The overtures that had been submitted to the GA were given
to the Overtures Committee. This committee reviews the overture and submits
their recommendation to the Assembly as a whole. The Assembly can adopt the
recommendation of the committee, they can overturn the recommendation of the
committee, they can recommit the overture to the committee for further
discussion, or they can commit the overture to the next year’s committee for
perfection. I list here the recommendations from the committee regarding each
overture and the action taken by the Assembly.
Overture 1, requested a change in the rules regarding a
judicial commission. The Committee recommended a rejection of that overture.
That recommendation was upheld by the Assembly.
Overtures 2 and 9 requested a study committee regarding
recreations on the Sabbath. The Committee recommended a rejection of that
overture. That recommendation was upheld by the Assembly.
Overture 3 requested a change in the wording of baptismal
vows. The Committee recommended a rejection of that overture. That
recommendation was upheld by the Assembly.
Overtures 4-6 asked for changes in various presbytery
boundaries. Those overtures are given to the Mission to North America Committee
for execution.
Overture 7 asked for a change that would require church officers
to testify in judicial cases (sort of an anti-5th Amendment change).
The Committee recommended that this overture be approved, modified by some
changes in the language. This recommendation was, after considerable debate, rejected
by the Assembly, nullifying the overture.
Overture 8 requested some changes in the BCO
regarding the treatment of church officers without call. The Committee
recommended a rejection of that overture. That recommendation was upheld by the
Assembly.
The overture regarding the establishment of a provisional
presbytery in Paraguay was given to the Mission to the World Committee for
execution.
There was one overture and several personal resolutions that
desired memorializing particular men who had died since the last GA. These were
all approved, both by the Committee and by the Assembly.
Finally, there was a personal resolution from TEs Sean
Michael Lucas of Grace Presbytery and J. Ligon Duncan of Mississippi Valley Presbytery (the
text of that resolution can be read here: http://byfaithonline.com/personal-resolution-on-civil-rights-remembrance/).
This resolution was given to the Overtures Committee to deal with. After some
nine hours of occasionally heated debate, the Committee brought a
recommendation that the resolution be referred to the next GA, with added
grounds for that referral. Those grounds can be read here: http://byfaithonline.com/oc-recommends-refer-civil-rights-resolution-to-44th-assembly-2/.
This was taken up by the Assembly after the worship service on Thursday
evening. After about an hour and a half of debate, the Assembly voted to
sustain the Committee’s recommendation. This was followed by a time of prayer.
A fuller description can be read here: http://highlandspastor.blogspot.com/2015/06/pca-hotly-debates-delaying-formal.html
And such were the actions of the Overtures Committee of the
Forty-third General Assembly of the PCA.
2 comments:
thank you for your service. I guess it's being a young man such as yourself that makes it possible to do this.
Thank you for the link! Grace and peace.
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