A
Review of the 51st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in
America
Dear Providence Family,
As you read through this report, my prayer is that you
will find it deepens your understanding of the connectional nature of the
Presbyterian Church in America. Based on Scripture, the PCA endeavors to take
seriously the three marks of the church— the Preaching of the Word, the Sacraments,
and Church Discipline (1 Cor. 6).
Last week 2,160 Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders met
in Richmond, Virginia, for the 51st PCA General Assembly. This
amounted to the third highest attended General Assembly in 51 years. The
General Assembly (GA) is the highest court of the PCA, above both regional
Presbyteries and local Sessions (Elders). This court meets once a year,
typically during the month of June, to oversee the PCA’s presbyteries, national
committees, and agencies. Participation in GA entitles every PCA church to
send— as voting commissioners— their Teaching Elders (pastors) along with two
Ruling Elders for the first 350 communing members of their congregation.
Business conducted within GA includes, but is not
limited to, the reception of overtures, deliverances, resolutions, and judicial
decisions. An overture is an official communication submitted from a lower
church court or individual, to a higher court, requesting to take a particular
action, approve/disapprove, or endorse a particular statement/ resolution. For example, an
overture requesting a Study Committee could be passed, yet even after the
committee’s findings and final approval, the results are to be taken simply as
“pious advice,” and are without binding or constitutional standing.
With
that said, any changes made via an overture to the Book of Church Order or
BCO (which includes the Form of Government, Rules of Discipline, and
Directory of Worship chapters 56, 57, 58) are in fact binding upon churches and
their elders. That means that all Teaching Elders (pastors), Ruling Elders, and
Deacons must submit to the new changes in the BCO. If an overture does pass to
change the BCO, then it must be approved by 2/3 of the presbyteries throughout
the following year, followed by a second majority vote at the next GA.
In total there were 35 overtures submitted to the
General Assembly this year. These overtures initially must pass through the
Overtures Committee at GA (which usually meets on Monday and Tuesday of the
week) before being presented on the assembly floor for a vote from the
attending Elders.
My
intention is to summarize the most important overtures of last week’s GA. For
the sake of brevity, highlighted overtures will be listed, followed by the
resulting vote, and a short commentary on the issue at hand. A list of the
initial overtures can be found at https://pcaga.org/resources/#overtures. The PCA Book of Church
Order can be found at https://www.pcaac.org/bco/.
This
year, the first three major items of action came from the 50th GA of
2023. Having passed through GA in 2023, these overtures were to change language
in the BCO and thus required the approval of 2/3 of presbyteries throughout the
year. These overtures did in fact receive the necessary votes from presbyteries
and arrived for a final vote at GA51.
They
are as follows:
Item 1
Amend
BCO 7-3, regarding titling of un-ordained people, by the addition of a sentence
(underlined).
The new underlined language of the BCO will
read:
7-3. No one who holds office in the Church
ought to usurp authority therein, or receive official titles of spiritual
preeminence, except such as are employed in the Scripture. Furthermore,
un-ordained people shall not be referred to as, or given the titles of, the
ordained offices of pastor/elder, or deacon.
Explanation:
Item 1 passed with 81% of presbyteries for, and by a vote of 1,427 for and 481
against at GA (Overture passes GA with 74%). This overture is
intended to solidify the requirement that only ordained officers of the church
are to be called by the title of pastor/elder or deacon. Discussion on this
topic over the last few years has centered around a few PCA churches who use
the title of “pastor” for un-ordained staff or confer the title of “deacon”
without ordination. Under BCO 7-2, the ordained offices of Elder and Deacon are
reserved for called men (1 Tim. 2, Titus 1). The underlined portion of the
overture has now been added to the BCO and is binding on all officers of the
church.
Item
2
Amend BCO
8-2 and 9-3, to require officers’ conformity to Biblical standards for chastity
and sexual purity in self-description, by the addition of the underlined
wording.
