Thread by @kathyjoyfish

I haven't said much on here about the recent PCA trial that I witnessed because it left me disheartened & frankly intimidated by the power of a top law firm being inserted into the church process. 🧵 1/ #pcaga #PCAGA50

Until 3 days ago, I had been a PCA church member for almost 40 years. I raised my 4 children in the PCA because I believed scripture was our rule of faith and practice.#pcaga #PCAGA50 2/

What I witnessed left me appalled. In my opinion, I witnessed the badgering of witnesses, 1 to the point of provocation, repeated attempts to put words in witnesses mouths, the revelation of seemingly unrelated sin confessed in confidence to a pastor to discredit the witness. 3/

My recollection of the testimony of one teaching elder regarding one of the witnesses was that  based upon a one time brief meeting, he characterized the individual in an extremely negative and uncharitable light. 4/

A medical professional who stated that their training & qualifications were unrelated to a particular diagnosis, proceeded to  seemingly draw comparisons between the behavior of another witness and  diagnosed children to which they gave unrelated medical treatment.  5/

A number of mental illnesses were also put forth, again with the qualification that their training was in no way related to those areas. This is but a small part of what I personally found troubling. 6/

Please be careful what you say on here. Emails, texts, & social media, some obtained through Discovery in the civil court process, were exhibited at the church trial. The PCA has given its stamp of approval on this way of doing things with the recent decision. 7/#pcaga #PCAGA50

Be warned! I would not recommend to any friend or family member that they participate in a PCA court trial. I have zero faith in the courts of the PCA. #pcaga50 8/

These are all my views on what I personally witnessed. I would ask that the trial transcript paid for by Central Indiana Presbytery be published to confirm or correct these observations.  The trial was public there is no good reason that the transcription should not be. #PCAGA50

I'm praying for a better PCA. #pcaga #PCAGA50

My view in the courtroom: one professionally trained defense lawyer with three professional assisting legal aids/lawyers? who were familiar enough with the 4 bankers' boxes full of documents to spontaneously jump up and retrieve them for the defense.

One prosecutor elder, untrained & unfamiliar with the civil court law process he was being required to adhere to, along with a couple similar situated teaching elders, all with full time jobs to attend to. Should the government's adversarial court system be the church's model?