PCA's 32nd General Assembly, 2004
by Pastor Bob Burridge ©2004

This logo links to the 32nd General Assembly's audio/video archives. By clicking on it you can view the various worship times, reports and business sessions that took place this year.

The business of the 32nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America concluded its docketed business by the end of its after-noon session on Thursday eliminating a need for a Friday morning session. The summary which follows on this page reviews the business concluded during this year's GA meetings.

Index to the daily reports Tuesday: June 15th Wednesday: June 16th Thursday: June 17th

Tuesday: June 15, 2004
The Presbyterian Church in America Convenes:
At 7:30 pm the delegates and visitors to the 32st General Assembly of the PCA gathered for worship at the Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The theme of the Assembly is Rejoicing in the Sovereignty of God.
Mr. Joel Belz, the outgoing moderator challenged the assembly about the effective preaching of the word of God and its profound importance to the church.
The sermon was presented by Pastor Robert Drake of Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ashvelle, NC. The worship concluded with the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

The first business session followed worship at 9:20pm The clerk reported that 1252 delegates (885 Teaching Elders, 367 Ruling Elders) were present at the call to order.
The names of Pastor Dr. Peter Lillback and Pastor Dr. J. Ligon Duncan were placed in nomination for moderator. By ballot vote, Pastor J. Ligon Duncan was elected to serve as moderator for the 32nd General Assembly. He serves as Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi. Clerks and parliamentarians were also chosen to serve during this year's sessions. The assembly was adjouned at 10:05pm to reconvene at 8:00am the next morning.

Wednesday: June 16, 2003
Book of Church Order Change and Reports:
The morning session received updated statistics from the Stated Clerk, and approved the BCO amendment which had been sent down to the presbyteries from the last General Assembly. This change allows pastors to choose other biblical accounts of the Lord's Supper during its administration rather than only the quote from the Authorized Version of 1 Corinthians 11:24 which is used in BCO 58-5. Changes were also made in the handbook of the Standing Judicial Commission to allow for electronic means of communication in doing its business.
The assembly heard from the committee of Commissioners on Interchurch Relations, and from fraternal delegates from other denominations with which we have ecclesiastical relations.
Reports which were primarily informational were given by the Committees on Administration, Christian Education and Publications, Covenant College, Covenant Theological Seminary, Mission to the World, Misson to North America (which included a film about the 2004 Women In the Church love gift project), PCA Foundation (a video was shown about stewarship principles and opportunities), PCA Retirement & Benefits Inc., Reformed University Ministries, and Ridge Haven (a video was presented about the camps and their ministries). During this time personal resolutions were received.

The afternoon session began with the report of the Standing Judicial Commission. It presented the cases which reached resolution during this past year. The details of the cases was reported in the handbook for assembly commissioners.
The reports of the Committees of Commissioners on Christian Education & Publications, and Covenant Theological Seminary presented recommendations which were adopted unanimously in committee. The assembly adopted the recommendations by an omnibus motion. The Committee of Commissioners on Covenant College presented its recommendations which were all adopted by the assembly.
Concerns were expressed by a minority of the committee of commissioners on the Mission to North America about the means toward the agreed upon end to MNA's pastoral letter. They objected to corporate repentance of the denomination for racism whereas each one may not be guilty of the stated sin and cannot repent for the sins of another. They recommended the letter be sent to the presbyteries for their review before it is approved at the next General Assembly. The minority report was defeated and the majority recommendation was adopted.
The following committees of commissioners reported as follows:
PCA Foundation - all recommendations passed
Ridge Haven - all recommendations passed (including defeat of overture 5)
Retirement & Benefits - all recommendations passed
Committee on Constitutional Business advised the assembly in light of our PCA constitution and rules of operation regarding matters submitted to it. Its recommendations come to the floor from the committee unanimously. The following overtures were found not to be in conflict with our standards: Overtures 1, 2, 7, 8, 10. Overture 5 was determined not to be properly before the CCB. Overture 6 was answered with reference to a similar response to an inquiry from last year and creates a disenfranchisement of Teaching Elders who are not presently serving at the call of a local church. Overture 9 was found to be in conflict with the 2nd ordination vow. 6 matters of advice and concurrance were answered for the Stated Clerk. The minutes of SJC were reviewed. In response to constitutional inquiries the committee declined to take upon itself to define the scope of the term "papist" in our confession, and affirmed that presbytery actions are reviewable regarding their conformity to Scripture and our constitution. The proposed RAO change presented to them is now before the Bills & Overtures committee and the language has been changed to improve deficites in the form presented.
The Theological Examination Committee only had one need this year for examination of a man who had formerly been examined and approved. Other actions were more of an informational nature. The report was received without objection by the assembly.
The Committee of Commissioners on Reformed University Ministries submitted a unanimously recommended report which was adopted by the assembly.
The moderator ruled to revise the docket schedule to dismiss early and to reconvene for business at 9:30am on Thursday. The assembly adjourned at 4:18pm.

