Letter to the Siouxlands Presbytery

Below is a copy of the letter I sent to the Siouxlands Presbytery (SP) (which has its 90th stated meeting this week) explaining my reason for leaving to join with the RCUS. Please pray for the SP as well as for the PCA at large that peace would return to her as soon as her purity is restored.

Fathers and Brothers, it has been my privilege to sit among you, first, as an interested observer and, second, as a member under care. I do not count it only as a privilege, but I can truly say that I have always looked forward to attending presbytery because I have always enjoyed the fellowship, the worship, the many discussions of both theological and mundane topics, and the close contact with godly, respectable men. This is why it saddens me to write this letter to you. I have been a silent observer in recent months to troubling developments. I initially trusted that right will prevail, and that the excellent system of Presbyterian government would work as it is supposed to to filter out error. The error, of course, that I am referring to is the Federal Vision. I believed that since both our own presbytery and General Assembly issued statements showing the Federal Vision to be out of accord with our Confession, as well as being an error that strikes at the fundamentals of our religion, we were all in agreement that this error should be dealt with in a manner that leaves no doubt as to our stance against it. Yet despite the overwhelming evidence that the Federal Vision error exists in this presbytery, you have chosen to either deny the existence of the error, protect the ones who teach this error, or attack the ones who are trying to perform their duty in ridding us of this odious error. Please believe me when I say that during the past several months I have felt like a foreign invader has taken over my homeland. I have and always will feel like the Siouxlands Presbytery is my home. Despite all of this, I remain confident in the system of Presbyterian government. I do not think that our excellent system, which I believe to be of divine right, is to blame. Nor do I believe that any of you are operating under any sinister or ulterior motives. On the contrary, what I know of many of you, I believe that you have nothing but the welfare of the Church and charity towards your neighbor in mind. I cannot nor will not try to understand your reasonings behind all of this. I do believe, however, that it is my duty to inform you that so long as this error persists without being dealt with, for whatever reason, I cannot remain a part of this body. I do not leave with any malice toward any of you, only with malice toward error, as David said, “I hate every false way.” (Ps. 119:104) You are in my prayers as you continue the work set before you, and I trust that God will always work to make His truth triumphant, no matter how painful His ways may be to us.




Your Son in Christ,



Steven J. Carr