Patterns of voting on O15 indicate a divide between how REs and TEs, broadly speaking, view O15. If ever there has been a clarion call for ruling elders in the PCA to be engaged in their sessions, presbyteries, and at General Assembly, it is now.
Recently, I shared my analysis comparing Overture 15’s dissenters to their presbyteries’ votes on O15. It’s also possible to consider presbytery votes on O15 by the Minority Report on O15’s signers.
The PCA’s Rules of Assembly Operations allows a plurality of elders to file a minority report when disagreeing with a committee’s recommendation (see RAO 15-6). The original recommendation by the Overtures Committee was for O15 to be answered in reference to Overture 29. However, a motion to make O15 the main motion carried by a vote of 1094-1044 and this new motion was adopted by a vote of 1167-978, bringing O15 to the presbyteries. (See the GA Minutes, p. 80.)
Just as recording a dissent may indicate more impassioned opposition to O15, it is reasonable to think that signing the Minority Report may indicate more impassioned support for O15.
Who are the signers of the Minority Report on O15?
The Minority Report on O15 came out of the Overtures Committee (OC). The OC provides for a parity of ruling and teaching elders to be represented, one of each from each presbytery, a total of 176 commissioners representing 88 presbyteries. At the 49th GA, 80 presbyteries were represented on the OC, with 68 presbyteries represented by both an RE and a TE, ten represented by only a TE, two represented by only an RE (RE Michael Harnish representing Philadelphia Metro West and RE David Talcott representing West Hudson). Eight presbyteries did not have a commissioner present (Korean Eastern, Korean Northwest, Korean Southern, Korean Southwest, Korean Southwest Orange County, Pacific, Philadelphia, and Rio Grande).
In total, 148 commissioners served on the OC, including 70 REs (47 percent) and 78 TEs (53 percent).
The Minority Report on O15 was signed by 46 commissioners, including 24 ruling elders and 22 teaching elders. Here, the overrepresentation of ruling elders is noteworthy. Ruling elders composed 31 percent of the General Assembly and only 22 percent of dissenters against O15. REs were overrepresented on the Minority Report, even compared to their representation on OC, constituting 52 percent of the Report’s signers.
Which presbyteries did these signers represent?
The 46 commissioners who signed the Minority Report on O15 represented 31 presbyteries.
Both representatives from 15 presbyteries signed the Minority Report: Canada West, Central Georgia, Chesapeake, Chicago Metro, Eastern Pennsylvania, Evangel, Fellowship, Gulf Coast, Houston Metro, Illiana, Northwest Georgia, South Florida, Suncoast Florida, Susquehanna Valley, Westminster.
Only a TE from seven presbyteries signed: Central Carolina, Grace, Iowa, New Jersey, North Texas, Pee Dee, Tennessee Valley.
Finally, only an RE from nine presbyteries signed: Blue Ridge, James River, Lowcountry, North Florida, Palmetto, Rocky Mountain, Siouxlands, Southeast Alabama, Southwest Florida.
There is some overlap between the presbyteries with Minority Report signers and presbyteries with dissenters. Thirteen presbyteries have a Minority Report signer, but no dissenter. Forty presbyteries have a dissenter, but no signer. Eighteen presbyteries have both. Seventeen have neither.
What is the status of these presbyteries with respect to Overture 15?
Of the 31 presbyteries with Minority Report signers, 24 have voted on O15 (as of February 1, 2023), which is passing in 79 percent of them (19-5). In contrast, O15 has only passed 45 percent of presbyteries without a Minority Report signer (18-22). Although the presbyteries do not perfectly overlap, these numbers are identical to votes in presbyteries with dissenters (passing in 45 percent, 18-22) and without dissenters (passing in 79 percent, 19-5). Overall, 58 percent of all presbyteries have passed O15 (37-27). If three more presbyteries fail to pass O15, the amendment will not reach the two-thirds threshold to be brought to the floor of GA at Memphis.
Does size matter?
Following the analysis on last year’s Overture 23 votes by the fine folks at Presbycast, I also considered whether presbytery size was related to O15 votes. It is not.
According to their classifications of large (81 or more voters), medium (41-80), and small (40 or fewer) presbyteries, O15 has passed in roughly three-fifths of presbyteries, regardless of size. Vote counts are recorded for 57 presbyteries on The Spreadsheet. O15 has passed in 60% of large (3-2), 61.5% of medium (16-10), and 57.7% of small presbyteries (15-11).
Concluding Thoughts
The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the PCA, as well as the 100th anniversary of J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism, in which he describes the theological liberalism of the PCUSA that ultimately led to the formation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The founding of the PCA is marked by similar concerns of overtures to theological liberalism, which often coincided with ruling elder disengagement.
The Concerned Presbyterian newsletter, for example, published articles in 1969, 1970, and 1972 expressing distress over proposed amendments that would make it difficult for ruling elders to remain involved at presbytery and general assembly. According to Kenneth S. Keyes, president of the Concerned Presbyterians, liberals were able to gain control both because “conservative ruing elders were gradually rotated off” church sessions and because “ruling elders simply did not take their responsibility seriously enough.”
Patterns of voting on O15 indicate a divide between how REs and TEs, broadly speaking, view O15. If ever there has been a clarion call for ruling elders in the PCA to be engaged in their sessions, presbyteries, and at General Assembly, it is now.
Matthew Lee is a ruling elder at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, AR.
