Assembly Convenes

The 53rd General Assembly convened and, after a worship service, elected Ruling Elder Mel Duncan to serve as moderator of the Assembly. Read about Duncan here.

The Assembly heard the report of Provisional Stated Clerk John Bise.

BCO Amendments

The Assembly voted to ratify BCO amendments that were first approved by the 52nd General Assembly and then sent to the presbyteries for approval. Items 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 were approved in omnibus. Item 3 was voted down. Item 7 was approved. Read more about those BCO amendments here.

Election of Stated Clerk

Teaching Elder Fred Greco was elected to be the PCA stated clerk. Read about Greco here. 

Partial Reports

The Assembly heard a partial report from the Review of Presbytery Records to prepare for RPR’s full report on Wednesday morning. 

Ad Interim Committee Partial Report

The Assembly heard a partial report from the Ad Interim Committee on the Directory for Public Worship.

Special Committee Reports

The Assembly heard reports from the Theological Examining Committee, Cooperative Ministries Committee, and Committee on Constitutional Business.

Overtures Committee

The Overtures Committee reconvened on Tuesday morning to continue working through overtures.

Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 45 from Covenant Presbytery, “Amend RAO 8-4.i to Require that Floor Nominations for Committees and Agencies Come from Previously Submitted Presbytery Nominees,” in the negative. The vote was 116-17-1.

OC voted to answer Overture 47 from Suncoast Presbytery, “Amend RAO 8-4.i to Require that Floor Nominations for Committees and Agencies Come from Previously Submitted Presbytery Nominees,” with reference to the committee’s action on Overture 45. The vote was 128-5-1.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 9 from Hills and Plains Presbytery, “Amend RAO 8-4.i to Highlight Proportionate Representation of Presbyteries by Floor Nominations,” in the negative. The vote was 124-8.

The committee has voted to answer Overture 46 from New York State Presbytery, “Add BCO 29-5 on Public Allegations without Prior Reporting to the Court of Jurisdiction as Probable Violations of the Ninth Commandment,” in the negative. The vote was 107-25-1.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 54 from Hills and Plains Presbytery, “Amend BCO 42-2 to Clarify that a Person Judged Contumacious has the Right of Complaint Not Appeal,” in the negative. The vote was 128-2.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 56 from Southwest Florida Presbytery, “Amend BCO 32-19 to Limit Representation in Judicial Process to Officers,” in the negative. The vote was 124-6-1.

The Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 65 from Canada West Presbytery, “Amend BCO 38-1 re Confessions and Cases without Process,” in the negative. The vote was 128-1-1.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 86 from the session of Grace Covenant Church, “Amend BCO 43 to Rename Complaints as Inquiries,” in the negative. The vote was 123-2.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 33 from Westminster Presbytery, “Amend RAO 16-7.h Regarding Minority Reports from RPR,” in the negative. The vote was 124-3.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 53 from Great Lakes Presbytery, “Amend RAO 16 to Prohibit Members of RPR from Participating in GA Debate on the RPR Report,” in the negative. The vote was 123-4-1.

Overtures Committee voted to recommend referring Overture 63, “Amend RAO 19-4 to Establish Preference in Recognition for an Objector to an In Gross Motion,” back to South Texas Presbytery. The vote was 123-6.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 81 from Potomac Presbytery, “Amend RAO 1-1 to Require Serving Wine and Grape Juice for the Lord’s Supper at General Assembly,” in the affirmative as amended. The vote was 115-16-2. Here is the amended language:

The Overtures Committee recommended answering Overture 43 from Pacific Northwest Presbytery, “Amend RAO 4-9 so that Coordinators of Committees are Elected to 4-year Terms,” in the affirmative. The vote was 73-53-5.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overtures 77, 40, 41, and 73 by reference to the action taken on Overture 43. The vote was 105-20-1.

Overtures Committee voted to recommend answering Overture 78 from Southeast Alabama Presbytery, “Amend RAO 4-21 to Authorize Electronic Meetings for GA Committees and Commissions,” in the affirmative. The vote was 120-6-2.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 79 from Calvary Presbytery, “Amend RAO 4-21 to Authorize Electronic Meetings for GA Committees and Commissions,” with reference to its action on Overture 78. The vote was 125-0-1.

The committee voted refer Overture 5, “Amend RAO 5-1.a that AC Members Elected by GA Must Be from Different Presbyteries,” back to Pacific Northwest Presbytery. The vote was 121-10.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 11 from Ohio Presbytery, “Amend RAO 4-21.d to Require Assessment Data from MNA,” in the affirmative as amended. The vote was 104-18-4.

The committee voted to recommend referring Overture 32, “Amend RAO 14-3 for the Review of Committee and Agency Standing Rules and Manuals,” back to Westminster Presbytery. The vote was 125-2.

The committee recommended to refer Overtures 17-26, 30, 49, 58, 64, 68, 82, 84, 85, 31, and 60 back to their presbyteries. The vote was 102-28.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 1 from Potomac Presbytery, “Amend BCO 23-1 on Associate/Assistant Pastors Succeeding Senior Pastor,” in the negative. The vote was 95-32-3.

The committee voted to recommend answering Overture 39 from Central Florida Presbytery, “Amend BCO 22 to Affirm the Consent of the Governed for Assistant Pastors,” in the negative. The vote was 105-21-1.

The committee voted to recommend referring Overtures 55 and 90 back to the bodies that sent them. The vote was 116-13.