Thursday, June 18, 2009
That's it.
Although there's some business left to conduct (committee of thanks, etc), for all intents and purposes, the 37 General Assembly is over. Feel free to comment with questions about anything I've reported. Thanks to those that were following along. I'm glad I could help!
Overture #6
We are now addressing the supplemental report of the committee with respect to #6 from earlier today.
The concern here is that we tighten up our constitution to protect our pastors and churches from legal action with regard to marriage between same sex couples. It was recommitted to the committee earlier because it was felt that the language of the overture did not adequately address what most felt to be a legitimate problem. By sending it back to the committee to perfect the language, we were able to avoid putting it off another year. The committee has proposed some very good amendments to the BCO in order to address the issue properly. We will vote momentarily.
The new recommendation of the committee is that the overture be affirmed with the stated amendments to the original overture. This will not grant constitutional authority to the section in question, but will provided the desired protection.
There was a question as to the approval process. Normally BCO changes must go down to the Presbyteries and come back next year. The Moderator ruled it does not in this case. The ruling of the moderator has been challenged and it will now go to a vote.
The chair was sustained. It now goes to a vote.
A 2/3 vote is required in order for the overture to pass.
There was a motion to recommit this to the committee.
After much debate, the question was called and defeated.
We are now debating the original question.
The committee's motion has passed with the required 2/3 majority.
The concern here is that we tighten up our constitution to protect our pastors and churches from legal action with regard to marriage between same sex couples. It was recommitted to the committee earlier because it was felt that the language of the overture did not adequately address what most felt to be a legitimate problem. By sending it back to the committee to perfect the language, we were able to avoid putting it off another year. The committee has proposed some very good amendments to the BCO in order to address the issue properly. We will vote momentarily.
The new recommendation of the committee is that the overture be affirmed with the stated amendments to the original overture. This will not grant constitutional authority to the section in question, but will provided the desired protection.
There was a question as to the approval process. Normally BCO changes must go down to the Presbyteries and come back next year. The Moderator ruled it does not in this case. The ruling of the moderator has been challenged and it will now go to a vote.
The chair was sustained. It now goes to a vote.
A 2/3 vote is required in order for the overture to pass.
There was a motion to recommit this to the committee.
After much debate, the question was called and defeated.
We are now debating the original question.
The committee's motion has passed with the required 2/3 majority.
Overture #5
We are now addressing Overture 5 which the committee recommends be answered with reference to the decision just made on #10.
This has passed and #5 is answered in the negative.
This has passed and #5 is answered in the negative.
Overtures 5 and 10
(I will update this post as things unfold)
The committee has recommended that #10 be answered in the negative.
David Coffin has moved that the report be approved.
EJ Nusbaum has made a motion that we receive the minority report.
Mr. Coffin is now speaking for the committee report against the minority report.
Mr. Nusbaum is now speaking for the minority report.
Mr. Coffin is now rebutting.
The matter is now open for floor debate.
An argument was made that the minority report is our of order. This was rejected by the moderator. [By the way, I should have reported that Brad Bradley recused himself from the chair for this debate since he has signed the minority report]
The question was called, but the moderator said it was out of order. 60 minutes is provided for floor debate and it cannot be ended early by calling the question. We have roughly ten more minutes of debate remaining (up to about 3 pm). However, the Assembly may vote more time.
Among the many speaking for and against the minority report, Brian Habig is currently arguing for the minority report.
Debate has now ended. Mr. Coffin is now making his closing argument.
We are now voting.
This is going to be close! Division has been called.
There will be a vote count.
The minority report has been rejected by the Assembly by a vote of 446 to 427. How's that for close!
We are now voting on the committee report. It has passed. There will not be a study committee.
The committee has recommended that #10 be answered in the negative.
David Coffin has moved that the report be approved.
EJ Nusbaum has made a motion that we receive the minority report.
Mr. Coffin is now speaking for the committee report against the minority report.
Mr. Nusbaum is now speaking for the minority report.
Mr. Coffin is now rebutting.
The matter is now open for floor debate.
An argument was made that the minority report is our of order. This was rejected by the moderator. [By the way, I should have reported that Brad Bradley recused himself from the chair for this debate since he has signed the minority report]
The question was called, but the moderator said it was out of order. 60 minutes is provided for floor debate and it cannot be ended early by calling the question. We have roughly ten more minutes of debate remaining (up to about 3 pm). However, the Assembly may vote more time.
Among the many speaking for and against the minority report, Brian Habig is currently arguing for the minority report.
Debate has now ended. Mr. Coffin is now making his closing argument.
We are now voting.
This is going to be close! Division has been called.
There will be a vote count.
The minority report has been rejected by the Assembly by a vote of 446 to 427. How's that for close!
We are now voting on the committee report. It has passed. There will not be a study committee.