The new underlined language of the BCO will
read:
8-2. He that fills this office should
possess a competency of human learning and be blameless in life, sound in the
faith and apt to teach. He should exhibit a sobriety and holiness of life
becoming the Gospel. He should conform to the biblical requirement of
chastity and sexual purity in his descriptions of himself, and in his
convictions, character, and conduct. He should rule his own house well and
should have a good report of them that are outside the Church.
9-3. To the office of deacon, which is
spiritual in nature, shall be chosen men of spiritual character, honest repute,
exemplary lives, brotherly spirit, warm sympathies, and sound judgment, conforming
to the biblical requirement of chastity and sexual purity in their descriptions
of themselves and in their convictions, character, and conduct.
Explanation:
Item 2 passed with 97% presbyteries for, and by a vote of 1,673 for and 223
against at GA (Overture passes GA with 88%). Over the last
five years the PCA has wrestled with the language of sexual identity in
ordained offices. Can a pastor or elder maintain or use the language of “Gay
Christian” to describe themselves, even while remaining sexually chaste in
their conviction and lifestyle? Since 2021, the GA has debated overtures put
forward that articulate a biblical stance on this issue, yet agreement on the
language has been difficult. The problem has never been whether a pastor
would be allowed to be a practicing homosexual. Clear biblical standards for
sexual relations are given in Scripture, the Westminster Standards, and the BCO
(1 Corinthians 6:11). Rather, the issue has been about whether a pastor could “identify”
or describe himself as a “homosexual Christian” (non-practicing) and still
retain office. The underlined portion of the overture has now been added to the
BCO and is binding on all officers of the church.
Item 3
Amend
BCO 38-1, regarding confessions and offended parties, as follows.
The new underlined language of the BCO will
read:
38-1. When any person shall come forward
and make his offense known to the court, a full statement of the facts shall be
recorded and judgment rendered without process. In handling a confession of
guilt, it is essential that the person intends to confess and permit the court
to render judgment without process. Statements made by him in the presence of
the court must not be taken as a basis of a judgment without process except by
his consent. In the event a confession is intended, a written Confession (i.e.,
a sufficient summary of the facts, the person’s specific confession, and any
expression or evidence of repentance) must be approved by the accused, and by
the court, before the court proceeds to a judgment, and the cosigned document
shall be appended to the minutes (regular or executive session). No other
information may be presented without written consent from the accused and the
court, and this prohibition includes individuals, prosecutors, committees, and
commissions. A censured person has the right to appeal (BCO 42). The person has
the right to be assisted by counsel at any point, in accord with the
stipulations of BCO 32-19.
In any instances involving a personal
offense (BCO 29-3), the court shall attempt to inform the offended person(s) of
that part of the Confession the court deems pertinent to the offense against
him or her. The court shall invite the offended person to provide the court
comment on the Confession prior to final approval of the Confession by the
confessor and the court. The court shall encourage the offended person to
enlist the help of an advisor in preparing any such comments. In all instances,
the court shall report the way such offended persons were informed of the parts
of the Confession pertinent to them.
Explanation: Item 3 passed with 99% of
presbyteries for, and by a vote of 1,769 for and 43 against at GA (Overture
passes GA with 98%). This language is to ensure that a person
on trial within a church court confesses to the full satisfaction of the court
and in full congruence of the sin committed. It allows for the accuser to
comment on the confession so that the court does not accept a partial or
incomplete confession from the accused. The underlined portion of the overture
has now been added to the BCO and is binding on all officers of the church.
Excursus:
Nominations of Moderator and Clerk
Ruling
Elder Steve Dowling was elected Moderator of GA51, and Brian Chapell was
re-elected Stated Clerk.
Review of Presbytery Records
Before
moving to overtures 17, 3, 13, 33, 1 and 26 which were debated and presented
for vote and on the GA floor, it should be noted that the report from the
Review of Presbytery Records Committee (RPR) resulted in the referral of Metro
New York Presbytery and Columbus Metro Presbytery to the Standing Judicial
Commission. The Standing Judicial Commission (SJC) is set up to deal with any
church discipline cases appealed from the presbytery level. The SJC conducts
and concludes trials without the input of GA, and their decision functions on
behalf of the assembly.
