Tchula Presbyterian Church.

Business ended today.  As if no work had to be done, which is the way most took it.  It seems that people here are more concerned about their vacation and getting home as quickly as possible than protecting the peace and purity of the church.  But that is just my general estimation of what I saw and heard about various things.  This was confirmed by Dr. Morton Smith, so I think my opinion has weight to it.

The major happening of the day, which I have been waiting all of 2009 for basically was to find out what came of the overtures sent up to the General Assembly calling for a Study Committee to study the role of women in the church (COUGH! “deaconesses”) made up of a diversity of opinions.  As the time came for this overture, the Committee report was given (to answer the overture in the negative –> voting for no study committee –> this is good).  This was followed by the Minority report.  The minority report was out of order in my opinion, so I stepped up to the Microphone (#2) and asked the Moderator to rule it out of order.  I gave him two reasons: 1) it seemed to be a conflict of interest for the Moderator to choose who would be on the study committee when he was one of the writers of the minority report, 2) the minority report declared, “a study committee representing the diversity of opinion within the PCA, including up to two advisory members who may be women, to study and report to the General Assembly in te form of a pastoral letter…”  This declares that women, possibly, would be working on studying and forming a “PASTORAL” letter.  This is contrary to Scripture for a woman to be able to form a pastoral letter, since women cannot be elders in the church.  Needless to say the Moderator (being my assumption) said it was “in order”.  But there were many who agreed with me, so I didn’t feel bad at what I said.  And it was kind of fun to say something.

Anyway, after much debate, the minority report was voted down by a grand 446-427 vote.  That is a 19 vote difference people, 19.  So following this the Committee’s report was adopted, there will be no study committee this year.  But look for something similar to come back next year once again.  And if any overture would come, that I would propose, instead of studying women, they should study men and the leadership in the church.  But I don’t foresee that coming any time soon.

On a side note, Fred Greco was elected to be on the SJC, which is great and much needed.

The Assembly being over, I will be heading home via airplane tomorrow.

Those who give their greetings to the members of Tchula: Fred Greco, Bernie Van Eyk, Joey Pipa, Mark O’Neill, and others I can’t remember off the top of my head right now.  I had a great trip and it was very educational.  Please pray for God to protect His sheep from the false teachers and the ignorant.

Today, was the first day of ‘real’ buisness following last night’s election of a moderator, approval of docket, etc.  But the only thing I found interesting today was Fred Greco’s motion (that I’d been waiting for all week) on the Report of the Review of Presbytery Records (CRPR).  Last year, Metro Atlanta Presbytery minutes showed that they had examined a man for ordination and that he took an exception to Westminster Larger Catechism 3.  Does anyone know how anyone can take an exception to that?  Here is the question and answer: Q: What is the Word of God? A: The holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and practice.

How can someone take an exception to that?  Well, the CRPR found this unsatisfactory last year and said it was more than semantic.  What then happens is that the presbytery is supposed to respond to CRPR.  They in a way did and in a way didn’t.  They responded, but did not address the CRPR’s question or assertion.  Yet, the CRPR found this satisfactory this year.  How?  The vote at the CRPR level was very close we were told today.  So, Fred made the substitute motion that the response from the presbytery be found ‘unsatisfactory’.  Which would mean, if passed, the presbytery would have to respond by next year to CRPR accordingly.  Yet, the assembly voted on Fred’s substitute motion via voice vote.  The moderator found the motion defeated.  A call for a division (which means someone disagreed with the moderator and want an accurate count).  So the moderator called for another vote, this time via show of card vote (hand vote).  This time it was too close to tell.  So they called for a standing vote, still too close.  Finally, the moderator called for a standing vote to be counted so he could rule.  The standing vote after being counted showed the substitute motion of Fred’s to be defeated.

Couple of facts surrounding this:

1) there are supposedly 1,021 commissioners (voting members) at this year’s General Assembly.  The actual final vote was found to be: 180-something (I forgot the exact number but it was in the 180’s) to 134 (or quite close to this).  And I am not making this up.  Where were all the people who were supposed to be voting?  What were they doing?

2) the moderator failed to communicate to the assembly a truth about Robert’s Rules.  That a person is not allowed to vote if they were not present for the first vote (the voice vote).  And yet many came to the floor and voted following the voice vote.

So that was the most interesting thing of the day.  The rest was filled with Permanent Committee reports which showed forth the broad evangelicalism and lack of Biblical methodology that fills our denomination.  This is why you need to pray for you denomination.

