Next week (June 10-14) in Richmond, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) will gather for its 51st General Assembly. The theme of this assembly is “Knit Together”. This comes from Colossians 2:2, where Paul writes …that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ… After celebrating God’s faithfulness for the first 50 years of the PCA during our assembly in Memphis last year, this year’s host committee wants us to remember, as we look forward to the next 50 years, the foundational principles that unite us as a denomination. These can be summarized in the motto of the PCA which is Faithful to the Scriptures, True to the Reformed Faith, and Obedient to the Great Commission.
The General Assembly serves many purposes. It is a time for us to gather together and worship our great and gracious God, which we will do three times during the week. It is a time of learning, whether through seminars or through visiting the many ministry works represented in the grand exhibit hall. It is a time for encouragement as we hear reports about all that God is doing in this world. And it is a time for fellowship as we catch up with old friends and renew acquaintances which is why some refer to the assembly as the PCA’s homecoming.
But it is also a time to conduct the business of the church. Some of these matters come to the assembly from their committees (like RUF) and agencies (such as Covenant College). One special committee that is often a source of debate is the Committee on the Review of Presbytery Records, which I chaired this year. While it has a less than exciting name, this committee reviews the minutes of all 88 presbyteries in the PCA and brings recommendations regarding the ways presbyteries appear to have acted in contradiction to the Constitution of the PCA. While many of these errors are editorial in nature (presbytery simply forgetting to include they took a proper action), there are often several matters which rise to a level that the assembly must address particularly. This year is no different and I will be making that report to the committee at 9:30 am on Wednesday morning (prayers appreciated!).
The other way matters generally come before the assembly is by overtures, which are requests sent mainly from presbyteries asking the assembly to take certain actions, usually changes to our Book of Church Order. Here are a few overtures we will be considering this year:
Several overtures to amend BCO sections to require background checks for church office
Numerous overtures to make changes to the chapters in the BCO that deal with the rules of discipline. These changes mainly concern the process by which a trial is conducted by one of the courts (Session, Presbytery, General Assembly) of the PCA. One overture seeks to appoint a study committee to do a thorough review of these rules and propose changes.
A few overtures seeking to bring clarity to the ordination of elders and deacons as well as how teaching elders (pastors) transfer from one presbytery to another.
An overture to make chapter 53 of the BCO have full constitutional authority. Currently, the chapters in the BCO that are part of the Directory of Worship do not have this authority, which has been the case since the BCO was adopted shortly after the founding of the PCA in 1973.
Those are a few of the matters which we will consider during our time together next week. Saints, please continue to pray for the work of the General Assembly. And as I have reminded you in the past, please use discernment if you hear reports of what the assembly does or doesn’t do. All of us have various perspectives and biases we bring to these topics and that includes those who report on the assembly. If you hear something that concerns you, please let me know and I will be glad to discuss it with you. May God continue to bless the PCA and keep her faithful to the Scriptures, true to the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission.
