Report from Pastor Eric
Last week, the 48th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America met in St. Louis, Missouri. This assembly had been postponed from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite continuing concerns about the pandemic, it was the largest assembly in our denominational history, with over 2,000 commissioners registered to attend. Every church may send its pastors (TEs) and at least two ruling elders (REs) to represent it before the assembly. Each presbytery (there are 88) sends its own representatives to serve on committees of commissioners that meet just prior to the assembly. I joined Pastor Bryce Waller along with ruling elders Barry McBee and Joshua Torrey to represent Redeemer at this year’s assembly.
The assembly has always been a combination of family reunion, business meeting, and old-fashioned convention. The assembly only formally met for three days (Tuesday evening through Thursday evening). There were three worship services featuring sermons from Howie Donahoe (a ruling elder from Pacific Northwest Presbytery and the moderator of the 47th General Assembly), Russ Whitfield (a pastor and professor at our denominational seminary, Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis), and Abraham Cho (a pastor in New York Metro Presbytery). There was also a concert featuring Sandra McCracken and her band on Thursday evening. There were many seminars on issues of faith and culture held over the three days. There was an exhibit hall featuring seminaries, publishers, missionaries, and church programs. Many different groups—including our foreign missions agency (Mission to the World) and Reformed Theological Seminary—held lunches and dinners for interested participants or alumni during the week. It wasn’t unusual to see the hotel lobby packed with people catching up late into the night.
All four of us from Redeemer were asked to serve on different assembly committees:
- I was asked to serve on the Overtures Committee.
- Bryce was asked to serve on the Interchurch Relations Committee (dealing with our relationships with other like-minded denominations).
- Barry was asked to serve on the Covenant College Committee (helping to provide oversight to our denomination’s undergraduate college).
- Joshua was asked to serve on the Committee on Discipleship Ministry (the creator and publisher of resources for various ministries and small groups).
The Overtures Committee met for most of the day Monday and Tuesday. We were called back into session for half the day on Wednesday. The Overtures Committee handles most of the overtures (or requests for action) that are sent to the assembly by the presbyteries. These overtures range from the very technical (asking to change the boundaries of a specific presbytery) to the somewhat controversial (asking to prohibit candidates for ministry who identify as having same sex attraction). My flight to St. Louis was delayed on Monday, so I joined the Overtures Committee halfway through its first day of work.
After participating in our congregational conversation on the overtures and researching each overture myself, I felt very prepared to serve on the Overtures Committee. I was glad to serve alongside our former pastor David Cassidy (now in Florida) and other colleagues from around the nation, including Howie Donahoe, the former moderator, and Fred Greco, a pastor in Katy, Texas. Howie and Fred are very adept at Robert’s Rules of Order and helped move the business of the Overtures Committee along.
The Overtures Committee is the only place where unhindered debate about the overtures can occur. Each overture that comes before the committee can be accepted as is, accepted as amended (sometimes the amendments are substantial), sent back to the presbytery that submitted it for further refinement, referred to another denominational agency (like the Standing Judicial Commission, our church’s “Supreme Court”), or rejected. The Overtures Committee then reports to the General Assembly. The assembly can only accept, reject, or refer an overture back to the committee for reconsideration. Debate on the floor of the assembly is limited. By the time some of the overtures reached the floor of the assembly it was after 12:00 a.m. early Friday morning. There was little interest in debate by that point and some important overtures—that were discussed at length in the committee—received very little attention from tired and frustrated commissioners.
Forty-seven overtures were submitted to the assembly over the last two years (those submitted in 2020 rolled over to 2021). The Overtures Committee handled 35 overtures (the rest were assigned to other committees, like Mission to the World or Mission to North America). You can read about all the overtures at https://pcaga.org/resources/#overtures. I’ll focus on just a few of the overtures that received the most attention before and during the assembly.
- Overtures 45, 46, and 48 asked the assembly to seek the flourishing of Asian Americans in our churches and to repudiate anti-Asian racism. They were answered by reference to overture 48, which was for our Asian American brothers and sisters. It passed easily in the committee and the assembly, but provoked some frustration from several Korean American commissioners who did not feel like the assembly understood or appreciated their concerns. Korean Americans make up approximately 20% of the PCA, but almost all of our recent actions on race have been focused on African Americans, who account for less than 3% of the church. I suspect that there will be additional attempts in future years to address ongoing concerns and frustrations among the Asian American pastors and churches in the denomination.
- Overtures 32, 36, 43, and 47 asked the assembly to approve new study committees on biblical ethics in digital media, white supremacy, and critical race theory. The point was made in the Overtures Committee as well as on the floor of the assembly that there have been more study committees in the last five years than in the prior 20 years. Citing “study committee fatigue” and not finding any of these topics necessary for the Administrative Committee of the denomination to spend tens of thousands of dollars on, each of the overtures was overwhelmingly rejected in committee and at the assembly.
- Several overtures seeking to change the way we conduct church discipline were either referred back to the presbyteries that submitted them for further refinement or were referred to the Standing Judicial Commission for advice. They will probably return next year to the 49th General Assembly. These include overtures 12, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 34, 35, 40, and 41.
