» News: URCNA Blogger Reflects

A URCNA blogger - "Glenda" - discusses the recent URCNA Synod; her coverage includes details and personal reflections that will no doubt be of interest to RN readers. (HT: Heidelblog)

» News: URCNA Synod Begins Today

The URCNA General Synod begins today in Palos Heights, IL. Kim Riddlebarger blogs a preview of the issues he anticipates. We will report on Synod happenings as news is released.

» News: PCA General Assembly Overtures

Examining the recordings of the PCA General Assembly committee of Bills and Overtures, we may now report action on the following Overtures:

Overture 1 from Southeast Alabama Presbytery (to CCB & OC)
"Revise BCO 35-7 to Omit Transcript of Testimony" - NEGATIVE

Overture 2 from Presbytery of New Jersey (to CCB and OC)
"Delete 'or' and substitute 'the' in BCO 56-4.d." - NEGATIVE

Overture 4 from Westminster Presbytery (to CCB & OC)
"Revise BCO 21-1 Regarding Presbytery's Declining to Approve a Pastoral Call" - NEGATIVE

Overture 9 from James River Presbytery (to CCB & OC)
"Revise RAO 15-2 to Limit Service on Overtures Committee to Three Consecutive Assemblies" - NEGATIVE

Overture 10 from The Presbytery of Eastern Canada (to CCB and OC)
"Amend BCO 12-1 and 12-2 to Change Quorum Requirements for Session Meetings" - AFFIRMATIVE (with ammendments to perfect the language)

Overture 13 from Alexandria Presbyterian Church (VA), Rejected by Potomac Presbytery (to CCB and OC)
"Revise BCO 13-1; 14-2 to Require Church Giving to Higher Courts in order to Vote in Higher Courts" - NEGATIVE

Overture 14 from North Texas Presbytery (to OC)
"Resolution of Praise to God for the Ministry of TE Paul G. Settle" - AFFIRMATIVE

Overture 15 from Potomac Presbytery (to OC, CCB)
"Amend BCO 21-4, Paragraph 7, Regarding Teaching Approved Exceptions" - NEGATIVE (Vote: 58-1-0)

Overture 16 from Southeast Alabama Presbytery (to OC)
"Honor RE W. Jack Williamson" - (~ AFFIRMATIVE, already acted upon in the assembly, no need to vote)

Overture 21 - NEGATIVE

Overture 7 from James River Presbytery (to CCB & OC)
"Add 'from presbyteries' to RAO 11-1" - AFFIRMED

Overture 8 from James River Presbytery (to CCB & OC)
"Revise RAO 14-8.d and RAO 19-2 to Delete Oral Reading of Reports" - AFFIRMED

The following Overtures were not mentioned in the reports of the committees we have reviewed, and we will continue our attempt to find the outcomes. In the cases of Overtures 20 and 21, neither of these were included in the original list of overtures. Most of the remaining overtures below concern Presbytery configuration changes.

Overture 17 from Tennessee Valley Presbytery (to MNA)
"Change Boundaries of Tennessee Valley Presbytery"

Overture 18 from Nashville Presbytery (to MNA)
"Change Boundaries of Nashville Presbytery"

Overture 19 from Heartland Presbytery (to MNA)
"Divide Heartland Presbytery; Create Platte Valley Presbytery"

Overture 20 - ?

Overture 3 from Metropolitan New York (to MNA)
"Redefine Metropolitan New York Boundary" -

Overture 5 from New York State Presbytery (to MNA)
"Redefine Boundary New York State Presbytery"

Overture 6 from Philadelphia Metro West (to AC)
"Commemorate 500th Anniversary of Calvin's Birth"

Overture 11 from James River Presbytery (to MNA)
"Change Boundaries of James River Presbytery"

Overture 12 from Eastern Carolina Presbytery (to MNA)
"Change Boundaries of Eastern Carolina Presbytery"

» News: PCA General Assembly Continues

Part of the work of a General Assembly is the hearing of reports by the various ministries that are undertaken by the church. Yesterday, the reports of Reformed University Fellowship (WMA Link) and Covenant College (WMA Link) were received. Reformed University Fellowship is a campus ministry of the PCA that places an ordained pastor on a college campus to organize fellowship and discipling activities among college students. RUF attempts to integrate college students into the local church, and part of the presentation consisted of testimonies from students who benefitted from the ministry. This morning, the denominational seminary, Covenant Theological Seminary, presented a report (we will add link when the archive becomes available). Reports from the other broad ministries of the church both in the USA and abroad will be presented later today (Mission to North America and Mission to the World).

» News: OPC General Assembly Begins

The Seventy-Fourth General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) began Wed, June 13th at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa. David K. Thompson and Stephen Pribble will be providing updates, from time to time, at the OPC website.

» News: PCA GA, Day 2, Afternoon

We will blogging about the Federal Vision discussion in this space as it happens.

1:40 - Considering ammendment to SJC rules about making judicial briefs available to GA delegates so that they can understand the context of judicial cases. "new business" suggested by David Coffin. New Business was accepted.

1:44 - Ridge Haven Conference Center Report

1:51 - Report of cooperative ministries committee

1:53 - Singing a Hymn

1:54 - Streaker just ran by the camera (kidding - just checking you're awake)

1:57 - Paul Fowler presents the report, opens with prayer.

