By Scott Edburg | August 17, 2023 I may not be King Theoden from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and we are not on the verge of the Battle of Helm’s Deep, but I would like to make the observation that we in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) are beginning another significant event … More And So It Begins…
By Philip Ryan | February 24, 2023 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 For the second year in a row, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has sent down overtures regarding the sexuality of ministers to the presbyteries. Overture 29 presented to the 49th … More Mainline Presbyterianism & the LGBTQ Movement
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
By Jared Nelson | October 13, 2022 “Grassroots Presbyterianism” has become a common description of the polity of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The term generally communicates the understanding that the PCA has been a bottom-up denomination that was formed with a conscious effort to give more power to the Presbyteries rather than the … More Grassroots Presbyterianism & Amending BCO 34-1
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
By Scott Edburg | September 9, 2022 As the 88 presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) begin deliberations on the actions of the 49th General Assembly in Birmingham, their presbyters may be overwhelmed by the number of proposed constitutional amendments that must be considered before the 50th General Assembly in Memphis. There are … More Proposed Constitutional Amendments before the PCA in 2022
By Scott Edburg | April 26, 2022 How has the failure of last year’s proposed Book of Church Order (BCO) amendments regarding sexuality affected the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) so far? Some effects are more obvious than others. The most obvious effect to date is the attempt on the part of some presbyteries to … More New Overtures for a Pressing Concern
By Zachary Groff | January 19, 2022 (updated February 26, 2022) Following the 48th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) – ably hosted by Missouri Presbytery in June, 2021 – the 88 constituent presbyteries of the Church have received eight proposed amendments to the denomination’s Book of Church Order (BCO). Of the … More Watching the Amendment Process in 2022