Back in session
We are back in session and are approving the floor nominations to various committees.
Once we're done with this, we should return to overtures. I'm not sure if we'll take Overture 6 or 5 and 10 first.
The Minority Report re: Overture 10 reads as follows:
Recommended that the Assembly answer Overture 10 (as amended) in the affirmative. The amended overture, (with the amendments in bold, italics underlined [I'm just bolding and italicizing them in yellow- mtb]) is as follows:
Be it resolved that the 37th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America authorize the Moderator to appoint a study committee representing the diversity of opinion within the PCA, including up to two advisory members who may be women, to study and report to the General Assembly in the form of a pastoral letter that the General Assembly could choose to commend to the presbyteries for their study. This pastoral letter should address the following questions:
1) What sorts of roles may women fill in the life of the church that are faithful to the Scriptures?
2) Strike
3) With respect to (1) above, what elements of organization and accountability to ordained leadership can be commended to PCA churches that are consistent with the BCO?
4) Strike
We are now swearing in the nominees, so overtures should be coming right up...
EDIT: Among the names on the minority report: Kevin Twit, Brad Bradley, Bryan Chapell, Jeffrey Meyers, David Clelland, and EJ Nusbaum.
Once we're done with this, we should return to overtures. I'm not sure if we'll take Overture 6 or 5 and 10 first.
The Minority Report re: Overture 10 reads as follows:
Recommended that the Assembly answer Overture 10 (as amended) in the affirmative. The amended overture, (with the amendments in bold, italics underlined [I'm just bolding and italicizing them in yellow- mtb]) is as follows:
Be it resolved that the 37th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America authorize the Moderator to appoint a study committee representing the diversity of opinion within the PCA, including up to two advisory members who may be women, to study and report to the General Assembly in the form of a pastoral letter that the General Assembly could choose to commend to the presbyteries for their study. This pastoral letter should address the following questions:
1) What sorts of roles may women fill in the life of the church that are faithful to the Scriptures?
2) Strike
3) With respect to (1) above, what elements of organization and accountability to ordained leadership can be commended to PCA churches that are consistent with the BCO?
4) Strike
We are now swearing in the nominees, so overtures should be coming right up...
EDIT: Among the names on the minority report: Kevin Twit, Brad Bradley, Bryan Chapell, Jeffrey Meyers, David Clelland, and EJ Nusbaum.
Overture 18
The committee recommended that #18 be answered in the negative.
The motion was passed with only one comment.
By the way, Dr. Ryken of 10th Pres Philly is the Overtures committee chairman.
The motion was passed with only one comment.
By the way, Dr. Ryken of 10th Pres Philly is the Overtures committee chairman.
Overture 14
The committee recommended that #14 be answered in the negative.
The motion passed without discussion.
The motion passed without discussion.
Overture 13
The committee recommended that #13 be answered in the negative.
The motion was passed without discussion.
The motion was passed without discussion.
Overture 9
The committee recommends that this be answered in the affirmative.
This passed with no discussion.
This passed with no discussion.
Overture 8
(All overtures regarding presbytery boundaries are handled by another committee).
The committee recommended that this overture be answered in the negative. With no discussion this recommendation passed.
The committee recommended that this overture be answered in the negative. With no discussion this recommendation passed.
Overture 6
The committee recommended that #6 be answered in the negative.
A motion was made to recommit the overture to the committee for perfection. This motion was carried with moderate discussion and so the motion will be recommitted.
EDIT: The committee will consider this during lunch.
A motion was made to recommit the overture to the committee for perfection. This motion was carried with moderate discussion and so the motion will be recommitted.
EDIT: The committee will consider this during lunch.
Overture 4
The committee has recommended that #4 be answered in the negative.
A motion was made to recommit the motion to the committee. This was motion was lost with moderate discussion.
The original motion passed with moderate discussion.
As a reminder #5 has been deferred (along with 10) to the end of the discussion.
A motion was made to recommit the motion to the committee. This was motion was lost with moderate discussion.
The original motion passed with moderate discussion.
As a reminder #5 has been deferred (along with 10) to the end of the discussion.
Overture 3
Overture 2 was ruled out of order by the Stated Clerk and the Committee.
The committee recommended that #3 be answered in the negative. The motion passed with only one question.
The committee recommended that #3 be answered in the negative. The motion passed with only one question.
Overture 1
The Committee recommended that #1 be approved with amendments. The motion was approved with moderate discussion.
Overtures to Come to Floor
We are way ahead of schedule. We are now beginning to consider the overtures. A brief recess is in effect until the "lolligaggers" out in the hallway can be called in. We will take the overtures in order, except for 5 and 10 which will be considered at the end. Due to the speed at which these things happen, I will not review the substance of the overtures. Instead, let me point you to the overtures page. I will reference them by number and give you the answer given by the Assembly.