A. New York Metro
Presbytery was cited for not instituting a Judicial Review against a Senior
Minister who allowed a female Episcopalian priest to preach in a worship
service, thus violating BCO 29-1. The Assembly voted to send the matter to the
Standing Judicial Commission (SJC).
B. This matter of Columbus
Metro Presbytery came with reference to a letter from a congregant of a now
disbanded PCA church. The letter alleges that after the congregation’s pastor
and ruling elders resigned, the presbytery took their only assets ($18,000)
without allowing the 60-day notice to the small congregation. The Assembly
recognized that the presbytery was wrong in their action and referred them to
the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC).
Overtures Continued:
Overture 17
Originally
this overture sought to make Background Checks mandatory by adding to the BCO. But
it was amended in the Overtures Committee, resulting in the following non-binding
statement:
Be it resolved that presbyteries and sessions are encouraged
to adopt policies for conducting background checks on every candidate for
office.
Explanation: The statement passed with a voice vote. Grounds for the
substantive change from the Overtures Committee were: “The overture would have
mandated background checks without mandating the process and procedures. A
“one-size-fits-all” mandate in our BCO raises several issues, including who
gets to see the results of background checks, who pays for them, and who
protects the private information required. The amended language encourages
church courts to adopt policies and procedures, which is wise, without making
specific mandates.”
Overture 3
Overture 3 from Pee Dee Presbytery requested to amend
the BCO by giving constitutional status to Chapter 53 of the Directory of Worship.
Currently the BCO chapters on Sacraments (56-58), are the only binding sections
of the Directory of Worship (third section of the BCO). Historically the PCA
does not have a binding Directory of Worship. Chapter 53 of the Directory of
Worship describes the “Preaching of the Word.”
The overture would have also added to chapter 53 the
line:
Only qualified men may be invited to
preach in any churches under our care and only with the consent of the Session.
Explanation: The motion failed 857
against- 906 for- 13 abstained. At this point the reason
for this “down vote” is unclear. Many presbyters are uncomfortable with
changing elements of the BCO without a current conflicting example. I would
argue that the NY Metro Presbytery situation is enough to tighten conscription
on something as important as preaching. In a speech on the floor, one elder
said that the motivation behind this overture was to inch toward uniform
worship in PCA churches. If that’s the case, this could have made some elders more
guarded against voted for the overture. With that said, other binding chapters
of the BCO require preaching in the Worship service to be carried out by
Teaching Elders (BCO 8, 12). I believe we will see a form of this overture
continue to be presented at future GA’s.
Overture
13
Overture 13 from Calvary Presbytery recommended that
the assembly declare that last year’s letter sent from GA50 to U.S. Government
Officials was to be commended as Biblically Faithful. The letter can be found
at https://byfaithonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/General-Letter.pdf
The overture is as stated:
That the 51st General Assembly
commend as biblically faithful the letter written by the PCAGA50 Moderator’s
Commission, humbly petitioning leaders of the United States Government “to
protect the lives and welfare of minor children from the physical, mental, and
emotional harms associated with medical and surgical interventions for the purpose
of gender reassignment.”
Explanation: The motion passed 985 for-
727 against- 35 abstained. Some may ask how this could be a
close vote. Though I would guess that everyone in the assembly agreed with the
substance of the letter, there is debate within Presbyterianism as to whether
the church should proactively petition the government. The debate is based on
Westminster Confession Ch. 31.4 which reads: Synods and councils are to
handle, or conclude nothing, but that which is ecclesiastical (church): and are
not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by
way of humble petition in cases extraordinary; or, by way of advice, for
satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil
magistrate.