The evening worship sermon was presented by Pastor Arthur C. Broadwick of the Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah, Georgia. He challenged the assembly about the importance to the church of moral purity as a necessary fruit of regeneration. Officers and the people of the church must recognize the danger of such sins in their own lives and in the lives of others in the covenant community.

Thursday: June 17, 2003
Administration Issues, Overtures and Nominations:
The recommendations of the Committee of Commissioners on Administration began with the report of the Strategic Planning Committee regarding its findings about the future goals and plans for our denomination. Its findings focus on three primary areas of strategic concern. They are:
1. Engaging the Ruling Elders
2. Preparing the Next Generation
3. Organizing resources to better serve our corporate mission
Some parliamentary issues held up consideration as the assembly dealt with how the complex report should be handled. The report was recommitted to the committee to make improvement in its form so that it might be more clearly dealt with at our next General Assembly in 2005. Committee budgets, salaries and GA fees were approved. An amendment was passed that provides a 50% discount in the GA fee for ruling elders from churches with an income of less than $100,000.
The Bills and Overtures Committee reported on the many issues being brought before the court by way of overtures and by personal resolution.
Overture 1 asked to amend the BCO to require specific examination of all Ruling Elders and Deacons in their knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. After much debate the overture was answered in the negative. The reasoning of the committee of commissioners was that the requirement for all officers to know the Scriptures is implied already in the present wording of our standards.
Overture 2 was approved requiring the same procedure for dealing with close votes by a congregation in the election of ruling elders and deacons as is presently required for close votes in the call of a pastor.
Overture 6, restricting all higher court voting by Teaching Elders to only Pastors and Associate Pastors, was not approved.
Overture 7 was not approved. It would have added a congregation vow at the receiving of members by profession of faith. It was argued by the committee of commissioners that the congregation's support of each member is implied in the vows each member had already taken as a congregation member. The taking of an additional vow would be therefore redundant and imply a weakness in the committment each has already made.
Overture 8, deleting the age requirement for granting emeritus status for Ruling Elders and Deacons, was not approved.
Overture 9 came from Grace Presbytery. This is an attempt to clarify the still controversial "Good Faith Subscription" statement which was incorporated into our Book of Church Order last year after much debate. The overture was answered in the negative due to a need for improvement in the language and its impact upon other portions or our constitution.
Overture 10 was answered in the negative. It would have allowed more than one elder from the same presbytery to serve on the Standing Judicial Commission as long as one was a Teaching Elder and the other was a Ruling Elder.
Overture 16 from Missouri Presbytery addressed the issue of marriage and sexuality as it is being challenged in our civil laws. The Bills & Overtures Committee proposed that an amended version be passed, and that Overtures 12 through 16 and the related personal resolutions be answered by reference to this amended overture. As the motion came from the committee some changes were made and language from Personal Resolution #2 was inserted. The assembly adjourned for lunch suspending further discussion and the consideration of amendments to it until the assembly reconvenes.

When the assembly reconvened after lunch, it was moved to take up the last item of the recommendations of the Bills & Overtures Committee, then to yield to the orders of the day for the Nominating Committee's report before returning to the consideration of Overture 16.
Presbytery Records had proposed a change in the RAO to standardize certain issues relating to the recording of minutes by presbyteries. The proposed change was referred back to the Committe for the Review of Presbytery Records for perfection and presentation at the next GA in 2005.
By order of the day the Nominating Committee made its report and elections were held for members of the permanent committees of General Assembly.

