As the General Assembly resumed business on Thursday after the morning seminars, the first item of business taken up was the Review of Presbytery Records. It is the work of this committee to review records from the previous calendar year of all Presbyteries in the denomination. This is a long, arduous process and that committee now meets a month prior to the assembly to complete their work.

McKissic, who is black, said it was "an unfair comparison" for gays to equate same-sex marriage with civil rights because there is not incontrovertible scientific evidence that homosexuality is an innate characteristic, like skin color. "They're equating their sin with my skin," he said

A packed house of presbyters, many toting Bibles under their arms, could set them aside for the evening as entertainment was clearly the goal of the initial gathering.

Since the delegates (called messengers) voted by a show of ballot, no official count was taken. Baptist Press reported that "perhaps 10-20 percent of messengers voted against it." One delegate said he thought the percentage was more than that—perhaps as high as 40 percent.

He explained that his intention was not to change Young Earth Creationists into Old Earth Creationists. His desire was to have those who hold to a young earth at least understand that those who hold to an old earth do so for plausible reasons. He repeated his desire to remove a stumbling block to the faith that requires a belief in a young earth.

Our 202-year-old denominational seminary, RPTS, is looking toward faculty changes due to faculty retirement. This year we will vote on the proposed appointment of Reverend Barry York (Sycamore RPC, Kokomo, IN) as Professor of Practical Theology. Within the next five years, the synod will also be asked to nominate and approve a new President as well as a new Professor of Biblical Counseling

Dr. Ross is an author with a particular interest in church revitalization. He has authored two books Preaching for Revitalization and The Light of the Psalms: Deepening Your Faith with Every Psalm. And since 2002 when it began, Ross has authored the Bible studies for the PCA’s 50 Days of Prayer booklet.

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

Brad Atkins moved that the seminaries consider lessening their budgets slightly to increase the International Mission Board funding formula. I’d vote for it, but it ain’t gonna happen.

Emmanuel McCall, longtime director of black church relations for the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board, dates real progress toward racial reconciliation in the SBC to 1957, when the HMB—since reorganized into the North American Mission Board—hired Victor Glass as liaison with the National Baptist Convention.