In finishing its work on Tuesday (June 19) the Overtures Committee passed the following recommendations to be presented to the General Assembly:

Overture 1 (from Western Carolina) and Overture 2 (from Northern New England) both asked that the Book of Church order (19-2) be amended to require licentiates to state any areas of the confession with which they hold difference, just as is required for ordination.  OC recommends approval of both.

Overture 3 (from Potomac) asked that the Rules of Assembly Operations as pertaining to the assignment of Overtures to various Committees of Commissioner be changed so that any overture, not matter the topic, that requested a change to the BCO and/or RAO be submitted to the Overtures Committee for their consideration.  With one slight modification, the OC recommends approval, and answers Overture 6 (Westminster) and 27 (Great Lakes) which had similar requests be answered by reference to Overture 3 (which means that the one response covers all three overtures).

Overture 4 (from Potomac) asked that the Rules of Assembly Operations as pertaining to Committees of Commissioners be amended to allow for such Committees to divide recommendations to be voted on by the Assembly by a 2/3 vote.  OC recommended approval.

Overture 8 (Rocky Mountain) asked that RAO 11-5 be amended to clarify the role and responsibility that each permanent Committee or Agency or ad interim committee has to propose recommended answers to overtures, and further the role and responsibility that Committees of Commissioners have in framing and proposing answers to overtures.  The OC recommended this be returned to the Presbytery for clarifications.

Overture 9 (Rocky Mountain) asked that RAO 14-9e, which states that recommendations from Committees of Commissioners cannot be amended on the floor by vote of General Assembly, be amended by adding a waiver of that prohibition by a 2/3 vote of the Assembly, thus allowing them to seek to amend the recommendation.  The OC recommends the overture be answered in the negative.

Overture 11 (Pacific Northwest) asked that BCO 20-3, 24-2, and 25-4 be amended to allow a Ruling Elder to moderate a Congregational meeting (in the absence of its pastor) in a church that is not his own, if he is elected by that congregation to do so (Teaching Elders already are allowed to serve in that way).  The OC recommends approval.

Overture 20 (James River Presbytery) asked that the assembly send a letter to the President of the Palestinian Authority concerning the plight of the Baraka 30 Presbyterian Church.  A motion was made to transfer responsibility for this overturned to the committee of commissioners on Mission to the world, but that motion failed.  The church, located near Bethlehem, needs action by the local government to be granted recognition as a church.  The OC recommends that the overture be answered in the negative, but calls for a time of prayer for the church by the Assembly.

Overture 28 (Great Lakes) asked for an amendment to the BCO to require first and second level employees (Coordinators, Presidents, Assoc. Coordinators, VPs, etc.) who are required to be approved by the denomination’s Theological Examining Committee to list differences they hold with the constitution, similar to those requirements for church officers.  The OC recommends it be approved.

Overture 31 (Westminster) asked that the BCO be amended to make it clear that only the court of original jurisdiction that pronounced excommunication on a member was authorized to restore that person.  Based on the advice of the CCB that the request, as worded, was out of accord with the BCO, the OC recommended that the overture be returned to the Presbytery.

Overture 34 (Southeast Alabama) asked that BCO 57-5 be amended to require affirmation of the Apostles’ Creed for all seeking membership in a local church.  The OC recommends that it be answered in the negative.

Overture 35 (Southeast Alabama) asked that BCO 5501 be amended to not require members to confess portions of the Westminster Standards as an act of worship but merely to encourage their use for catechizing the congregation, since members are not required to subscribe to the Standards.  The OC recommends that it be answered in the negative.

The final action of the OC was to approve the reasoning for their decisions, which is to be attached to the report submitted to the Assembly.  These will be part of the written report that is distributed to the Assembly at the time the committee reports.