General Assembly Update for June 21
By byFaith Staff
June 21, 2022
General Assembly

Here’s a summary of the actions of the General Assembly on June 21, 2022.

This morning the Overtures Committee of the 49th General Assembly reconvened to continue its work. Read about the committee’s decisions here.

Ruling Elder John Bise was elected moderator of the 49th Assembly. Read more here. 

The Assembly voted to ratify six changes to the Book of Church Order that were voted in the affirmative at the 48th General Assembly and approved by more than two-thirds of the presbyteries.

Item 1 would amend BCO 12-6 and 13-4 to allow presbyteries and sessions to establish rules for holding virtual meetings.

Item 3 would amend BCO 20-4, 24-3, and 24-4 to clarify that the election of a pastors, elder or deacon requires a majority of votes cast rather than a majority of members present.

Item 5 would amend BCO 22-2 to allow an Assistant Pastor to be elected as Associate Pastor by the congregation he currently serves upon recommendation of the Session without the election of a pulpit committee.

Item 6 would amend BCO 24-1 to clarify that a session has discretion on the timing of some parts of the exam of officer nominees.

Item 7 would replaces the current BCO 32-20, which requires a church court to commence process against a member in a case involving scandal within one year with a provision that would allow a person accused of an offense to object to its consideration and provide direction to the court about how to consider such an objection.
Item 8 would amend BCO 38-1 to specify what may be considered when a judgment is rendered in a case without process (in which a person comes forward to make an offense known).

Read more here.

The Assembly voted to answer Overture 24 in the affirmative. The vote was 1272-37. Read the text of the overture here.

The Assembly answered Overture 32 in the negative. The vote was 876-458. Read the overture text here.

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