PCA 38th General Assembly Overtures 9 and 10

On with the women deacon (deaconess) overtures.  Three more have been entered into the books.  Overture 9 comes from Eastern Carolina Presbytery and Overture 13 from Westminster Presbytery is the same as Overture 2 from Central Carolina Presbytery. No need to go further with that since we have already covered it before. 

However, Overture 10 submitted by Northern California Presbytery needs to be looked at though.  So we will consider it here.  The following is the text of the overture.

OVERTURE 10 from Northern California Presbytery (to CCB & OC) 

“Amend BCO 1-4, 4-2, 5-10, 7-2, 9-2, 9-7 & Add a BCO 9-8 to Appoint Unordained Men and Women to Carry Out Diaconal Ministry”

Whereas the scripture is the only infallible and inerrant rule of life and practice, and has, in the New Testament in particular, set forth certain principles for the government of the church which include the ministries of both elders and deacons; and

Whereas the BCO recognizes these ministries and the men who carry out their work in terms of offices and officers, we affirm these shared commitments: men only may be ordained to offices in the church (1 Timothy 3), diaconal ministry is an important part of the church's mission and work (Acts 6, 1 Timothy 3, BCO 9), teaching and ruling elders are called to uphold the Bible fully within their churches and Presbyteries (2 Peter 1, BCO Preface II), Sessions are the authoritative court of local churches (BCO 4-3); and

Whereas various interpretations of the Bible have led to a variety of practices within the PCA over the course of its entire history with respect to diaconal ministries. These differences have led to confusion and division over these various interpretations and practices, particularly in recent years; and

Whereas local Sessions have always retained the authority to create, appoint, and oversee all biblically valid ministries within their local churches which are guided by unordained members of the church (BCO 1-5); and

Whereas there is a strong desire to hold firm to the essentials of our faith and practice as outlined in scripture and our confession, and the BCO should not unduly bind the conscience of a session seeking to structure its diaconate under the authority of Scripture (Preface II.7); and

Whereas these various interpretations of the Bible clearly exist within the PCA and it is desirable that the language of the BCO be more clear as it addresses the various practices of the organization and ministry of the diaconate. These changes will enable the current practices without opening the BCO to broader interpretation;

Now therefore, be it resolved, for the good of the church and the promotion of order and peace, that the BCO be amended in the following areas: [Additions bold and underlined; strike-though for deletions]

BCO 1-4. The ordained officers of the Church, by whom all its powers are administered, are, according to the Scriptures, teaching and ruling elders and deacons.

BCO 4-2 Its ordained officers are its teaching and ruling elders and its deacons.

BCO 5-10 If deacons are elected, follow the procedures of (1) through (5) above. If deacons are not elected, the duties of the office shall devolve upon the ruling elders.

BCO 7-2 The ordinary and perpetual classes of ordained office in the church are elders and deacons. . . .

BCO 9-2. It is the duty of the deacons to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress. It is their duty also to develop the grace of liberality in the members of the church, to devise effective methods of collecting the gifts of the people, and to distribute these gifts among the objects to which they are contributed. They shall have the care of the property of the congregation, both real and personal, and shall keep in proper repair the church edifice and other buildings belonging to the congregation. In matters of special importance affecting the property of the church, they cannot take final action without the approval of the Session and consent of the congregation. In the discharge of their duties the deacons are under the supervision and authority of the Session. In a church in which it is impossible for any reason to secure deacons, the duties of the office shall devolve upon the ruling elders. In a church in which deacons are not ordained, the responsibility for the oversight of diaconal ministries shall devolve upon the Session.

BCO 9-7. It is often expedient that the Session of a church should select and appoint godly men and women of the congregation to assist the deacons and/or Session in caring for the sick, the widows, the orphans, the prisoners, and others who may be in any distress or need.

[ADDITION: BCO 9-8] In a local church which does not have ordained deacons, the Session may appoint an unordained body of men and women to carry out diaconal ministry. They may care for the sick, the widows, the orphans, the prisoners, and others who may be in any distress or need. However, these men and women do not carry the same constitutional rights as ordained deacons.

