June 16, 2005
Further Thanks
I, too, would like to thank the folks who contributed to this blog--both those who did so directly (Rebekah, Nathan, David, Josiah) and those who did so by sending us news items or by posting comments. Josiah deserves extra credit for lending technical expertise and resources. Special thanks are due to the folks at the PCA Administrative Committee (especially Roy Taylor and John Robertson), who were willing to "step out in faith," so to speak, and allow this experiment in a new means of communicating developments at GA. And thanks to the folks at byFaith and pcanews.com (Dick and Dominic) for sending folks our direction. Hopefully this sets good precendent for how a new medium can be used to edify the church (not quite as significant as the development of moveable type in the fifteenth century, but new nevertheless). Certainly, more could be done via this channel at future GAs.
General assemblies always seem to me exhausing and exhilarating all at once. I don't think I'm the only person who feels this way. The challenges of functioning as the body of Christ in a fallen world are manifold, but assemblies such as this week's, which make manifest the diversity that exists within our denomination as well as the shared and essential commitment to biblical truth, give hope that God may indeed us a frail reed such as the PCA to advance His kingdom in the here and now. Let's pray that it is so, and strive to be faithful as we carry the good news of the gospel and the truths of his Word into every corner of the globe and ever corner of our lives.
pax Christi vobiscum,
Misc | By J. Derek Halvorson | 11:47 PM | Comments (4)
Thanks
Well to be frank, I'm exhausted, as I'm sure everyone else who contributed to this blog is also. I'd like to extend thanks to Derek, David, Rebekah, Nathan, Shaun, and everone else who helped contribute to this blog.
It has been an absolute pleasure fellowshipping with the contributers of this blog and many of the commissioners these past three days. The Lord is building His Church as He sees fit and its been both encouraging and humbling to see His work so manifest in the PCA through the testimonies of its pastors and elders and through the reports of MTW, MNA, RUF, and the many other ministries of the PCA.
As for what will happen to this blog in the future, well, my *hope* is that it will remain until next year and will be rolled into the GA 2006 blog as part of the GA Blog "Archives", but that will be up to next year's host committee.
So thank you all again for this little experiment in "new media". God bless,
- Josiah
Announcements | By Josiah Q. Roe | 11:16 PM | Comments (8)
GA is done
We were moving quickly on business, so went ahead and reconvened after worship to finish what was left. At about 10:30 the final business was taken care of and all were dismissed.
Floor Notes | By Nathan C Maphet | 10:49 PM | Comments (3)
John Piper - "Obedience, Orthodoxy, and Joy: Leadership for a Greater Consensus"
The last evening of the 2005 concluded with another moving worship service under the leadership of the Tennessee Valley Presbytery. Many thanks again to them and the host committee. John Piper preached on the text Acts 20:24-31 with a message titled: Obedience, Orthodoxy, and Joy: Leadership for a Greater Consensus. In the extended entry of this post are the notes I took from the sermon.
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Worship | By Rev. David Wayne | 09:10 PM | Comments (0)
Creating a Culture of Generosity in Your Church
By Heidi Herberich
Eighty percent of the world’s evangelical wealth is in North America—more than enough to fund the Great Commission. Yet American churchgoers give only 2.6 percent of their income to their churches. Patrick Johnson of Generous Giving showed pastors how they can improve this situation by preaching, teaching, celebrating and modeling generosity in their churches.
"It's not really about the money," Johnson said. "It's about the heart." A pastor who grasps this principle will teach his congregation that giving is more than an obligation. It is an opportunity. It’s a chance to participate in Kingdom work and to experience greater joy. It's a chance to build one's faith, finding freedom from the bondage of possessions. In sum, the heart of a pastor's message should be what he wants for his people rather than what he wants from them.
Johnson has found four recurring characteristics among the generous churches he’s observed. (1) The pastor preaches generosity, motivating his people to give. (2) The church teaches generosity, educating members how to become responsible and debt-free stewards. (3) The church celebrates generosity, reinforcing its value by telling the stories of faithfulness. And (4) the leadership models generosity, authenticating the message. Johnson ended by asking these two penetrating questions of pastors. First, knowing that fifteen percent of everything Jesus said related to money and possessions, does my own preaching reflect the priority Jesus placed on stewardship? Secondly, if the people in my church stewarded God’s resources the way I do, would that be a good thing?
