The 36th General Assembly Presbyterian Church in America will be meeting in Dallas, Texas June 10-13, 2008. Four of the nineteen overtures coming before the GA regard the question of whether women can and should be ordained as deacons.
Overture 9 from Philadelphia Presbytery requests GA to create a committee to study the "Scriptural teaching bearing on women’s eligibility for election and ordination to the office of deacon." Overture 15 from Western Canada makes the same request. Overture 17 from Rocky Mountain Presbytery asks that if a study committee is erected that its mandate also include providing parameters for the role of women in the church.
Overture 19 from Central Georgia Presbytery takes a contrary position in opposition to erecting a study committee: "We hereby express our decided opposition to these overtures, both substantively and procedurally such that we urge the General Assembly to decline to appoint the requested study committee, to decline to amend the BCO, to decline to authorize a new process of “commissioning of females as deacons,” and to reaffirm its commitment to but two biblically authorized ordinary and perpetual classes of office in the church, that of elder and of deacon, both to be held only by men."
Here are summaries of the four overtures on this matter:
Overture 9 from Philadelphia Presbytery
Philadelphia Presbytery overtures the 36th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America to create an ad interim study committee whose members are representative of various positions within the PCA with respect to women’s involvement in Diaconal ministry, to study and report back to the 37th General Assembly, on the following:
1) Scriptural teaching bearing on women’s eligibility for election and ordination to the office of deacon and recommending, if necessary, changes to the BCO in keeping with any findings proceeding from the study of Scripture; and
2) Should no changes to the BCO be deemed necessary, clarifying an appropriate range of practices for the involvement of women in diaconal ministry and giving guidance regarding current differences in practice among PCA churches including but not limited to the following: (a) may churches choose not to ordain any male deacons? (b) may churches choose to commission but not to ordain male deacons? (c) may women be commissioned as deaconesses without ordaining them as deacons? (d) may the same constitutional questions, or similar questions, used to ordain deacons be used to commission deacons or deaconesses who are not ordained? (e) may Presbyteries license and ordain men who submit themselves to the BCO but who also believe that women should serve as ordained deacons? (f) may churches elect ordained men and commissioned women to serve together in the diaconate? and (g) may churches use the title Deaconess for an elected position of ministry in the church or selected to serve according to BCO 9-7?
Overture 15 from Western Canada
Western Canada Presbytery also overtures the 36th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America to create an ad interim study committee with respect to women’s involvement in Diaconal ministry and to study and report back to the 37th General Assembly regarding the following:
1) Scriptural teaching bearing on women’s eligibility for election and ordination to the office of deacon and recommending, if necessary, changes to the BCO in keeping with any findings proceeding from the study of Scripture; and
2) Should no changes to the BCO be deemed necessary, clarifying an appropriate range of practices for the involvement of women in diaconal ministry and giving guidance regarding current differences in practice among PCA churches.
Overture 17 from Rocky Mountain Presbytery
If the 36th General Assembly answers either Overture 9 and/or Overture 15 in the affirmative and erects a study committee on the role of women, that this study committee’s mandate be expanded to include: the Scriptural teaching on the role of women in the church touching on matters such as the following:
• the ordination of women to the office of deacon, stating clearly and positively, as well as negatively,
• where women may and may not serve in the life of the church,
• and establishing parameters or guidelines as to the breadth and boundary Scripture deems legitimate for women to teach men and be a part of leading in various parts of public worship.
Overture 19 from Central Georgia Presbytery
We hereby express our decided opposition to these overtures, both substantively and procedurally such that we urge the General Assembly to decline to appoint the requested study committee, to decline to amend the BCO, to decline to authorize a new process of “commissioning of females as deacons,” and to reaffirm its commitment to but two biblically authorized ordinary and perpetual classes of office in the church, that of elder and of deacon, both to be held only by men.
1. That there is no legitimate theological dispute concerning who may be ordained as a deacon inasmuch as 1 Timothy 3:12-13, and other passages, plainly provide that the office is limited by God to men only; and
2. That there is no biblical warrant for establishing a process of “commissioning” people to perform the duties of an ordained deacon, or elder, so as to side step the plain limits the scripture places on who may hold such offices; and
3. That it has long been the policy of the PCA that “No one who holds office in the Church ought to usurp authority therein, or receive any official title of spiritual preeminence, except such as are employed in the Scriptures” BCO 7-3; and
4. That we regard the overtures of Philadelphia and West Canada Presbyteries a clear challenge to a vital provision of the Westminster Standards which ought to be resisted and rejected without appointment of any study committee; and
5. That we hereby express our decided opposition to these overtures, both substantively and procedurally such that we urge the General Assembly to decline to appoint the requested study committee, to decline to amend the BCO, to decline to authorize a new process of “commissioning of females as deacons,” and to reaffirm its commitment to but two biblically authorized ordinary and perpetual classes of office in the church, that of elder and of deacon, both to be held only by men.
6. That nothing in this Resolution is intended to oppose the authority of a Session to select and appoint godly men and women of a congregation to assist the Diaconate in caring for the sick, the widows, the orphans, the prisoners, and others who may be in any distress or need, all as currently provided by BCO 9-7.