Thursday in Orlando
Yesterday ended well. I attended the "Great Debate" between Ligon Duncan and Tim Keller on the role of women in Diaconate ministry. Keller did not argue for ordination, acknowledging that our standards are clear on that and that the proper means of discussing it is through the process of Constitutional Amendment. Instead, he argued for the place of women in a visible and recognized role in diaconate ministry (Commissioning, which our standards allow). I was a bit dissapointed that the practice of not ordaining men to the diaconate (a practice observed in a few of our churches which serves to establish equality between the men and women in diaconate ministry...you know: "If you can't bring the women up, put the men down") was not much addressed. But both men did well and Keller (surprise surprise) was very persuasive.
Thursday has started off well. I've just come from a seminar on Calvin's Doctrine of Creation by Sean Michael Lucas that was excellent. Between there and my seat here on the Assembly floor I ran into several folks who were either old friends or people I've followed through their blogs. In a few moments the Assembly will open with the singing of a psalm and then we'll get down to business. Today will be less informational type reports and more action related. In particular the Assembly will be voting on the recommendations of the Overtures Committee. As I said below, I'll be posting as often as I can today to update you on the outcome of the votes.
I would like to reiterate something said by both Duncan and Keller yesterday. In case you aren't aware, the issue before us today with regard to women is not actually (immediately) about the diaconate. The overture(s) is simply to establish a study committee on the role of women in the church. However, because of the various issues related to the deacon question, there are many motives behind voting for or against the study committee. So as Keller said, regardless of how the vote goes, let's avoid reading too much into it. Such a study committee may result in tightening our standards, for example. So let's not overreact. (Either with joy or fear!)
Thursday has started off well. I've just come from a seminar on Calvin's Doctrine of Creation by Sean Michael Lucas that was excellent. Between there and my seat here on the Assembly floor I ran into several folks who were either old friends or people I've followed through their blogs. In a few moments the Assembly will open with the singing of a psalm and then we'll get down to business. Today will be less informational type reports and more action related. In particular the Assembly will be voting on the recommendations of the Overtures Committee. As I said below, I'll be posting as often as I can today to update you on the outcome of the votes.
I would like to reiterate something said by both Duncan and Keller yesterday. In case you aren't aware, the issue before us today with regard to women is not actually (immediately) about the diaconate. The overture(s) is simply to establish a study committee on the role of women in the church. However, because of the various issues related to the deacon question, there are many motives behind voting for or against the study committee. So as Keller said, regardless of how the vote goes, let's avoid reading too much into it. Such a study committee may result in tightening our standards, for example. So let's not overreact. (Either with joy or fear!)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
How GA Works
The work of the Assembly is done largely in committee. We have standing committees that are staffed and work throughout the year. These committees are responsible for Covenant College, Covenant Theological Seminary, Mission to the World, Mission to North America, Reformed University Ministries, etc. Then we have committees that only meet occasionally, or perhaps even just a day or two before the Assembly. These committees, such as the Committee on Inter-church Relations, conduct the business assigned to them and produce a report. The Overtures Committee is another such committee, reviewing the overtures submitted to the Assembly and recommending action to the Assembly in each case.
Once the Assembly convenes, it consists primarily of receiving the report of each of these committees. Sometimes these reports are information only, giving us an update on the work of the committee (such as the "State of the Seminary" type address that Bryan Chapell is making now regarding Covenant Theological Seminary of which he is President). Other reports, such as the Overtures Committee, will make reports that require action on the part of the Assembly.
Today we have primarily received informational reports. Together they constitute a fairly comprehensive picture of the "State of the Denomination". Soon we'll recess for Dinner and then return for evening worship. Unless we get way ahead of the docket, we won't begin to address the Overtures issues until tomorrow. Keep reading here for updates tomorrow. I'll post results as each overture is decided.
Once the Assembly convenes, it consists primarily of receiving the report of each of these committees. Sometimes these reports are information only, giving us an update on the work of the committee (such as the "State of the Seminary" type address that Bryan Chapell is making now regarding Covenant Theological Seminary of which he is President). Other reports, such as the Overtures Committee, will make reports that require action on the part of the Assembly.
Today we have primarily received informational reports. Together they constitute a fairly comprehensive picture of the "State of the Denomination". Soon we'll recess for Dinner and then return for evening worship. Unless we get way ahead of the docket, we won't begin to address the Overtures issues until tomorrow. Keep reading here for updates tomorrow. I'll post results as each overture is decided.
