Heritage Presbytery approved an overture at its January 25, 2020 Stated Meeting, asking the 48th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America to “amend the MTW Manual to clarify that leaders “in line authority over church planting or church development ministry should be ordained elders.”

Overture 3 is 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 overture states that 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 proposes an amendment to the MTW Policy Manual clarifying that “MTW leaders in line authority over church planting or church development ministry should be ordained elders.” As a part of its rationale, Heritage Presbytery stresses that “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.” And the overture also contends that this policy is in keeping with the principle that “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.”

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 3 from Heritage Presbytery
Amend the Mission to the World (MTW) Manual
to clarify that leaders “in line authority over church planting or
church development ministry should be ordained elders.”

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 not an independent parachurch organization; and

Whereas MTW is accountable to the PCA’s General Assembly; 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 Heritage 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 and13-2.];

Therefore be it resolved that Heritage Presbytery hereby overture the 48th General Assembly of the PCA to direct CMTW to amend the MTW Policy Manual to include the following statement:

MTW leaders in line authority over church planting or church development ministry should be ordained elders. In extraordinary cases where this policy is not followed, the appointment of an unordained man who exhibits the qualities of an elder is permissible, but must be approved annually by a three-quarters vote of CMTW, and there shall be a record of the reasons for such an appointment included in CMTW’s minutes that are submitted to the General Assembly.

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 5:12]. 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 Heritage Presbytery at its stated meeting, January 25, 2020
Attested by RE Conrad W Judy Jr., stated clerk