Sarah Young's 'Jesus Calling' Devotional Faces Potential Ban from PCA
- Milton Quintanilla Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
- Updated Jun 17, 2024
On Thursday, The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) voted to launch an investigation into Sarah Young’s best-selling devotional book Jesus Calling and the denomination’s decision to potentially ban the book. According to The Christian Post, the PCA General Assembly voted Thursday morning to approve Overture 33, which called on two denominational agencies to investigate the book. Young, who was part of the PCA, passed away last year at the age of 77. She published the book in 2004.
The amended overture particularly called on the Committee on Discipleship Ministries to make a report assessing “the book’s appropriateness for Christians in general” and to “outline its reasons for withdrawing the book from its inventory previously and not offering it for sale since.”
The amended overture also called on Mission to the World, a PCA missions ministry, to explore the ministry group’s “relationship with the book” and consider actions that it “and the General Assembly should take in light of this study of the book and of the agency’s relationship to it.”
The measure was passed on Thursday in a vote of 947-834, and 20 abstaining.
The amended overture was met with a mixed reception from PCA leaders.
Jerid Krulish, a teaching elder from Faith Presbyterian Church of Anchorage, Alaska, opposed the overture, claiming it was “a fishing expedition” that was “a waste of the committees’ times.”
“This book is a book that, as far as I can tell, no one in the PCA reads. Ninety-nine point nine percent of us had no idea that Sarah Young was even a member of the PCA,” said Krulish. “It is not in use in the PCA; it is not published by any agency of the PCA.”
On the other hand, Pastor Zachary Groff of Antioch Presbyterian Church supported the overture, contending that “there are many people in the PCA that I know who read this book, including the wives of ordained teaching and ruling elders.”
“Our committees exist in part to help us, as an assembly, to evaluate things of national import that affect the Church as a whole,” he added. “This book is, perhaps, the bestselling book of any member of the PCA.”
As reported by Christianity Today, pastors within the PCA have warned that Young’s claim to divine revelation when writing the book undermines the concept of sola Scriptura and can potentially amount to heresy.
Young’s husband defended his late wife and her book during a debate on the measure.
“Her writings did not add to Scripture but explain it,” Steve Young said. “She would stand with Martin Luther and declare that her conscience was captive to the Word of God.”
“Sarah is a sister in Christ and wife who delighted in the law of the Lord, and on his law she meditated day and night,” she continued. “She was led to share her meditations with the world.”
Young, for her part, encouraged people to read her book, which was meant to be read “with your Bible open.”
The success of Jesus Calling’ resulted in further works, including the 2021 prayer devotional Jesus Listens, children’s devotionals, Bible storybooks, and journals.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