Day Two Off to a Good Start
I'm in the Assembly Hall as I write, waiting for the Wednesday session to begin. I've just come from a seminar in which Doug Kelly presented a paper on Calvin and His Catholicity. The thesis was that "catholic" refers to far more than "universal", which is primarily a reference to the quantity of time and space (through all time and in all places). Instead (from the Greek kata- and -holos) means "according to the whole" and is a reference to quality more than quantity. In other words, the word catholic (which is certainly not properly applied to the Roman church), is a reference to that church and those people who are submitted to all of Scripture. We are not only Sola Scriptura, but Toto Scriptura. Not only Scripture Alone, but All of Scripture. It is this way in which Calvin used "Catholic", intentionally avoiding the application of the term to the Papists, who he did not think worthy of it. Not only is this Calvin's conception of "Catholic", but it is this concept - submitting all belief to the revelation of God contained in the Scriptures and allowing no other authority, which is the "vision" driving Calvin's work. Kelly opposed this to the once common belief that Calvin had an organizing principle (such as sovereignty, predestination, or the Glory of God) into and out of which all his thought flowed. It was a wonderful session. More later.
Oh! One more thing! Our denominational magazine has this headline this morning: "Assembly Elects Bradley as Moderator". I need to get that banner size to hang in my office. It's likely the closest I'll ever come to being elected!
Oh! One more thing! Our denominational magazine has this headline this morning: "Assembly Elects Bradley as Moderator". I need to get that banner size to hang in my office. It's likely the closest I'll ever come to being elected!
Day One Recap
In addition to the opening session last night in which Brad Bradley was elected moderator, I was able to eat lunch and dinner with a group of men involved in Turkish ministry. Several are Turkish pastors and the others are MTW missionaries. It was good to get connected with them and discuss Turkey (where I lived from 1988 - 90). The day ended late with some fellowship shared with other pastors in my presbytery. All in all, a good day.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Brad Bradley Elected Moderator of the 37th General Assembly
Brad Bradley is a ruling elder at Park Cities Presbyterian Church of the North Texas Presbytery where, among other things, he leads the work of the Southwest Church Planting Network.
GA 2009 - Monday
Hello from Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida!
Although the PCA General Assembly won't officially begin until this evening, much has already taken place. Committees meet on Monday and Tuesday morning and conduct business which is then reported to the Assembly throughout the rest of the week. Although all the committees are engaged in important business, the Overtures Committee is perhaps the one that receives the most attention from those following along. Theological controveries and constitutional amendments, for example, are brought to the committee in the form of overtures asking the assembly to act in a particular way. Yesterday two overtures (essentially identical) asked the Assembly to appoint a study committee on the role of women in the church. This request stems from the current discussion on women serving as deacons in either an ordained or non-ordained status. Both (being discussed together) will be sent to the Assembly with the recommendation that the Assembly NOT form this study committee.
[EDIT: A minority report will be filed with reference to the committee's recommendation on overtures 5 and 10]
Other overtures dealt with amendments to the BCO. While in most cases there seemed to be a concensus that these overtures dealt with legitimate issues, their proposed solutions were deemed insufficient to resolve the problem. Another overture asked the Assembly to send a letter to the President about homosexuals serving in the military. This one was resoundingly voted against with virtually no discussion.
As I type I'm sitting in the gallery of the Overtures Committee on Tuesday morning as they discuss/wordsmith the grounds for their votes (they send grounds to the Assembly along with their recommendations in order to help the Assembly understand why they made a given recommendation).
The rest of today will be pretty relaxed. I'll be attending a lunch hosted by the MTW team in Turkey, then sitting in on some seminars this afternoon. We'll meet together for worship this evening to officially open the Assembly.
Although the PCA General Assembly won't officially begin until this evening, much has already taken place. Committees meet on Monday and Tuesday morning and conduct business which is then reported to the Assembly throughout the rest of the week. Although all the committees are engaged in important business, the Overtures Committee is perhaps the one that receives the most attention from those following along. Theological controveries and constitutional amendments, for example, are brought to the committee in the form of overtures asking the assembly to act in a particular way. Yesterday two overtures (essentially identical) asked the Assembly to appoint a study committee on the role of women in the church. This request stems from the current discussion on women serving as deacons in either an ordained or non-ordained status. Both (being discussed together) will be sent to the Assembly with the recommendation that the Assembly NOT form this study committee.
[EDIT: A minority report will be filed with reference to the committee's recommendation on overtures 5 and 10]
Other overtures dealt with amendments to the BCO. While in most cases there seemed to be a concensus that these overtures dealt with legitimate issues, their proposed solutions were deemed insufficient to resolve the problem. Another overture asked the Assembly to send a letter to the President about homosexuals serving in the military. This one was resoundingly voted against with virtually no discussion.
As I type I'm sitting in the gallery of the Overtures Committee on Tuesday morning as they discuss/wordsmith the grounds for their votes (they send grounds to the Assembly along with their recommendations in order to help the Assembly understand why they made a given recommendation).
The rest of today will be pretty relaxed. I'll be attending a lunch hosted by the MTW team in Turkey, then sitting in on some seminars this afternoon. We'll meet together for worship this evening to officially open the Assembly.
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