2:00 - Fowler introduces the committee members, calling it a "diverse" committee to which all the members contributed. He says, "This is a debate about what constitutes the fundmentals of our system of doctrine."

2:16 - Ligon Duncan defends the substance of the report, counters some common criticisms, including asking that the process objections be set aside in favor of the content

2:18 - Sean Lucas now defends the 9 declarations, characterizing them as relating to "fixed points" of doctrine vital to the standards.

2:30 - John White now presents the recommendations of the committee report and defends a focus on the standards.

2:43 - Discussion begins with George Robertson speaking for the report

2:45 - Speech against the report on the grounds that it does not exegete scripture - speaker is Larry Hoop

2:48 - Motion by Joe Novenson to delay the report for a year, add exegesis, add indications of the positive contributions of NPP, add 2 additional members who are sympathetic to NPP / FV

2:53 - John Day speaks in favor of the motion to delay

2:54 - Jeff Hutchinson speaks against motion to postpone, focuses upon other NAPARC denominations that have spoken to the issue already

2:56 - Paul Gilchrist speaks in favor of the motion to delay, based upon lack of scriptural exegesis - compares the report to the emperor who has no clothes - the report needs the clothes of exegesis.

3:02 (Missed a few back and forth) - now there is someone from GA speaking against the motion, defending the confessional focus of the report.

3:04 - Substitute motion to receive report yet allow the committee to add scripture proofs during the assembly - not allowed.

3:06 - Howard Q. Davis - speaks for the motion in order to heal perception of unfairness.

3:07 - Dewey Roberts - speaks against the substitute - calls it a "smokescreen" that the FV / NPP claims they are not fairly understood. Issue "is the most important decision we've ever had to make because it deals with the matter of justification by faith." Says "this error is insidious."

3:10 - David Cassidy - in favor of Novenson substitute motion

3:11 - Steve McGee - speaks against the motion, says body can affirm the existing report and then commission another report about biblical issues

3:13 - Jeff White - speaks for the motion, notes agreement with 9 declarations, but would like a more charitable report to aid peace and unity of church.

3:15 - Ken Clarke (sp?) - Speaks against the motion, calls this the "tip of the iceberg" and says urgency exists

3:16 - Joe Mullin - speaks in favor of the motion, appreciates the idea of bringing exegesis of scripture into the report in order to "undergird" it.

3:17 - R.C. Sproul - focuses upon justification, imputation speaks against the motion, the "purity of the PCA" is at stake. "This is the gospel that we're talking about, gentlemen." Motion is like "asking the accused to become members of the jury."

3:19 - Craig Higgins speaks in favor of the motion - quotes Schaefer about not "choosing between an orthodoxy of doctrine and an orthodoxy of community".

3:22 - Wes Holland - speaks against the motion. Urgency is needed, churches are being divided.

3:24 - Harry Long rises to make motion to address the first four committee recommendations by vote and give them time to "address the emperor" before ruling on the 5th recommendation. Motion is out of order.

3:26 - DeGraaf - "there are men standing at microphones .... not being recognized ... in the order" etc. Moderator explains balancing the for / against.

3:28 - Andrew Voelkel speaks in favor of motion - report does not provide Presbyteries any guidance on how to oppose FV - such as suggested study questions

3:30 - David Coffin - speaks against procedural motion - believes standards are sufficient, further exegesis is not needed, is "dubious" that there can be any credible expressions of "good things" that the NPP has to offer, finally argues against sympathetic members - uses analogy of inclusion of Arian on committee dealing with deity of Christ.

3:34 - Debate not extended. Motion to postpone going up for vote.

3:35 - Paul Fowler speaks to defend the report and advocates against the motion, pointing to the committee's faithfulness to its mandate.

3:37 - Vote on the motion with cards: prayer prior to vote. Motion to postpone: fails.

3:39 - back to main motion

3:40 - Tom Cox defers time to Microphone 10 - Dave Sarfolian Great Lakes Presbytery - speaks in favor of the study committee report to address allegations of the report's being railroaded through. Mentions Missouri Presbytery report as a previously rejected consensus report.

3:41 - Question whether the committee contacted FV men; response from Fowler is "no"; committee decided not to engage the FV until after the report, then after report's completion decided that further engagement not necessary. Defends focusing on written sources. Mentions reading blogs as well.

3:44 - Time expired, debate is not extended.

3:45 - Committee Report accepted by card vote. All rise to sing a hymn.

3:49 - Administrative Committee Report presented. We will cease liveblogging at this point for a moment in order to take a break.

» 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.)

» Discussion: This Summer's General Assemblies

Every summer reformed Christians turn their attention to Synods, Assemblies, Presbytery Meetings and assorted other outlets for pure Robert's Rules of Order-goodness. Personally, we here at RN are dying to learn what progress has been made towards the creation of a PCA logo. The PCA Historian is slated to give a report at the General Assembly, but when contacted for comment, remained tight-lipped about the "look" of the logo or even whether there would be a logo ready in time. What are you looking forward to in your denomination's summer meeting? What are you dreading? Click on the discussion link below to let us know. Be sure to include in your comments an indication of which denomination you're discussing so that other readers can nod in solidarity.