On June 8th, the Overtures Committee dealt with four overtures. The committee:

• Recommended a substitute version of Overture 10 by a vote of 94-0-1. The overture called for the Assembly to memorialize a recently deceased teaching elder from Southern Louisiana Presbytery. The substitute language is posted here.
• Recommended Overture 1 be answered in the negative by a 78-13-2 vote. The overture was answered without prejudice and sent back to Pacific Northwest Presbytery for further consideration. The proposed recommendation called for portions of BCO 15-1 and 15- 3 to be modified to allow an individual presbytery to be given the additional option of appointing a judicial commission whose decision would be final.
• By a vote of 70-22-1, recommended Overture 3 be answered in the negative, regarding changing the parental questions in infant baptism. The overture called for the language in the final question to be changed to the following: “Do you now acknowledge that God in his providence has placed this child within the covenant family, and entrusted him/her to your care…?”
• Recommended Overture 7 be answered in the affirmative by a vote of 60-39. The overture called for all accused ministers to be required to testify regarding doctrinal issues. The committee agreed to this on doctrinal issues only. A minority report will be issued.
• Recommended Overture 8 be answered in the negative, by a vote of 57-30. The overture may be sent back to the presbytery. The overture proposed a reworking of the language in BCO 13-2, 34-10, 24-7, and 24-9 regarding teaching elders, ruling elders, and deacons without call.

Detailed grounds for each vote and amended documents will be posted as available.