Adopted by Northern California Presbytery at its stated meeting, March 5, 2010

Attested by /s/ TE Samuel Wheatley, stated clerk

I will name one positive about this overture and that is the submission of the overture is not for a request of a study committee (which does nothing substantial), but for changing the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America.  That is the positive.  It is the opinion of this writer that there are numerous problems with this overture.  I will not piddle with the minor things and so we come to the last 'Whereas' statement and we find:

Whereas these various interpretations of the Bible clearly exist within the PCA and it is desirable that the language of the BCO be more clear as it addresses the various practices of the organization and ministry of the diaconate. These changes will enable the current practices without opening the BCO to broader interpretation;

This statement puts practice before theology.  A horrible error.  If what we practice is different than the Constitution then we should broaden our Constitution so that we all fit in.  Really?  Shouldn't we conform to the Constitution and then if we desire to change the Constitution because we believe differently, then we seek to change it?  Following such a change then we can practice accordingly, is that not correct?  

But now what are the actual implications of changing the language of the BCO to what is being suggested?

By changing BCO 5-2 taking out that which is struck-through, "BCO 5-10 If deacons are elected, follow the procedures of (1) through (5) above. If deacons are not elected, the duties of the office shall devolve upon the ruling elders."  Put that with the change you have in BCO 9-2, 

 "BCO 9-2. It is the duty of the deacons to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress. It is their duty also to develop the grace of liberality in the members of the church, to devise effective methods of collecting the gifts of the people, and to distribute these gifts among the objects to which they are contributed. They shall have the care of the property of the congregation, both real and personal, and shall keep in proper repair the church edifice and other buildings belonging to the congregation. In matters of special importance affecting the property of the church, they cannot take final action without the approval of the Session and consent of the congregation. In the discharge of their duties the deacons are under the supervision and authority of the Session. In a church in which it is impossible for any reason to secure deacons, the duties of the office shall devolve upon the ruling elders. In a church in which deacons are not ordained, the responsibility for the oversight of diaconal ministries shall devolve upon the Session."  

I will try to sum up what is proposed.  Basically, changing the BCO as it is proposed would give each individual church the decision whether or not it wants ordained deacons  Do you see how they took out the language of 'impossibility' of securing deacons and made it a decision?  Yet Scripture doesn't seem to show that this is a decision that is to be made.  There is need for deacons in the Church (Acts 6) so that the elders can focus on the Word and prayer.  But with the new section they desire to add, they tell you exactly their intention: "[ADDITION: BCO 9-8] In a local church which does not have ordained deacons, the Session may appoint an unordained body of men and women to carry out diaconal ministry. They may care for the sick, the widows, the orphans, the prisoners, and others who may be in any distress or need. However, these men and women do not carry the same constitutional rights as ordained deacons."  

They want the option of not ordaining men to the ordained office of deacon, and want to put men and women on the same 'level' (so to speak) and do the work that deacons usually do.  Then the question, why not ordain deacons to do that?  Exactly.  This is the practice that goes on in some churches in the PCA.  Some churches ordain men, and have women on the board of deacons (just not ordained).  Yet there are some churches who because of their belief that women should be ordained, say that they just won't ordain men either to the office, and so they don't.  They hinder men, who are rightly called, from being ordained so that men and women can serve on the board of deacons. 

So that is a short synopsis of Overture 10.  I believe this won't even make it to the floor of General Assembly.  I am tempted to say it won't even make it past the Committee of Constitutional Business to get to the Overtures Committee, but I won't.

To look at all the other posts that have been made so far on the 38th PCA General Assembly Overtures, you can find them in the following: 1; 2, 7, 9, 13 ; 3-5, 8, 10.  I have left out a post on Overture 6 for the Administration Committee to do a study on the possibility of  Bi-annual General Assembly because that just isn't going to happen.  Enjoy!