» News: PCA General Assembly Day 2

Will be blogging in this spot throughout the day.

10:30 a.m. - Today began with the singing of "The Church's One Foundation"

10:39 a.m. - Report of the Stated Clerk, Roy Taylor - annual membership growth rate of 1%, but many presbyteries do not report statistics. We now have churches in all 50 States.

10:44 a.m. - Now Taylor is talking about overtures. There is no commissioner's handbook PDF online as far as we have been able to see, but we will post a link if such is posted.

10:59 a.m. - Term limits for SJC members was defeated

11:02 a.m. - Discussing overture #7 (PDF) - it passed. Overture #8 (PDF) passed. All the overtures can be read here.

11:09 a.m. - Passed a few recommendations all at once in omnibus fashion. Prayer now for fraternal delegates from other churches to speak.

11:12 a.m. - Rev. Jack Sawyer, OPC (Pineville, LA) speaks to the assembly as fraternal delegate. OPC has grown by 2% this year. OPC will be receiving a report on illegal immigration at its GA this week. OPC also received a report on the Federal Vision / NPP and it is available in pamphlet form. Sawyer expresses the OPC's interest in the PCA's deliberation of the Federal Vision issue. Sawyer also memorialized a few ministers who passed away this year.

11:20 a.m. - URCNA Minister to speak - a Pastor Freswick of Bethany United Reformed Church, Wyoming MI. URCNA will be seeking to find a way to reciprocate fraternal relations with the PCA, though its rules do not currently allow this. URCNA Synod in early July will consider union with Canadian Reformed Church and will also consider a Federal Vision report. He is now speaking against paedocommunion and wondering why the PCA FV report contains nothing about paedocommunion. He praised the PCA's proposed report as well. Paul Gilchrist, of the Interchurch Relations Committee commended the PCA's previous report on paedocommunion to the URCNA delegate stating we were 'way ahead' on the issue.

11:28 a.m. - Presbyterian Church of Brazil representative, David Gomez, speaking to the assembly... 4% growth per year of Presbyterian Church in Brazil, and they now have nine seminaries and one post-graduate theological institution. Sending missionaries to 28 countries around the world.

11:35 a.m. - Korean Presbyterian Church representative speaking, Kim In-hwan, President of Chongshin Seminary.

11:42 a.m. - Rev. James Holland, EPC representative speaks and brings fraternal greetings. Their assembly meets next week.

11:44 a.m. - Brief introductions of other fraternal delegates. End of Interchurch Relations Report. (Some laughter about a "false fire alarm" notification that came through the PA system from the facility)

11:49 a.m. - Prayer and recess for Lunch

(Note: It isn't our intent to "live blog" the entire General Assembly, but we will update pretty frequently throughout each day.)