Seeking Truth. Practicing Love. Pursuing Shalom.
Presbyterian Discernment is an independent website dedicated to thoughtful conversation about Christian faith, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the life and governance of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Our starting point is a simple conviction: The way the Church makes decisions should reflect the character of Jesus Christ.
Christian discernment involves more than reaching decisions or following procedures. It calls us to listen carefully, seek a fuller understanding of the truth, recognize our human limitations, exercise authority responsibly, and remain open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Power Asymmetry and Institutional Capacity
We believe the PC(USA) needs to give greater attention to power asymmetry and capacity limitations when making consequential ecclesiastical decisions.
Power asymmetry exists when participants do not have equal authority, information, resources, procedural knowledge, access, or ability to influence decisions. Such differences do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing or bad faith, but they can affect whether everyone is meaningfully heard and understood.
Capacity is another concern. Church councils, pastors, and members may face difficult decisions without sufficient time, training, information, support, or specialized resources. Even well-intentioned people can struggle to reach sound decisions under these circumstances.
We believe the Church should examine how these realities affect its ability to practice faithful discernment—and what additional safeguards, assistance, or resources might help.
Learning Together
Our conversations will explore Scripture, Presbyterian theology and history, the Book of Order, the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit, and the practical challenges of ecclesiastical decision-making.
We welcome thoughtful questions, differing perspectives, and respectful disagreement. Our purpose is not to win arguments, assign blame, or settle personal grievances. It is to encourage fuller understanding, responsible accountability, institutional learning, and the well-being of the whole Church.
Share Your Experiences
We invite Presbyterians and others to share their experiences with discernment in the life of the Church.
Perhaps you have experienced a church council exercising wisdom, compassion, and fairness. Perhaps you have encountered difficulties involving unequal power, inadequate information, limited resources, or decisions that left important questions unanswered.
We want to learn from both positive and difficult experiences.
Our purpose is not to judge individuals or assume that every account tells the whole story. Rather, we hope to understand how discernment is actually practiced, what people have learned, and how the Church might improve.
We ask contributors to respect confidentiality, protect the privacy of others, and avoid identifying individuals or sharing sensitive details without permission.
Every experience may have something to teach us. Listening carefully to one another is itself part of faithful Christian discernment.
Pursuing Shalom
In the biblical tradition, shalom means more than the absence of conflict. It points toward wholeness, justice, reconciliation, and right relationships.
We believe faithful discernment should help both individuals and the Church grow in wisdom, love, justice, humility, and accountability.
We seek decisions that are not merely procedurally defensible, but faithfully discerned.
Presbyterian Discernment is an independent initiative and is not an official publication or ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).