St. Andrew’s Chapel, the Florida congregation established by the late theologian R.C. Sproul, has voted to leave the Presbyterian Church in America, ending a brief two-year affiliation with the denomination.
The Sanford-based church, which counts more than 1,100 members and had become one of the PCA’s largest congregations, approved the move during a Sunday vote, with 669 members supporting withdrawal and 108 opposing it. Church leaders formally notified the Central Florida Presbytery of the decision shortly afterward.
In comments shared with byFaith, the PCA’s official online publication, elders explained that a congregational meeting was held in mid-December in accordance with denominational procedures to consider whether the church should remain in the PCA.
“After the Session provided an update and recommendation, the congregation voted by paper ballot to withdraw, with 669 in favor and 108 against,” the elders said. “As a result, Saint Andrew’s Chapel is no longer affiliated with the PCA, and the Central Florida Presbytery has been duly informed.”
The vote followed months of tension surrounding senior pastor Burk Parsons, who was suspended earlier this year after a church judicial commission upheld multiple charges against him.
The commission cited concerns about his leadership style, including allegations of being overly harsh, autocratic and confrontational, as well as accusations of slandering other ministers and churches. Parsons later filed an appeal of the ruling.
According to a Dec. 5 letter obtained by MinistryWatch, church leaders said the timeline for the congregational vote was accelerated due to what they described as troubling developments within the Central Florida Presbytery. The session alleged that information about the charges against the church had been leaked to the media by an unidentified presbytery teaching elder before a full judicial process had concluded, causing what they called pastoral and reputational harm.
Following its departure, St. Andrew’s Chapel said it plans to operate as an independent church while evaluating possible future relationships with like-minded congregations.
According to MinistryWatch, the church said it plans to operate independently for now while exploring future fraternal partnerships with other churches, seeking mutual accountability and encouragement grounded in the Westminster Standards and open to collaboration with other confessional Reformed bodies.
Sproul, who died in 2017, was widely known for founding Ligonier Ministries in 1971, a global teaching ministry that helped popularize Reformed theology through books, conferences and the long-running radio program Renewing Your Mind.
