Edburg, Nelson, Ratliff

Polity Matters

Religion EN ↓ 140 episodes

A podcast on the foundations of Presbyterian Church government. Hosted by Scott Edburg, Jared Nelson, and Ben Ratliff.

Author

Edburg, Nelson, Ratliff

Episodes

88. Some Sense of Order (Overtures 2025 Part Two) 12.06.2025 1:06:50

Alex Ford is back! We quickly put him to work sifting through Overtures with the guys... http://pcahistory.org Overtures discussed: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters P...

87. It's Almost GA, Where's Our Controversy? (Overtures 2025 Part One) 10.06.2025 1:01:47

Alex Ford is back! We quickly put him to work sifting through Overtures with the guys... http://pcahistory.org Overtures discussed: 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 37, 40 Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's T...

86. Orderly Meeting 03.06.2025 55:10

Orderly Meeting Website Orderly Meetings Twitter Clerk Download Page Clerk of Session Handbook Presbytery Clerk Handbook Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

85. BCO 37: The Removal of Censure 27.05.2025 1:00:39

Mel Duncan joins the show to help us think through the removal of censures in BCO 27. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

84. BCO 36 The Infliction of Church Censures 13.05.2025 1:02:16

Dr. Waters joins the guys to discuss the infliction of censures. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

83. Bigger Problems Than Testifying in a PCA Court (BCO 35 part two) 06.05.2025 38:30

Ben, Jared, Scott, and Fred finish out BCO 35. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

82. An Out of Date Bunch of Malarkey (BCO 35 part one) 29.04.2025 35:29

Ben, Jared, Scott, and Fred begin PCA BCO Chapter 35 on Evidence. They discuss the competency of witnesses, the rights of the accused and accuser, procedures for handling testimony, and the judgment of evidence in church courts. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scot...

81. All of My Secrets Have Been Exposed (BCO 34) 22.04.2025 49:35

Jared and Scott are joined by RE John Bise to work through matters pertaining to process against TEs. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

80. Until I Read Them Out Loud (BCO 33) 15.04.2025 41:51

Steve Dowling joins the polity bros to work through BCO 33: Special Rules Pertaining to Process Before Sessions. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

75. The People I Lied to Are Dead: Part Three (BCO 32 part two) 08.04.2025 41:32

Ben, Jared, Scott, and Fred continue their discussion and explanation of BCO 32. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

74. The People I Lied to Are Dead (BCO 32 Part One) 01.04.2025 49:27

Ben, Jared, Scott, and Fred deal with the first six sections of BCO 32. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

73. Best Host Ever (BCO 31 part two) 25.03.2025 51:02

Ben, Jared, Half-Scott, and Steve are back to finish BCO 31. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

72. Story Time with Steve (BCO 31 part one) 18.03.2025 1:04:11

Ben, Jared, and Scott are joined by Steve Tipton to dive into BCO 31 , which outlines the key players and procedures involved in formal judicial processes within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). They start off with a bit of fun—Jared presents a quiz on judicial cases that have shaped the PCA. Then, the discussion turns serious as they unpack the nuances of BCO 31 , addressing questions of...

71. Pure Hypothetical (BCO 30) 11.03.2025 55:15

In this episode of Polity Matters , hosts Ben Ratliff, Jared Nelson, and Scott Edberg welcome Dr. Guy Waters of Reformed Theological Seminary to discuss Chapter 30 of the PCA Book of Church Order (BCO) , which deals with church censures . They explore the biblical, theological, and practical aspects of church discipline, the different types of censures available to church courts, and how they shou...

70. Just Give Me Another Hour (BCO 29) 04.03.2025 35:26

In this episode of Polity Matters , hosts Ben Ratliff, Jared Nelson, and Scott Edberg welcome Ruling Elder John Bise to discuss Chapter 29 of the PCA Book of Church Order: Offenses. The conversation tackles the distinctions between personal and general offenses, as well as private and public offenses, and how church courts should approach discipline in a biblical and pastoral manner. Send us Fa...

69. The Jared Nelson Memorial Episode (BCO 28) 25.02.2025 52:30

Ben, Jared, and Scott are joined by Steve Tipton --the fourth polity bro-- to discuss BCO 28: Disciplining of Non-communing Members. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

68. Chapter 27 is Chiastic (BCO 27) 18.02.2025 1:06:01

Steve Dowling joins Ben, Jared, and Scott to discuss BCO 27 on the nature, subjects, and ends of church discipline. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

67. Procedural Checklist (w/T. David Gordon) 11.02.2025 57:24

Procedural Checklist for PCA BCO Rules of Discipline Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

66. Motion to Reconsider: Assistant Pastors 04.02.2025 43:50

In this special installment of Motion to Reconsider, we return to our interview with TE Adam Parker regarding his article on Assistant Pastors . Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter

65. The Sherlocking of Scott Edburg 28.01.2025 33:39

In this special episode, Ben sits down with co-host Scott Edberg for an inside look at the history and future of the BCO Amendment Tracker —a project that started as a grassroots effort to bring transparency and accountability to the amendment process and has become a vital tool for the denomination. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me...

64. Potentially Edifying (Ordination Questions with Groff) 14.01.2025 1:29:20

In this episode of Polity Matters, Ben Ratliff, Jared Nelson, Scott Edburg, and special guest Zachary Groff take a deep dive into the ordination vows for teaching elders in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The conversation explores the significance of each vow, offering practical insights and theological reflections for ministers and members alike. Presbyterian Polity Greenville Presbyter...

63. A Heightened Sense of Americana (BCO 26) 31.12.2024 34:55

In this milestone episode, Ben, Jared, and Scott conclude their journey through the Form of Government section of the PCA Book of Church Order. The discussion centers on BCO Chapter 26 , which outlines the process for amending the PCA Constitution. The hosts explore the complexities of modifying both the BCO and the Westminster Standards, unpacking the historical, procedural, and theological impli...

62. No Authority Over Your Assets (BCO 25) 24.12.2024 45:06

In this episode of Polity Matters, we delve into Chapter 25 of the PCA Book of Church Order, focusing on congregational meetings. We discuss the structure, rights, and responsibilities of the congregation, including voting rights, quorum requirements, the role of trustees, and property ownership. Join us as we explore the practical and theological implications of how congregations govern themselve...

61. Ten Pages of Minor Scruples (BCO 24) 17.12.2024 50:59

BCO 24 Election, Ordination, and Installation of Ruling Elders and Deacons Scott's Superior Navigator's Reading Plan Daily Readings by JC Ryle Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben&apo...

60. Edburgs Don't Live A Long Time (BCO 23) 10.12.2024 23:43

BCO 23 The Dissolution of the Pastoral Relation and the Procedure for Honorable Retirement Send us Fan Mail Support the show Official Website : politymatters.org Support the Show : Buy Me a Coffee Twitter/X : @PolityMatters Facebook : Polity Matters Page Scott's Twitter Jared's Twitter Ben's Twitter