Immediately begin to include a question to all candidates and transfers asking if they are in accord with BCO 58-5 in that it requires separate distribution of the elements.  Anyone who disagrees with that (i.e. believes in the practice of intinction) should make it clear that they hold a difference with the PCA standards….

The Session of Proclamation Church Presbyterian church in America (PCA) unanimously approved an overture dealing with intinction at their monthly stated meeting on February 12, 2013. The intent of the Session’s overture is to request Blue Ridge Presbytery to include questions on intinction in its theological exams for ministers transferring into the Presbytery as well as for those coming for ordination.

The request specifically asks the following:

Immediately begin to include a question to all candidates and transfers asking if they are in accord with BCO 58-5 in that it requires separate distribution of the elements.  Anyone who disagrees with that (i.e. believes in the practice of intinction) should make it clear that they hold a difference with the PCA standards and allow the Presbytery to decide on a case by case basis if that difference is merely a matter of semantics or if it should be considered an exception from the standards and then determine if it may or may not be taught and/or practiced.

Here is the text of the overture:

OVERTURE CONCERNING THE

PRACTICE OF INTINCTION

The Session of Proclamation Church PCA in Pulaski, VA hereby overtures the Presbytery of the Blue Ridge as follows:

Whereas, byFaith Magazine recently announced that enough Presbyteries had voted NO to a BCO change that would make clear that Intinction was not allowed to be practiced in the PCA, and

Whereas, a number of comments on both blogs and Facebook posts in recent days indicate some (perhaps many) believe that the PCA has given its approval to the practice, and

Whereas, the defeated proposal would only have added a clarification to the BCO for those who felt the language of the book was not clear that intinction should not be practiced.  Many who voted against the proposed BCO change did so because they felt there was no need for clarification; the book is already clear, and

Whereas BCO 58-5, which concerns the distribution of the elements, gives language for the distribution of the two elements of communion.  In a brief, one sentence paragraph between this language, the current and continuing language says this:  “Here the bread is to be distributed.  AFTER having given the bread, he shall take the cup, and say:”  (emphasis added), and

Whereas, the correct order still involves the distribution of the elements separately, not together, and

Whereas, it is the assumption that current members of Blue Ridge Presbytery (or its predecessors) joined on the common understanding that the BCO’s current language did not authorize the use of Intinction and thus did not list it as a difference upon entrance, therefore

The Session of Proclamation Church asks that the Presbytery of the Blue Ridge take the following actions:

1. Immediately begin to include a question to all candidates and transfers asking if they are in accord with BCO 58-5 in that it requires separate distribution of the elements.  Anyone who disagrees with that (i.e. believes in the practice of intinction) should make it clear that they hold a difference with the PCA standards and allow the Presbytery to decide on a case by case basis if that difference is merely a matter of semantics or if it should be considered an exception from the standards and then determine if it may or may not be taught and/or practiced.
2. Also immediately, ask all current Teaching Elders to indicate their understanding and practice of this section of the BCO to allow the Presbytery to make a similar decision in their case.

Adopted and approved by unanimous vote of the Session of Proclamation Church PCA at their monthly stated meeting held on February 12, 2013.

Attested:

Don K. Clements_/s/

TE Don K. Clements, Moderator

Adopted at February Stated Meeting

February 12, 2013