Heidi Herberich is a graduate of Covenant College and plans to attend RTS in Orlando this fall. She is a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga and currently works at Generous Giving. Her father is a PCA minister on staff with Harvest USA (Chattanooga).
Seminars | By Josiah | 09:10 PM | Comments (0)
"Christian Education Resolution" to Condemn Public Schools
This resolution is a personal resolution brought by TE Steven Warhust, TE Dr. D James Kennedy, RE Joel Belz, TE Dr. Ronald Gleason, TE Jim Schirmer, TE C. Michael Chastain, and RE Greg Beaupied.
The Bills and Overture committee's reccomendation is that it be answered in the negative on the grounds that the education of covenant children is best left to the wisdom of Christian parents under the pastoral guidance of local church sessions.
There was a minority report asking GA to affirm the overture..
An immediate substitutionary motion was made to answer the Overture in the affirmative by Steven Warhurst (also sponsor of the Overture) and was seconded (basically affirming the minority report). He then re-read the Overture, slowly.
The substitutionary motion to make the minority report the majority report and therefor affirm the Overture failed.
The majority recommendation to answer in the negative passed and therefor the Overture failed.
So, you can still send your kids to public schools without the PCA declaring you inept in your parental duties. I'm dodging the debate altogether by sending my kinds to a private yuppie school that's neither public nor Christian (joke). I call it "Josiah's Third Way".
*UPDATES & NOTES BELOW*
Continue reading ""Christian Education Resolution" to Condemn Public Schools"
Overtures | By Josiah Q. Roe | 04:59 PM | Comments (65)
Overture 14 - "Mississippi Valley Presbytery Information Report on the New Perspectives on Paul, etc."
The content of this Overture is that the GA send the report of the Mississippi Valley Presbytery on the "New Perspectives of Paul" to the clerks of the PCA Presbyteries and to make it available via various media as a useful study aid in the ongoing discussion relating to the NPP, the theology of N.T. Wright, the theology of Norman Shepherd, and the theology of the so called "Federal Vision" in the PCA.
The recommendation from the Bills and Overtures committee is that this overture be answered in the negative on procedural grounds alone, without prejudice as to its content. Those procedural grounds being that the distribution of reports is normally reserved for those reports which the Assembly has considered, debated, and votd to adopt as its own. Further the distribution requested by the MVP might create a "burdonsome precedent". Any interested parties could find the content of the reports in the General Assembly Handbook.
This recommendation passed, and therefor the Overture failed.
*UPDATES & NOTES BELOW*
| By Josiah Q. Roe | 04:34 PM | Comments (2)
Overture 10 - Bible Content Exam for REs and Deacons
From TE Shaun Nolan:
The discussion before us on the floor is one of importance. Overture 10 seeks to add a Bible Content exam to the requirements for Ruling Elders and Deacons.
Why is this important? For many, this may seem like a wall going up to the "attractiveness" of serving in office. We all know the fear of exams and the decisions we make out of fear. Will finding godly men to serve as elders and deacons be inhibited by such an exam. The answer we are hearing in floor discussion in an overwhelming "by no means".
Continue reading "Overture 10 - Bible Content Exam for REs and Deacons"
Overtures | By J. Derek Halvorson | 04:32 PM | Comments (3)
Overtures #12 - "A Declaration Concerning the Death of Terri Schiavo"
Overture #12 from the Ohio Valley Presbytery - "A Declaration Concerning the Death of Terri Schiavo," has beeen answered with reference to the answer to Overture 13.
Overtures | By Rev. David Wayne | 04:30 PM | Comments (1)
Overture 11 - Establish Adoption Assistance Fund
The Bills & Overtures Committee recommends that Overture 11, from Illiana Presbytery, to establish an adoption assistance fund, be answered in the negative. Motion passes.
Overtures | By J. Derek Halvorson | 04:28 PM | Comments (0)
Wed. Night Worship - Sinclair Ferguson
I've heard a lot of positive feedback regarding last night's worship service. From TE Tom Troxell at Covenant PCA (AZ): "Dr. Sinclair Ferguson gave a wondeful message from Romans 8:32 about God not sparing his son -- a message of grace. ... Simply put, the sermon was God sent -- a sermon on grace for needy sinners like me."