Overture
33
Overture 33 was sent to GA by an individual rather
than a presbytery. This means that it did not pass the threshold of approval in
the particular elder’s presbytery. The overture originally was concerned with
the book Jesus Calling. Written by Sarah Young, a former PCA missionary,
the book has sold over 45 million copies after the original publishing. One can
read about the reasons given for this overture from the author who wrote it in these
two articles: https://www.knotsbetter.com/post/jesus-calling-pca-lament-repent
https://www.knotsbetter.com/post/the-pca-ga-corporate-repentance-and-jesus-calling
In lieu of the length of this report (if you’re not
already asleep), I’ll provide the rewritten overture from the Overtures
Committee as presented to GA. But you can read the original overture here https://pcaga.org/resources/#overtures
Therefore be it resolved that the General
Assembly request reports to be returned to the 52nd General Assembly
from the permanent committees of the two agencies most connected with the Jesus
Calling book.
From the permanent committee for the
Committee on Discipleship Ministries, a brief report will:
1. Examine
the history of the CDM’s relationship with the book and outline its reasons for
withdrawing the book from its inventory previously and not offering it for sale
since.
2. Assess
the book’s appropriateness for Christians in general and PCA members and
congregations in particular with special regard for its doctrine and method.
3. Provide
recommendations (if needed) for remedial materials, advisory statements, or
General Assembly actions concerning Jesus Calling.
And from Mission to the World, a brief
report that will:
1. Examine
MTW’s relationship with the book, knowledge of its content, and any counsel
given to the author.
2. Consider
actions that MTW and the General Assembly should take in light of this study of
the book and of the agency’s relationship to it.
Explanation: The motion passed 947 for- 834
against- 20 abstained. Matters of concern over the book have
been ongoing for years in the PCA. But one wonders why this overture has been
presented at this year’s GA. It should be noted that Sarah Young passed away
last year. And that her widow spoke on the floor of GA in opposition to the
overture. With sincere consideration and
respect to the family, the book is problematic. But the real question is
whether it should be addressed by the church body as a whole— given that the
author had been a member and missionary of a PCA church.
Overture
1
Overture 1 submitted by Piedmont Triad Presbytery concerned
whether atheists should now be allowed to testify in church court cases.
Currently BCO 35-1 and 35-8 do not allow for an atheist witness to testify,
because they cannot take an oath before a God in whom they do not believe (Westminster Confession Ch. 11). This is the
second year an overture of this nature has been presented to the assembly. Much
of the impetus behind the submission concerns recent abuses in the evangelical
world and a study committee report issued in 2022 by the PCA Ad Interim
Committee on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault (DASA) here: https://pcaga.org/aic-report-abuse/
Explanation: Overture
1 failed to pass out of Overtures Committee with a vote of 71 against- 59 for- 0
abstained. But the minority within the OC submitted what is called a
Minority Report (Not Tom Cruise). The Minority Report can be voted in the
original overture’s place. The Minority Report was presented and failed 843
for- 880 against- 18 abstained. The Assembly then received the Overtures
Committee recommendation to vote down the original overture 950 for- 750
against- 34 abstained. This means that there will be no changes to the current
requirements for a witness to take an oath to testify in a court case. They
must be able to take the oath to God.
Overture
26
Overture 26 from Tennessee Valley Presbytery requested
to expand representation of accused persons before church courts. Amended from
the Overtures Committee, the new text would read:
BCO 32-19 No professional counsel shall be
permitted as such to appear and plead in cases of process in any court; but an
accused person may, if he desires it, be represented before the Session for the
Presbytery by any member in good standing of a church in the same Presbytery or
by any Teaching Elder member of that Presbytery, or before the General Assembly
by any member in good standing in the PCA. A member of the court so employed
shall not be allowed to sit in judgment in the case. Courts are encouraged to
suggest to the accused/appellant the names of potential representatives and
potential advisors he might contact.
Explanation: The motion passed 1456 for- 119
against- 20 abstained. Though professional counsel from a
Law Firm cannot be attained for the church court, any PCA member in good
standing can represent the accused. This overture expands representation of the
accused in the church courts to ensure justice and their cooperation.
Pastor John