Discussion of the proposed handling of Overture 16 (along with the overtures and personal resolutions referred to it) was resumed and an amended form of the proposal was adopted. Since major revision was made to the original overture and several changes were made on the floor, the final form is as follows:

Therefore be it resolved that the 32nd General Assembly:
a) Humbly call on the civil governments of Canada and the United States and all nations of the earth to act within their lawful powers and use whatever legislative and judicial instruments they deem most useful to ensure that marriage is legally defined and interpreted throughout their jurisdictions as existing exclusively between one man and woman. In support of this call the Presbyterian Church in America declares to the Church, the Nation, and the World that:
- God is truth.
- God's truth is firmly rooted and grounded in His immutable Nature and
Being; it is not a construction of men; it is not variable, nor relative, nor dependent upon social or cultural context.
- God has made His truth known to human beings most necessarily in the Holy Scriptures.
Among the truths that God has declared to human beings is the truth that the institution of marriage has been created by Him, from the time of the creation of human beings, and that it is ordained and defined by Him to be the lifelong union of one man and one woman (Genesis 1-3; Matthew 19:5-6).
God’s ordinance concerning marriage is binding upon all human beings in all places and at all times; it cannot be altered by legislative, judicial or cultural action. It is possible to deviate from God’s ordinance, but it is not possible to change it.
God has ordained civil authorities "under Him, and over the people, for His own glory and the public good" (Westminster Confession of Faith 33-1), to the end that good (as defined by Him) may be encouraged and defended and evil (as defined by Him) may be suppressed and punished.
"God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). God will hold those whom He has placed in authority accountable for their actions, and He has declared:

Woe to those who call evil good And good evil,
Who put darkness for light And light for darkness,
Who put bitter for sweet And sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And shrewd in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20)

b) Call upon the Presbyteries and Sessions of the PCA to strengthen the marriages in its own churches and exhort its elders to be bolder and more caring shepherds of Christ’s flock that we might help stem the scandalous rising tide of divorce in the church.
c) Call upon the Presbyteries and Sessions of the PCA to encourage all men and women, boys and girls within the PCA to live chastely for the sake of the Savior who bought them, whether in marriage or in singleness, whether they must do battle against heterosexual or homosexual temptation in seeking to be faithful to their Lord who loves them.
d) Call upon its members to be "the salt and light of the earth" in this context by exercising their full responsibilities as citizens including:
(1) Communicating the biblical faith of the PCA on this matter;
(2) Protecting and defending the biblical teaching on marriage, according to their own best judgment as citizens, in all spheres of public and private discourse.
e) And that these "calls" be communicated by the [PCA] Stated Clerk to all who have inquired and may inquire concerning these matters.

At 3:30pm the assembly was recessed for a ten minute break.

Committee on Constitutional Business replied to an inquiry sent to it regarding the Southern Florida question whether a Teaching Elder may serve as a trustee or as an officer of the church as a corporation. BCO 25:7 makes it clear, and it was approved unanimously by all committee members present, that it is unconstitutional for a pastor to serve as a corporeate officer or trustee of the local church. Teaching Elders are not members of the local church but of the presbytery. This protects the local church from the undue power of the higher courts. It was pointed out that this did not necessarily preclude a Pastor from serving as an agent of the corporation. The committee concedes that the provisions of the BCO do not clearly address every remedy to this concern.

With the rapid handling of business the consideration of the Committee on the Review of Persbytery Records presented its report which had been docketed for Friday morning. The review reports of the committee were approved by the body.
Concern was expressed that the Korean Presbyteries regularly fail to submit their minutes and to respond to exceptions sent to them by the review committee of General Assembly. Some Korean Presbyteries have not reported sinc 1994.
The committee's general recommendations were approved. South Florida Presbytery was commended for its cooperative and thankful response the previous advice of GA regarding the review of their minutes.

The Committee on Thanks read its resolution expressing appreciation to those who planned, hosted, led and implemented the 32nd General Assembly. The session was adjourned at 5:06 pm.

The evening worship time began with a concert at 7:00pm by New Song from Geneva College. The speaker at this worship service was Professor, Missionary and Author Dr. O. Palmer Robertson.

A brief business session followed the worship time. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America was adjourned at 8:45 pm until its re-constitution next Summer, June 14-17, in Chattanooga, Tennassee.