Overture 14 from North Texas Presbytery was answered in the negative by the Overtures Committee at the 37th General Assembly yesterday. The overture would have added a section to the Book of Church Order, entitled “Giving Notice to Presbytery of Intention to Withdraw from the PCA.”

T. John Mulkey, the stated clerk of North Texas Presbytery, told byFaith, “We hope to make teaching elders more cognizant of their vows to not harm the peace and unity of the church. Our concern is that teaching elders are not working to resolve problems but actually exacerbate problems by encouraging their churches to leave the denomination.”

Overture 14 recommended that the Book of Church Order be amended to read: “While particular churches need remain in association with any court of this body only so long as they themselves desire, such is not the case with teaching elders. Teaching elders remain under the jurisdiction of the presbytery of which they are members and are subject to the vows they took to guard the peace and unity of the church. … It should always be the desire of the faithful minister of Christ to effect reconciliation between all bodies of Christians, but especially those of his own denomination.”

In rejecting Overture 14, the Overtures Committee agreed that the proposal raised valid concerns. However, the committee stated, “the solution proposed is founded upon an inadequate statement of the relevant Scriptural teachings and thus the rationale offered is unpersuasive.”