2022 Proposals: The Case for Item 6 & Against Item 11

By Jacob Gerber | November 5, 2022 The Presbyteries of the PCA are currently voting on two Book of Church Order (BCO) amendments that are very similar: Item 6 (Overture 2021-20) and Item 11 (Overture 2021-21). In their final forms, both seek to require a 2/3 vote to suspend the official functions of an officer, … More 2022 Proposals: The Case for Item 6 & Against Item 11

Researching the Rationales of PCAGA49’s Proposed BCO Amendments

By Jacob Gerber | October 7, 2022 The list of Book of Church Order (BCO) amendments handed down to the Presbyteries from the 49th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is daunting. For a basic refresher on the amendments before us, including a breakdown of the votes that they received in Overtures and … More Researching the Rationales of PCAGA49’s Proposed BCO Amendments

Minority Reports, CCB, & the SJC – Part 2: Why This is Important

By Jacob Gerber | August 16, 2022 In my last article, I detailed the parliamentary rules[1] which require minority reports from the Committee on Constitutional Business (CCB) the right to be presented to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) for consideration. Further, I showed how our parliamentary rules for handling such … More Minority Reports, CCB, & the SJC – Part 2: Why This is Important

Minority Reports, CCB, & the SJC – Part 1: The Parliamentary Rules

By Jacob Gerber | August 11, 2022 Background At the 49th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the Committee on Constitutional Business (CCB) presented its annual report, which included the results of its review of the minutes of the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC), according to the PCA’s Rules of Assembly Operations (RAO): … More Minority Reports, CCB, & the SJC – Part 1: The Parliamentary Rules

Dissent, Response, & Concurrences in Speck v. Missouri Presbytery

By Scott Edburg | February 5, 2022 Earlier this week, byFaith Online published an article entitled SJC Answers Dissent in Greg Johnson Case. This comes several months after the majority made a ruling on a complaint against Missouri Presbytery that sided with Missouri Presbytery over how the Presbytery conducted an investigation of one of its … More Dissent, Response, & Concurrences in Speck v. Missouri Presbytery

7 Reasons Presbyters Should Read Dissenting Opinions

By Jacob Gerber | December 30, 2021 In the previous post, TE Zack Groff laid out a plan for understanding the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC) decision on Judicial Case 2020-12 (Speck v. Missouri Presbytery). As part of the post, TE Groff recommended that readers carefully consider the Dissenting Opinion drafted by RE Steve Dowling and … More 7 Reasons Presbyters Should Read Dissenting Opinions

Understanding the “Greg Johnson Case” Majority Decision and Dissenting Opinion

by Zachary Groff | December 28, 2021 Since the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC) of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) decided Judicial Case 2020-12 (Speck v. Missouri Presbytery) – a.k.a. the “Greg Johnson Case” – in October of this year, several official documents and unofficial commentaries relating to the decision have circulated the Internet. While … More Understanding the “Greg Johnson Case” Majority Decision and Dissenting Opinion