This year continued a several year trend of encouragement. The GA continues to do good work to strengthen the PCA, and give us cause for great optimism.

This week was the 53rd General Assembly (GA) of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Over 2,000 Teaching and Ruling Elders joined in Louisville, Kentucky, to do the work of the Church. This involves debates over proposed amendments to our constitution, studious review of minutes, reports about ongoing ministry efforts, and much more. It is also a great time of encouragement and friendship, as we hear what the Lord is doing throughout the PCA, and we reconnect with so many of our brothers across the denomination. The 53rd GA was highly anticipated due to many factors, and at the end of the week we have much to be thankful for. Here are a few reflections from the previous week:

The Defeat of the Deaconess Overtures

One of the main reasons this GA was highly anticipated was due to a number of controversial overtures which were submitted over the past year. An overture is a proposition sent up from a lower court (often a Presbytery) asking the GA to change something within the denomination. These overtures had to do with the Diaconate, and were attempting to carve our provisions for women to serve in the role of a Deacon. This ranged from arguments calling for full ordination of women to the office, to broadening the acceptable practices, essentially allowing individual churches to decide for themselves.

These overtures were controversial because the PCA has had a settled position on this matter for the entirety of our existence. Our Church has believed that the two Biblical offices of Elder and Deacon are reserved for ordained men only. However, there have been some individuals and churches that have disagreed with this view, and have even sought to establish practices contrary to this position, often through arguments which relied on so-called loopholes in the Book of Church Order (BCO).

These so-called loopholes have been closed in recent years, which has resulted in these churches submitting overtures seeking to carve out space for their practices within the PCA. These overtures received great publicity, and many uninformed pundits online speculated that the PCA would fail to respond accordingly. No doubt, these overtures helped contribute to the high number of elders registered for the 53rd GA. Nevertheless, the PCA proved this week that it is not only healthy, but more than able and willing to dismiss attempts to change what are fundamental positions within our denomination.

The most controversial overture, O37, which sought the ordination of women for the office of Deacon, was defeated by a supermajority (115-14) in the Overtures Committee. It was defeated on the floor in similar fashion. Others which sought to a lesser extent to allow practices which have been done previously under the aforementioned so-called loop hole method were answered in reference to Overture 37, which is to say they were defeated under the same rationale. This was a strong rejection of these overtures and a clear affirmation of our historic belief and practice.

What remains now is to see how our brothers who submitted these overtures will respond. Some of them serve in churches where these practices have been instituted, without the support of our constitution, and now they face a difficult dilemma. While I am sympathetic to those who face difficult conversations ahead, much of this could have been avoided by simply not pursuing these so-called loophole methods. Regardless, they now face a choice of either changing their practices in submitting to the constitution to which they have taken vows, or seeking a new denominational home where their practices are affirmed and/or permitted.

Election of Mel Duncan and Fred Greco

This year we saw the election of RE Mel Duncan as the Moderator of the 53rd GA, and TE Fred Greco as the new Stated Clerk. These men represent perhaps one of the greatest encouragements from this year’s GA. Both have served the PCA for decades, and have proven themselves to be churchmen of the highest order. RE Duncan was a tremendous Moderator, and ensured our Assembly dealt with the largest docket in our history with great ease.

TE Fred Greco now assumes the role of Stated Clerk. He has demonstrated in his many years of service to be unmatched in his knowledge of parliamentary procedure and our polity. He has consistently served with fairness and love for the Church. His presence in the office of the Stated Clerk will be felt by the entire denomination, and will most certainly be viewed as one of the most important appointments in our denomination’s history. I pray he holds the office for decades to come.

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