On Feb. 6, we reported on the progress of the 12 proposed changes to the Book of Church Order (BCO) the 49th General Assembly (GA) sent to the presbyteries for their advice and consent, based on the official tally of votes sent by presbytery clerks to the GA Stated Clerk’s office and an unofficial tally kept by Rev. Scott Edberg.
At the time, we noted that nine of the proposals had received sufficient support to be taken up for ratification by the 50th GA, one was certain to fail, and the fate of the remaining two proposals remained in doubt: Item 1, which would amend BCO 7 to disqualify from church office a man who describes himself as homosexual, was one negative vote away from being defeated, and Item 3, which would amend BCO-15-1 and 15-3 to bring the way presbytery judicial commissions function into conformity with the way other commissions function, needed only a few votes to be docketed for ratification.
In the intervening weeks, several more presbyteries voted: Item 1 was defeated and Item 3 received the necessary approval to move forward.
Here’s a brief recap of the procedure for a provision of the BCO to be amended. A proposed change must first receive a majority vote of a GA, then be approved by two-thirds of the PCA’s 88 presbyteries, and finally be ratified by a majority vote at the subsequent GA.
Based on the formal and informal information we have, the 50th GA will consider ratifying the following proposed changes to the BCO:
- The amendment to BCO-15-1 and 15-3 described above.
- An addition to BCO 8 adding chaplain endorsement requirements and recommendations.
- An addition to BCO 16 which specifies certain affirmations a man must make concerning sanctification in order to be qualified for church office.
- Additions to BCO 21-4 and 24-1 requiring that specific attention be given to potential notorious concerns when examining a candidate for church office.
- An amendment to BCO 33-1 and 33-4 which would require a two-thirds majority to administratively suspend a man from his office or a member from the Lord’s Table while under judicial process.
- An amendment to BCO 35 to allow provisions to protect victims who are witnesses in a judicial process.
- An amendment to BCO 38-1 to allow a person making his offense known to presbytery to be allowed assistance by counsel at any point in the proceedings.
- An amendment to BCO 38-1 and 42-2 to allow a person to appeal a censure imposed in a case without process.
- An amendment to BCO 42-6 to require a two-thirds majority to impose suspension from office or from the Lord’s Table administratively during the course of an appeal.
- An amendment to BCO 43-2 and 43-3 regarding the timing for considering a complaint