Continue reading "Wed. Night Worship - Sinclair Ferguson"
Worship | By J. Derek Halvorson | 04:15 PM | Comments (0)
Overture 9 "Requirements in Preaching & Teaching Allowable Doctrinal Differences"
The Bills and Overtures is bringing an amended Overture (sorta) called a "recommendation" that this Overture be answered in the negative on the grounds that while the intent of the Overture is laudible the language is too restrictive and the injunction may be in conflict with WCF XX.2. Further, the Overture incorrectly implies that BCO 21-4 mandates permission to teach and preach exceptions.
The basic idea is that TE's and Licentiates must point out their exceptions when preaching an exception, and must state the standards/WCF position on the matter.
So basically, if the recommendation fails the Overture passes if a substitutionary amendment is made to approve the Overture (which has happened), if that makes any sense.
The substitution (to pass the Overture) failed. And the recommendation passed, and therefor the Overture failed.
Notes, context, overview below:
Continue reading "Overture 9 "Requirements in Preaching & Teaching Allowable Doctrinal Differences""
Overtures | By Josiah Q. Roe | 03:54 PM | Comments (4)
Overture #10 - Require English Bible Exam for RE's & Deacons
The Presbytery of the Ascension overtures the General Assembly to "Require English Bible Examination for Ruling Elders and Deacons."
The B&O Committee recommends this be answered in the affirmative, with amendments to eliminate any concerns with respect to language groups other than English. The amended overture would be titled: "Require English Bible Content Examination for Ruling Elders and Deacons."
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Overtures | By Rev. David Wayne | 03:50 PM | Comments (0)
Wed. WIC events & Covenant College 50th
Late post on Wednesday WIC events and the Covenant College 50th Anniversary celebration.
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Misc | By J. Derek Halvorson | 03:48 PM | Comments (1)
Overture 3 to Revise BCA "Concerning Interns Annual Reports"
From: Shaun Nolan, TE
Overture 3 failed without discussion. The concern of Overture 3 was the apparent necessity in BCO 19-12 of interns to appear and report at each stated meeting.
This overture was answered in the negative, the Assembly understanding it to be a misreading of 19-12. BCO 19-12 deals with the report of the oversight committee and not the of the interns themselves.
Overtures | By Josiah Q. Roe | 03:45 PM | Comments (0)
Overture #7 from Chesapeake Presbytery
The Chesapeake Presbytery has overtured the General Assembly regarding the calling of assistant pastors. B&O recommends that this be answered in the negagtive on the following grounds:
As indicated in BCO 22-4, the relationship of an Assistant Pastor to a congregation is best left to the Session. Attempting to legislate these matters throgh the Constitution seems neither wise nor prudent.TE Tom Wenger from Pasadena EP and the Chesapeake Presbytery argued that this overture was written to deal with a current conflict regarding the calling of assistant pastors in the BCO.
The Assembly agreed with the committee recommendation that this be answered in the negative.
Overtures | By Rev. David Wayne | 03:36 PM | Comments (1)
Overture 1 to Define the Term "Papist"
Overture #1 failed on the grounds that there is no constitutional process in place, nor is there any procedure, for an annotation to the Westminister Confession of Faith. The overture was asking for an annotation to the WCF defining the term "papist".
Overtures | By Josiah Q. Roe | 03:29 PM | Comments (0)
Overture 13 To Erect a Study Committee on Value of Human Life
Was debated. A substitutionary motion was made. This motion failed. Overture 13 as amended by the Bills & Overtures Committee to erect a Study Committee on Value of Human Life passed.
Overtures | By Josiah Q. Roe | 03:27 PM | Comments (0)
Debate and Vote On the Strategic Plan / Administration Committee Recommendation #11
Right now they're debating on the floor Recommendations to the 2005 GA from the Administration Committee (the Strategic Plan), namely, those regarding General Assembly Meeting Structure/Proposed Amendments to the Book of Church Order. This has been a lengthy debate with some huge ramifications for General Assembly.
In particular they were voting on creating an Ad Interim committee to bring the full recommendations and proposals before General Assmebly next year. Notes below. Do read the full Strategic Plan report here.
| By Josiah Q. Roe | 03:00 PM | Comments (0)
Seminar: How Can Literature Open the Eyes of Faith?
Why should we value great works of literature? I've always loved to read - especially the classics - but this seminar by Dr. Kathleen Nielson gave me some food for thought as to why the written word can open our eyes and build our faith.
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Seminars | By Rebekah Forman | 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
