Seeking Truth. Practicing Love. Pursuing Shalom.
Presbyterian Discernment is an independent educational initiative dedicated to encouraging faithful Christian discernment throughout the Presbyterian tradition. We explore Christian faith, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the ways Presbyterian churches and their governing councils make consequential decisions.
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 Presbyterian churches and their governing councils need to give greater attention to power asymmetry and institutional 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
We explore Scripture, Presbyterian theology and history, the constitutions and governing documents of Presbyterian denominations, 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.
Faithful discernment also calls us to examine the consequences of past decisions. When credible evidence reveals that individuals or communities have suffered injustice, the Church should be willing to acknowledge wrongdoing, consider appropriate remedies, and seek reconciliation and restoration wherever possible. The passage of time does not necessarily end our responsibility to pursue truth, justice, and shalom.
We seek decisions that are not merely procedurally defensible, but faithfully discerned.
Presbyterian Discernment is an independent educational initiative. It is not an official agency, ministry, or governing body of any Presbyterian denomination, nor is it sponsored or endorsed by any denomination.