The indictment of Louisiana Presbytery by the Standing Judicial Commission has now been made public, although I don’t know where it is on the Net. As soon as I do, I will link to it.
The portion that was emailed to me is almost as interesting as a caucus in Iowa. In it, there were two matters of note. The first is that the language seems to alternate back and forth between saying that there were grounds for indicting Steve Wilkins for being out of conformity with the Confession (which is of course appropriate for them to say and do), and assuming that he actually is out of conformity with the Confession (which has not yet been established anywhere). The former is saying that there was “probable cause,” enough indications of a problem to warrant a trial. But in their indictment of Louisiana, they are going well beyond this. They are saying that these indications were so marked that Louisiana, by not acting on them, were guilty themselves of a “fundamental neglect of the Biblical responsibilities of the eldership.”
The second point is really striking. The indictment gives Louisiana Presbytery two options for breaking this “impasse.” The first is for the Louisiana Presbytery to repent (and show its repentance by bringing Steve to trial, or referring the matter to another body to try). The second is to have the ecclesiastical connection between Louisiana Presbytery and the PCA dissolved, with the borders of neighboring presbyteries being adjusted to pick up any Louisiana churches that desire to remain in the PCA.
If Louisiana pleads not guilty, then their trial will be held at the beginning of March. If they are found to be in the clear, then that should settle it. If they are found to be guilty, then that would require a trial of Steve. But it also looks as though the SJC has given Louisiana the option of pleading guilty now, retaining jurisdiction over Steve, and scheduling a trial for him before Louisiana Presbytery.
Further bulletins as events warrant.