At its February 12, 2020 Stated Meeting, Evangel Presbytery approved an overture, asking the 48th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America to direct the Committee on Mission to the World (CMTW) to amend the MTW Policy Manual to include the following statement: “All MTW leaders in line authority over church planting or church development ministry shall be ordained elders.”

Evangel Presbytery’s overture is the second one, joining Overture 3 from Heritage Presbytery, to request Mission to the World to revise its Policy Manual to make clear that “all leaders over church planting or church development ministry shall be ordained elders.” Both Overtures 3 and 14 are responding to recently released proposed guidelines that “opened leadership positions with authority over MTW church planting and church development ministry to unordained men and women.”

The Presbytery stated as a part of its rationale, “CMTW’s ‘Statement on Valuing Women’ affirms ‘supporting and equipping our sisters in Christ as they exercise their gifts and abilities throughout MTW’s global ministry…’ This is a commendable statement. However, MTW needs a clear statement in its Policy Manual to ensure that non-elders serving with MTW are not placed in ecclesiastical positions of authority over elders, churches, or church plants. Such appointment would be unwarranted by Scripture, and may create an untenable crisis of conscience for both men and women serving with MTW in church planting or church development ministry.”

One of the Evangel Presbytery’s concerns is that the policy statement should be one that would requires any changes to the policy have to be approved by the PCA General Assembly. The rationale states: “Without a mandate that the MTW Policy Manual include a clear and unambiguous statement that ensures leaders in line authority over church planting and church development ministry be ordained elders, the revised ‘Guidelines’ could still be revised again, at any time, to permit non-elders to serve in these leadership positions without the approval of the General Assembly.”

An overture is a means by which a Presbytery can bring a matter to the GA for consideration. This overture will be considered by the 48th PCA General Assembly at its meeting in Birmingham, Ala., June 16-19, 2020.

OVERTURE 14 from Evangel Presbytery
“Revise MTW Manual

Whereas Mission to the World (MTW) is a committee of the General Assembly [BCO 14-1.12] and the ecclesiastical mission arm of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), and is not an independent parachurch organization; and

Whereas MTW is accountable to the PCA’s General Assembly; and

Whereas the written policy manual of MTW states the urgency and priority of Planting and  Strengthening churches as the priority for MTW 2.1.2; and

Whereas on September 27, 2018, the Committee on Mission To the World (CMTW) approved a “Statement on Valuing Women in MTW”; and

Whereas MTW subsequently proposed guidelines (“Guidelines”), dated January 9, 2019, to implement the “Statement on Valuing Women in MTW” that were distributed to MTW missionaries; and

Whereas the “Guidelines” opened leadership positions with authority over MTW church planting and church development ministry to unordained men and women; and

Whereas the “Guidelines” affirmed “there has been no MTW policy regarding women serving in these leadership roles…”; and

Whereas a Committee of Concerned MTW Missionaries has authored an extensive position paper raising their “serious concern” about the “Guidelines” “officially opening line authority leadership over MTW church planting and church development ministry to women and men who are not elders”; and

Whereas Evangel Presbytery and other presbyteries of the PCA are charged to provide spiritual oversight for ordained elders who come from within our bounds, but who serve under MTW [BCO 8-3 and 13-2];

Therefore be it resolved that Evangel Presbytery hereby overture the 48th General Assembly of the PCA to direct CMTW to amend the MTW Policy Manual to include the following statement: “All MTW leaders in line authority over church planting or  church development ministry shall be ordained elders.”

Be it further resolved that this statement be considered a “material change” to the MTW Policy Manual, and that any change or removal of this statement must be approved by CMTW and submitted to the General Assembly through the usual process of reports of the Permanent Committees and Agencies in accordance with RAO 4-21.j and RAO 14-11.d, f, g, h.

Rationale: CMTW’s “Statement on Valuing Women” affirms “supporting and equipping our sisters in Christ as they exercise their gifts and abilities throughout MTW’s global ministry…” This is a commendable statement. However, MTW needs a clear statement in its Policy Manual to ensure that non-elders serving with MTW are not placed in ecclesiastical positions of authority over elders, churches, or church plants. Such appointment would be unwarranted by Scripture, and may create an untenable crisis of conscience for both men and women serving with MTW in church planting or church development ministry.  After hearing the objections of the Committee of Concerned MTW Missionaries, PCA churches, and PCA elders, MTW subsequently revised the “Guidelines” to no longer leave open positions of leadership in line authority over church planting or church development ministry to women. This demonstrates the validity of the objections and the responsiveness of MTW.

However, without a mandate that the MTW Policy Manual include a clear and unambiguous statement that ensures leaders in line authority over church planting and church development ministry be ordained elders, the revised “Guidelines” could still be revised again, at any time, to permit non-elders to serve in these leadership positions without the approval of the General Assembly.  MTW is the ecclesiastical missions arm of the PCA, and our Lord has provided for the authority of the Church to be exercised by ordained elders [Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 5:1-4]. While service and advice should be sought from unordained men and women, they should not be the voice of authority in the Church.

Adopted by Evangel Presbytery at its stated meeting, February 12, 2020 21
Attested by /s/ TE Martin Wagner, stated clerk