * Floor nominations and proposed earlier deadlines for nominations to PCA committees * Discussion of whether MNA should provide more assessment data * Discussion about how commissioners should participate in Assembly debate This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a4mr.substack.com

  8. Apr 21

    What Kind of Church Are We Becoming? A Conversation with David Richter and Derek Radney

    In this interview, Derek Radney speaks with Rev. David Richter, co-chair of the board of the Alliance for Mission and Renewal, about the AMR board’s recent statement and the season facing the PCA. Drawing from a year of listening across the denomination, the conversation addresses concerns about tone, trust, and trajectory, and introduces a vision for renewal rooted in a “confessional-missional center.” This is not a call to shift doctrine, but to recover a deeper stability—marked by theological seriousness, humility, and renewed focus on the church’s shared mission. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a4mr.substack.com

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