The first two days of the PCA General Assembly have gone remarkably well…The successes of Wednesday do not guarantee the outcome of Thursday’s business.

While much business remains to be settled by the PCA General Assembly, the first two days have been full of accomplishments for the Old School wing of the PCA.

Tomorrow the Assembly will take up the Nominating Committee (NomCom) Report and the Overtures Committee (OC) Report. NomCom is perhaps the most important hour of General Assembly as the men who will supervise the Permanent Committees and Agencies for the next 3-4 year terms are selected.

This year again we should anticipate a large number of strong floor nominees as the Progressives seemed to have had an advantage at the NomCom meeting. The NomCom report begins promptly at 9:30 a.m.

Overtures Committee (OC)

The OC was chaired by RTS Jackson Dean TE Guy Waters who was perhaps my favorite professor during my time in seminary. He did a superb job wielding the gavel and steering the committee both effectively and fairly.

The OC seemed to have a clear majority of conservative elders, which was evidenced by the speedy rejection of women’s ordination. There remains no path to women’s ordination in the PCA. I presume in years to come, men in skinny jeans will continue to send up bad ideas to the General Assembly. While the PCA can’t prevent bad ideas from being sent up, this year the Lord has again blessed the PCA with abundance of elders who are committed to uphold the truth of the Scripture and resoundingly reject absurd ideas such as women’s ordination.

The OC also rejected several other changes to the Constitution aimed at ensuring the congregations are led by ordained men. The reason for this is the strength of our constitution as it exists: we already have the constitutional and judicial mechanisms to root out those who are seeking to place unordained people in positions of spiritual authority, which Christ has reserved for ordained men.

Moderator Election

Two men were put forward to serve as moderator. RE Jay Neikirk of Ascension Presbytery and RE Melton Duncan of Calvary Presbytery. Both men are renowned for their conservative, confessional commitments and their love for the PCA.

Interestingly, RE Neikirk was my mentor/overseer when I was a candidate of the Ascension Presbytery and a member of Hillcrest PCA during college and seminary days.

It is most remarkable that the “left” wing of the PCA did not even seem to proffer a candidate for moderator this year, so the Assembly was left to choose from two superb confessional churchmen.

The Assembly elected RE Duncan who has done a superb job keeping the Assembly ahead of schedule and his delightful demeanor has diffused numerous potential troubles.

Stated Clerk Elected

TE Fred Greco was unanimously elected to be Stated Clerk, to begin his term of office at the close of this year’s Assembly. Both interim clerk RE John Bise and now Stated Clerk-Elect Greco represent the very best of the PCA. They are men with strong confessional and Old School credentials.

The term of RE Bise was markedly different from his predecessor. RE Bise successfully delivered the mail, produced minutes, rarely spoke at General Assembly, and was a frequent visitor to the various presbyteries of the PCA to encourage them in their work.

We can pray TE Greco continues the precedent set by RE Bise: a clerk who is not a celebrity, mascot, or spokesman. But a clerk who simply encourages and facilitates the work of the church who keeps records, delivers the mail, and gives advice when asked.

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