Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the vote count on Item 2. 

The Constitution of the PCA consists of the Westminster Standards (the Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger Catechism and Shorter Catechism) and the Book of Church Order (BCO). While the PCA has never changed the Westminster Standards, the BCO has been amended several times. 

There are three steps to amending the BCO:

1. A majority vote of General Assembly must approve the proposed amendment. 
2. Then the proposed amendment is sent to the 88 presbyteries for their advice and consent. 
3. If two-thirds of the presbyteries (currently, 59) approve the proposed amendment it must be ratified by a majority vote of the subsequent General Assembly.

This past June, the 48^th General Assembly sent eight proposed changes to the BCO to the presbyteries. To date, just under half of these presbyteries (43) have reported their votes on at least some of these proposals to the Stated Clerk’s office. 

Here is the tally of what has been reported as of January 11:

Item 1 would amend BCO 12-6 and 13-4 to allow for Sessions and Presbyteries and their committees and commissions to meet by teleconference or videoconference. 

The proposal has been approved by 41 presbyteries; 2 presbyteries have voted against it.

Item 3 would amend BCO 20-4, 24-3, and 24-4 to require a majority of votes cast to elect pastors, elders or deacons, rather than a majority of voters present as is currently required. 

That proposal has been approved by 39 presbyteries; 4 presbyteries have voted against it.

Item 5, proposing an amendment to BCO 22-2, would allow an existing assistant pastor to be elected as an associate pastor by the congregation without the election of a pulpit committee. 

All 43 presbyteries that have voted to date have approved this proposal.

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

This proposal has also received approval by the 43 presbyteries that have voted.

Item 7 would delete the current BCO 32-20, which requires a church court to institute process in cases of scandal within the space of one year after the offense was committed; it also substitutes a provision that allows objection to consideration of a charge against a member if the time since the alleged offense occurred would make fair adjudication unachievable. 

35 presbyteries have voted in favor of the proposal; 8 have voted against it.

Item 8 would amend BCO 28-1 to clarify what may and may not be considered when judging an accused person in a case without process.  The proposal specifies that the mutually agreed upon written confession, which includes a sufficient summary of the facts, the person’s specific confession, and any expression or evidence of repentance may be considered, but no additional information, including information provided by individuals, prosecutors, committees, or commissions, may be presented without written consent from the accused and the court. 

42 presbyteries have approved this proposal, and 1 has voted against it. 

Proposals Generating Significant Opposition

Item 2 would amend BCO 16 by adding a paragraph (16-4) that would prohibit the ordination of anyone “who profess[es] an identify that undermines or contradicts their identify as new creations in Christ.” 

To date, 28 presbyteries have reported their approval of this provision, while 13 have reported their vote against it.

Item 4 would amend BCO 21-4 and 24-1 to require more extensive examination of the character of candidates for church office, calling particular attention to “potentially notorious concerns” and prohibiting the candidate from being known “by reputation or self-profession according to his remaining sinfulness.” 

25 presbyteries have approved this provision; 17 have voted against it. 

The following 43 presbyteries have reported their votes: 

Central Carolina has not reported a vote on items 2 and 4. Korean Eastern has not reported a vote on item 2.