Each year, teaching and ruling elders from the Presbyterian Church in America gather for the General Assembly. This year, Pastor Tom Wenger attended on behalf of Pasadena EP Church. Jason Helopoulos from Providence Presbyterian Church in Michigan has posted a helpful summary of the actions of the 2012 PCA General Assembly. He lists five major issues/actions of the Assembly:
- Theistic Evolution: The General Assembly chose not to make an in thesi statement regarding theistic evolution. Both in the Overtures Committee and on the floor of the Assembly no one advocated for the theistic evolutionary view. However, there were many who argued that the Assembly needed no such statement because the Westminster Standards were sufficient in speaking to this matter.
- Paedocommunion: The Assembly has in consecutive years spoken pretty strongly against paedocommunion. The Assembly voted down a motion to bring the Pacific Northwest Presbytery before the Standing Judicial Commission regarding its “persisting in the error of granting an exception which is out of accord, ‘that is hostile to the system or striking at the vitals of religion.’” However, the Assembly then proceeded to say that Pacific Northwest Presbytery’s response to the General Assembly regarding its ordination of men with such an exception was its self unacceptable. It appears that the Assembly was not comfortable charging a Presbytery, but was equally uncomfortable with the Pacific Northwest Presbytery ordaining men with such an exception and allowing the teaching of this practice.
- Intinction: The closest vote of the week came during the debate regarding intinction. The Overtures Committee came forward with both a majority and minority report. The majority report proposed to answer in the negative an overture which would have forbidden intinction in the PCA. The minority report was substituted for the majority report and passed by only 14 votes (348-334). The minority report was then approved by the Assembly. It is the first step towards inserting language in our Book of Church Order which would exclude intinction in the distributing of the Lord’s Table. This must now be approved by 2/3 of the Presbyteries and next year’s Assembly.
- National Association of Evangelicals: An overture was sent to the Assembly requesting that the PCA leave the NAE. The Assembly decided to stay in the NAE for the time being, but asked that there be a report next year regarding the activities of the NAE. As was stated on the floor, this will be a time of “patient observation.”
- Insider Movement: The first half of the study committee regarding the Insider Movement was presented to the Assembly and was overwhelmingly adopted. The chairman of the committee rightly stated that Bible translation is “first and foremost a theological issue, not a contextual issue.”
The PCA has more information about the General Assembly on their website.