- Four overtures tackled the difficult issue of same sex attracted ministers and candidates for ministry: 16, 23, 37, 38. Although these issues have generated significant controversy in the denomination, the debate in the committee was respectful and helpful to me. I had planned to vote in favor of overtures 37 and 38 and reject or refer overtures 16 and 23 to our vote on 37 and 38. Due, however, to the order in which our chairman took up each overture and the debate itself, I was persuaded to vote in favor of Overture 23 (in addition to 37 and 38). Overture 16 was answered by reference to overtures 37 and 38. Each of these overtures passed with a comfortable majority. We were informed, however, that a minority report would be developed for both overtures 23 and 37. Minority reports are given when those who lose a vote in committee wish the assembly to hear a different view, with the hope that their view will prevail on the floor of the assembly. Late Tuesday evening, we received an email from our committee chairman informing us that the committee was being recalled to reconsider Overture 23. A group of pastors and elders had worked to arrive at a compromise to avoid a minority report on Overture 23. The compromise language was debated and amended. It passed the committee by an even greater margin (106-12-0) than the original vote.
The language of overtures 23 and 37 reads as follows:
- Overture 23: Officers in the Presbyterian Church in America must be above reproach in their walk and Christlike in their character. Those who profess an identity (such as, but not limited to, “gay Christian,” “same sex attracted Christian,” “homosexual Christian,” or like terms) that undermines or contradicts their identity as new creations in Christ, either by denying the sinfulness of fallen desires (such as, but not limited to, same sex attraction), or by denying the reality and hope of progressive sanctification, or by failing to pursue Spirit-empowered victory over their sinful temptations, inclinations, and actions are not qualified for ordained office.
- Overture 37: In the examination of the candidate’s personal character, the presbytery shall give specific attention to potentially notorious concerns, such as but not limited to relational sins, sexual immorality (including homosexuality, child sexual abuse, fornication, and pornography), addictions, abusive behavior, racism, and financial mismanagement. Careful attention must be given to his practical struggle against sinful actions, as well as to persistent sinful desires. The candidate must give clear testimony of reliance upon his union with Christ and the benefits thereof by the Holy Spirit, depending on this work of grace to make progress over sin (Psalm 103:2-5, Romans 8:29) and to bear fruit (Psalm 1:3; Gal. 5:22-23). While imperfection will remain, he must not be known by reputation or self-profession according to his remaining sinfulness , but rather by the work of the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 6:9-11). In order to maintain discretion and protect the honor of the pastoral office, Presbyteries are encouraged to appoint a committee to conduct detailed examinations of these matters and to give prayerful support to candidates.
Parallel language is found in Overture 37 with respect to the examination of candidates for ruling elder and deacon.
All the work of the Overtures Committee was upheld by the assembly. Overtures 23 and 37, however, continued to generate concern. Even though the committee had voted overwhelmingly for the compromise language of Overture 23, a number of commissioners objected to language in both overtures about “professing an identity” with regard to same sex attraction, finding that language imprecise and potentially confusing. Some commissioners were particularly troubled by the language in Overture 37 that made reference to someone’s reputation, arguing that in the current social media context it would be impossible to avoid a tarnished reputation. I was persuaded during the Overtures Committee meeting that both overtures were helpful—not perfect and probably subject to revisions in the future, but helpful in our current cultural climate.
Other decisions by the assembly strengthened the “conservative” bent of the proceedings:
- A presbytery’s right to restrict the ability of a pastor to teach in line with an exception granted him was upheld by the assembly, even though the committee in charge of the issue recommended that the pastor’s right to preach and teach be unfettered.
- Our foreign missions agency, Mission to the World, was instructed to give only ordained elders “line authority” over church planting or church development ministry.
It was obvious to me—from the “mood” of the Overtures Committee, to the early votes on the floor of the assembly, to conversations with friends from around the country—that many commissioners to the assembly had come to take a strong stand against what they perceived to be a liberal drift in the denomination. It was also obvious to me by the overwhelming votes and even by the arguments of those in opposition to overtures 23 and 37 that the PCA continues to be a very conservative and biblical denomination. There are questions about terminology, about the nature of temptation, and the need to be honest about areas of ongoing temptation, but no one in the PCA is arguing for homosexual ordination, nor am I worried that the denomination as a whole is drifting “leftward” into theological liberalism.
As we continue to debate these issues, I hope that we can take the hard but necessary stances to protect biblical orthodoxy, while at the same time showing real love, compassion, and grace toward sinners of every stripe (among whom we should all say, “I am chief”). This careful balance was demonstrated by the authors of our study committee report on human sexuality, which was received and commended at this assembly (Overture 38). It was also demonstrated by the compromise language on Overture 23 that was presented to the assembly after some hard work among commissioners between sessions.
So, what comes next? All the amendments to our Book of Church Order will now go to the presbyteries, where they will be debated and voted upon. Each amendment needs to be approved by two-thirds of the presbyteries in order to proceed to the 49th General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala., where they must be approved again by the commissioners in order to be implemented. I suspect that before the next General Assembly, new overtures will be submitted that will continue the argument around the issues of same sex attraction. Some will ask us to further strengthen our stance, while others will try to fix problems they see with overtures 23 and 37. I also predict that the 49th General Assembly will be as large or larger than this year’s assembly. Until some of these hot button issues are settled, I think there will be intense interest from churches across the nation to ensure that the denomination stays “faithful to the Scriptures, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission.”