A Review of the 51^st 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 51^st 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 50^th 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 51^st 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 52^nd 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