NR #1995-034: For Immediate Release Retired PCA Stated Clerk Overtures General Assembly to Appoint Committee to Study Denominational Unrest by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer Reformed Believers Press Service (April 25, 1995) RBPS - Dr. Morton Smith, a founder of Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and first stated clerk of the 242,000-member Presbyterian Church in America, has overtured his denomination's General Assembly to appoint a committee to study the causes of unrest and division in the denomination he was instrumental in founding. The overture enjoyed strong support in Western Carolina Presbytery and was adopted by a wide margin at its March 18 meeting. Smith's overture cites two grounds: that "there is obvious unrest across the PCA regarding the bond of our unity within the Westminster Confession and Catechisms" and that "this unrest is divisive in character, thus hampering the church from effectively carrying out the great commission." As a result of this divisive unrest, Smith's presbytery overtured the PCA General Assembly "to recognize the seriousness of this situation" and to "elect a committee that is broadly representative of varied viewpoints." The mandate of this committee, if appointed, will be to "make a serious study of the diversity of opinion in the PCA in the light of our constitution, such as issues regarding Scripture and hermeneutics, subscription to our standards by church officers, church polity, worship, biblical discipline, and mission," to "propose a method, satisfactory to all parties, as to how the present differences may be laid to rest," and to report its findings to the 1996 PCA General Assembly. According to Smith, the overture originated as a response to the "Proposed Statement of Identity," an extended list of affirmations and denials proposed in the fall of 1994 by a number of leading figures in the Presbyterian Church in America. The "Identity Statement," also known as the "Consensus Document," has become a target for blistering attacks by Concerned Presbyterians, an organization of PCA conservatives begun two years ago for the purpose of fighting perceived trends in the denomination which contradict Reformed principles. "I would hope that we would be able to talk frankly with each other on both sides of the issues and come to a real understanding of where we are," said Smith. "I would not call them liberals; I would call them broadly evangelical, less Reformed, but I don't think we have any of the liberalism that Machen described in his book that is really anti-Christian. If we do I'm not aware of it," said Smith, alluding to a book by Westminster Theological Seminary founder J. Gresham Machen that sounded a withering attack upon the theology which came to dominate American Presbyterianism during the first third of the century. According to Rev. Larry Wilson, pastor of Hazelwood Presbyterian Church in North Carolina and a presbytery correspondent for a news service operated by PCA conservatives, Smith's overture met with little opposition at the presbytery meeting. "I don't know of anyone within our presbytery who would be really opposed," said Wilson. "We are concerned about the state of the church and we do feel that this constant bickering back and forth is divisive in nature and does hinder us in carrying out the Great Commission." Wilson agreed that the Proposed Statement of Identity had played a key role in the adoption of the overture. "I think a lot of these issues have been going on for a long time but this was pushed to the front by the efforts of those in the PCA Consensus," said Wilson. "In our own presbytery we have had a group that has taken this PCA Consensus, studied it thoroughly, and tried to keep these issues before the presbytery. We tried to establish a debate on the issue of worship but we could find no one from the PCA Consensus who would come and debate Dr. Smith or someone of Dr. Smith's caliber on that issue." Smith said he was hopeful that his overture would meet with a favorable response from the general assembly he helped to found. "I'm just hopeful that the Assembly will respond in the same gracious way that they did with regard to the study of judicial matters," said Smith. Cross-References to Related RBPS Articles: #1994-023: Concerned Presbyterians Take Aim at Presbyterian Church in America Leadership, Vow Fight at June General Assembly #1994-024: 34 PCA Pastors and Elders, 2 Churches, 3 Presbyteries Demand Release of Legal Audit; Stated Clerk Denies Coverup #1994-025: Legal Audit Controversy Flares as Officials in America's Second-Largest Presbyterian Denomination Threaten Libel Lawsuit; Presbyterian Church in America Ministers Target Reformed Believers Press Service, Darrell Todd Maurina, Christian Observer Magazine for Lawsuit; Legal Audit May Dominate June 6-10 PCA General Assembly in Atlanta #1994-026: Presbyterian Church in America Committee Report Recommends Apology to Christian Reformed Denomination #1994-027: General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in America Opens with Double Surprise; Candidate for Moderator Withdraws; Recommendation Urges Dismissal of Entire Interchurch Relations Committee Over Report on Christian Reformed Denomination #1994-028: PCA Home Missions Coordinator Announces Resignation, Plans Return to Mission Field as Church Planter #1994-029: PCA General Assembly "Pleads" with Christian Reformed Denomination not to Open All Church Offices to Women; Proposal to Dismiss Interchurch Committee Rejected After Floor Fight Contact List: Dr. Paul Gilchrist, Stated Clerk * Presbyterian Church in America 4596 Canda Dr., Lilburn, GA 30247 * O: (404) 320-3366 Dr. Morton Smith, Former Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church in America 105 Connestee Trail, Brevard, NC 28712 * O: (803) 233-0726 * H: (704) 884-5212 Rev. Larry Wilson, Pastor, Hazelwood Presbyterian Church (PCA) PO Box 67, Hazelwood, NC 28738-0067 * O: (704) 456-3912 * H: (704) 452-7775 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-034.txt .