The Overtures Committee convened Monday morning to begin its work. Teaching Elder Guy Waters was elected chairman and Teaching Elder Jonathan Master as vice chairman.
The committee recommended answering Overture 4 from Pacific Northwest Presbytery, “Docket a Prayer of Thanksgiving for Adult Professions of Faith,” in the affirmative. The vote was 129-0.
The committee recommended answering Overtures 50 from Mississippi Valley, “Call for a Day of Fasting and Prayer for Revival and Renewal of the Church,” in the affirmative as amended. The vote was 130-1-0. The overture was amended by 1) expanding the time for observance to “September 2026, or as soon thereafter as is practical” and 2) by adding “North” to America so that the geographical reference is North America.
OC recommended answering Overture 66 from Philadelphia Presbytery, “Issue a Declaration of Thanksgiving on the Occasion of the 250th Anniversary of the Nation’s Founding,” in the affirmative as amended. The vote was 91-30-5. Here is the amended language:
Therefore, be it resolved that the 53rd General Assembly encourages all congregations in the Presbyterian Church in America to give thanks to the Lord for the United States of America as we approach the 250th Anniversary of the Nation’s Founding.
OC recommended answering Overture 76 from Calvary Presbytery, Issue a Declaration of Thanksgiving for the United States of America (USA) on the 250th Anniversary of the Nation’s Founding, with reference to Overture 66. The vote was 125-3.
OC recommended answering Overture 89 from Fellowship Presbytery, “Issue a Declaration of Thanksgiving for the United States of America (USA) on the 250th Anniversary of the Nation’s Founding,” with reference to Overture 66. The vote was 125-3-1.
Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 37 from Pacific Presbytery, “Amend BCO 9-3 to Allow Women to Serve as Ordained Deacons,” in the negative. The vote was 115-14-1. The committee adopted the following grounds: “Our Constitutional documents are a sufficient expression of the Biblical warrant, nature, qualifications, and duties of Deacons.”
OC recommended answering overtures 14, 34, 36, 38, 48 52, 71, and 74 with reference to Overture 37. The vote was 110-23.
OC recommended to answer Overture 72 from Ascension Presbytery, “Add a new BCO 12-8 to Require Recording of Session and Diaconate Members in Session Minutes,” in the affirmative as amended. The vote was 85-42. Here is the amended language:
12-8. Every Session shall annually record in its minutes a list of all persons who comprise the Session and the Diaconate.
The committee voted to answer Overture 61 from Calvary Presbytery, “Declare the ‘Danvers Statement’ as a Biblically Faithful Declaration,” in the affirmative. The vote was 66-64-3.
The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 15 from Southwest Florida Presbytery, “Amend BCO 42-4 and 43-3 to Clarify the Deadline for Filings,” in the affirmative. The vote was 112-12-5.
The committee voted to answer Overture 75 from Central Florida Presbytery, “Amend BCO 42 to Clarify the Process for Filing an Appeal,” in the negative. The vote was 119-6-3.
OC voted to recommend answering Overture 16 from Southwest Florida Presbytery, “Amend BCO 43 to Clarify Circularizing the Court,” in the affirmative. The vote was 121-4-2.
OC recommended answering Overture 29 from Westminster Presbytery, “Amend BCO 42 to Clarify Between Verbal and Written Notice of Appeal,” in the negative. The vote was 115-9-5.
OC recommended to answer Overture 69 from Southwest Florida Presbytery, “Amend BCO 32-18 and 42-5 to Clarify the Contents of the Record of the Case in Judicial Cases,” in the affirmative. The vote was 119-4-4.
Overtures recommended to answer Overture 67 from Potomac Presbytery, “Amend BCO 40-5 to Clarify a Court Shall Make Two Determinations before Citing a Lower Court,” in the negative. The vote was 101-28-3.
The Overtures Committee has recommended by a vote of 125-1-1 that the Assembly answer Overture 42 from Northern California Presbytery, “Restore the Reference to the Westminster Standards at the end of BCO 29-1,” with the following statement: “We recommend that the assembly find overture 42 moot because the stated clerk has acceded to the advice of ccb with thanks to presbytery for noticing the omission.”
The Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 35 from Illiana Presbytery, “Amend BCO 31-2 to Establish a Deadline for the Issuing of an Indictment,” in the negative. The vote was 85-40-5.
OC voted to recommend answering Overture 13 from Great Lakes Presbytery, “Amend BCO 15-2 Regarding Session Commissions,” in the affirmative as amended. The vote was 113-20. Here is the amended language:
Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 7 from Pacific Northwest Presbytery, “Amend RAO 16 Regarding RPR’s Reporting on Presbytery Records,” in the negative. The vote was 75-54-1.
The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 6 from Pacific Northwest Presbytery, “Amend RAO 14-9, 15-8, and add 16-7.h to Require 150 Commissioners to Remove from an Omnibus,” in the negative. The vote was 89-42.
The committee voted to recommend referring Overture 8 from Pacific Northwest Presbytery, “Amend RAO 8-4.i to Set the Deadline for Floor Nominations 24 Hours Earlier,” back to Pacific Northwest Presbytery. The vote was 86-42-1.
The Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 2025-49 from Pacific Northwest Presbytery, “Erect an Ad Interim Committee on AI,” in the affirmative as amended. The vote was 90-39-1. The overture was referred to the 53rd General Assembly by last year’s Assembly. Here is the amended language:
The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 80 from Calvary Presbytery, “Erect Ad Interim Committee on Critical Theory and Critical Race Theory,” in the negative. The vote was 105-25-2.
Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 27 from Westminster Presbytery, “Amend BCO 34-1 Regarding GA Assuming Original Jurisdiction,” in the affirmative as amended. The vote was 123-10. Here is the amended language:
The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 3 from New York State Presbytery, “Amend BCO 32-20 and 32-21 Regarding Dismissing Charges,” in the negative. The vote was 104-25-3.
The committee recommended referring Overture 59, “Amend BCO 38-3.a to Recognize the Non-Punitive Removal of Individuals from Membership Roll,” back to Calvary Presbytery. The vote was 121-12.
Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 28 from Westminster Presbytery, “Add BCO 41-7 to Provide a Right to Complain when a Presbytery Acts on a Reference,” in the negative. The vote was 90-33-2.
The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 57 from South Texas Presbytery, “Amend BCO 12-7, 13-9, and 25-5 to Explicitly Require Minutes of Congregational Meetings Be Included in Session Records,” in the affirmative. The vote was 82-50.
The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 2 from Wisconsin Presbytery, “Amend BCO 5-4 for Consent of Mission Church Members in Calling a Pastor,” in the negative. The vote was 100-26-2.
The committee voted to recommend referring Overture 51, “Amend BCO 5 to add a Section on ‘Assisted Churches,’” back to Mississippi Valley Presbytery. The vote was 114-14-2.
The committee voted to recommend referring Overture 12, “Amend BCO 21-4.a to Allow Alternatives to a Bachelor’s Degree for Ordination,” back to Chesapeake Presbytery. The vote was 106-25-1.
The committee recessed until Tuesday morning.