On a side note, we are expected to be finished by tomorrow night (Thursday).  Big on the agenda tomorrow is the Overture’s Committee report, which will have in there the vote on whether to approve a study committee on the role of women in the church (basically, charged with finding if we should have female deacons or not).  This is the main controversy again this year.  But the problem with this overture is that it does not address the main problem, just a subordinate problem.  The main problem is that men are not being men, and they are not leading in the church.

As for what I did this evening.  Because, technically, the moderator recessed us for tomorrow morning at 9:30am for our recess for dinner/supper at 5:30pm, I felt I had no obligation to attend the ‘worship service’ this evening.  I instead had a wonderful time of fellowship with Dr. Pipa, Mark O’Neill, and some others.

Continue to pray for Susan and for our Assembly buisness tomorrow.

Today was the first ‘official’ day of the General Assembly.  Everything prior to this was committee work in preparation for GA.  As GA came to order, every year it begins with a worship service.  This was terribly hard for me this year.  I love to worship. I love to worship publicly with the body of Christ because as Christians we are united in Christ and it is a wonderful picture of what eternity will be like.  Yet tonight was very difficult to me.  In the former Moderator’s sermon we were called to love one another, yet we were called at the same time to take joy in the diversity of the PCA’s worship styles.  To me this was a contradiction.  Why?  Because we are not only to love one another, we are also called to speak the TRUTH in love.  Love is not love without truth.  We are to love one another because God loves us, we speak the truth because God spoke it to us, we are to be holy because God is holy.  God is love, God is truth, God is holy.  His Word communicates love, truth, and His holiness.  There is no love without truth and holiness and justice and goodness, etc.

Anyway, that is why I continue now because we are to worship in spirit and truth.  And I had a hard time this evening, it was a struggle, and I wouldn’t want anyone to experience what I did.  Besides the sermon (which had a good message overall: we are to love one another as Christ loves the Church), a testimony was given during worship.  Testimonies should not be part of the worship of God.  Worship is clear in Scripture.  It is to contain the means of grace: Word, sacraments, and prayer.  Testimonies are not part of this.  They are better suited to happen before worship.

Besides this there was the last element that troubled me and that was the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.  There were icons on the front table, distracting ‘praise’ music playing during the celebration of this solemn sacrament, the sacrament was not set apart for holy purposes, and besides that there were Roman Catholic overtones throughout the whole celebration of the sacrament.  I even believe I saw a woman serving communion.  I say “I believe I saw” because she was caring and walking with the communion tray during the administration of the sacrament.  On top of this the sacrament was celebrating using ‘intinction’ (dipping of the bread into the cup).  Which would be breaking the commandment that Jesus stated, “Drink ye all of it.”  In intinction you don’t drink.  The sacrament was celebrated contrary to our Standards (WCF 29), which we believe is a summary of Scripture, and our Book of Church Order (BCO 58-5).

To conclude my thoughts on worship, I quote a friend (a minister in Texas) who said of the service, “it’s a microcosm of the sorts of schizophrenia that is found in PCA worship.”

After this, the Assembly elected this year’s moderator, RE Brad Bradley from North Texas Presbytery.  We then recessed for tomorrow morning.

Yesterday after a good 5 hours sleep I was able to worship at Lake Shorewood OPC here in Orlando.  Worship was good, sermon was from Philippians on joy in the Lord.

Today, as time for me on the east coast approaches 11:47pm, I need much sleep.  Sunday night I only was able to sleep an hour.  Good for me, right?  Today I was able to meet up with a high school buddy who I haven’t seen in awhile.  Then at 1:00pm G.A. sort of got underway with the Committee of Commissioners (CoC) meetings.  I was nominated by our presbytery to be on the CoC for Christian Education and Publications.  Nothing major happened there, so afterwards, I went and watched the remainder of the Overtures Committee (where the controversies typically come up).  This year, as has been stated before is the study committee wanted by some to study the role of women in the church, particularly female deacons.  The main motion was to answer the overture in the negative and after much debate that motion was passed by a vote 40 for, 34 against, 2 abstentions.  Because of a strong minority, when this comes before the General Assembly this week, there will be two reports, a majority report (answering the overture in the negative) and a minority report (answering in the affirmative). To clarify, this overture will go before the GA and the two reports will be voted upon (GA will pick one).

After the committee recessed until tomorrow morning, I went and met some friends (Mark O’Neil, Bernie Van Eyk, Will Thompson, and Fred Greco).  The night went well and tomorrow is a new day, where His mercies are new.

Be in prayer for Susan who is in the hospital.  I talked to her and she seems in good spirits.  Pray for God’s mercy and healing; that He would use this situation for His glory.