The recommendations below were prepared prayerfully and with reverence to the Word of God to the best of our abilities.  These are a selection of overtures coming before the General Assembly (GA)this summer (2008), and the Session of FPC Douglasville is commenting on them publically before they are brought before the GA.  The Session of FPC Douglasville adopted these recommendations unanimously at the March 2008 business meeting of the Session.

 These recommendations are also being sent to Presbytery for information to help inform and influence our commissioners.

For more information or to discuss these, please speak with someone on the Denominational Affairs committee and/or the Session.

Brief Commentary (as presented to Session):

Overture 005

 The committee believes that the FPC Session should support Overture 005. This Overture removes the “authoritative interpretation” aspect of the PUP Report on G-6.0108 and G-6.016b and concludes that the language concerning “optional” standards for ordination is a failure that has resulted in many churches and members leaving the Presbyterian Church (USA). We refer to Timothy I Chapter 3 in support as Paul writes that leaders of the church must be blameless and above reproach.

Overture 010

  The committee recommends rejecting this overture.  The committee recognizes that although it would be pleasing to join with other like-minded congregations that are traditionally reformed and Bible based in their views to form a non-geographic Presbytery, this Overture if passed could essentially lead to two separate denominations within the PC(USA) and ultimately that it would be easier for the church to split up this way.   This requires patience and of course no one said this would be easy.

Overture 011

 The committee believes that the Session should reject this Overture. This Overture removes G6.0106b  and eliminates the “fidelity and chastity” standards language for a church officer or minister. The argument that “God is Love” is the classic liberal view that the Holy Father is a “celestial Santa Claus” to quote R.C.Sproul. The scripture they quote is taken out of context as Jesus repeatedly calls for us to repent our sins. Christ did challenge those “who is without sin cast the first stone.” But he admonished the prostitute to “go and sin no more.” Repentance is a common and essential theme in the New Testament. Freedom from sin through Christ does not mean freedom to do as one chooses because he died for us. Sin makes it extremely difficult to be the people of God. Indeed, it would be impossible apart from God’s grace. When we don’t take the reality of sin seriously, then we shouldn’t be surprised when it threatens to quash our efforts to be the people of God.

    The committee feels that the session should support this overture. The last General Assembly commissioned a task force to evaluate the Form of Government in the Book of Order. The task force has submitted a complete rewrite of the Form of Government  this overture call for time for the Presbyteries and congregations to have time for the proposal to be studied before it is voted on by the GA. There is no need to rush change in the church constitution, particularly with the debate about standards still in full fervor.

Overture 017

 The committee believes the session should support this Overture. This clears up any misunderstanding of the ordination standards of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The words “Shall Not” removes any doubt from the candidate or from the ordaining body as to what the standard shall be.

 The committee believes the session should reject this Overture. This Overture clearly violates the Biblical understanding of sexuality and definition of marriage in the Bible and our Confessions.

  The committee believes the Session should support this overture. This overture would eliminate the confusion that the 217th General Assembly caused with the PUP report of 2006. To review what the 2006 GA did is basically this ? The Book of Order states clearly that persons who engage in sex outside of marriage may not be ordained. But with the action of the General Assembly, some interpret the report to mean that leadership bodies are now free to decide whether they must follow the rules or not. So, on the same day we Presbyterians reaffirmed the rules with a strong positive vote, we then proceeded to vote to allow people not to follow the rules.

 This overture would restore The Book of Order to pre-2006 status. We agree the PUP report was ill conceived, ill mannered and just plain ill. Getting rid of this would solve many problems.

Overture 029

 The committee believes the Session should support this Overture. This Overture would require that sessions of various congregations use questions for membership that acknowledge Christ and his lordship over the church.. This overture appears to at least in part a response to a church in Texas that allowed a person to join despite this person’s inability to claim Jesus as savior or acknowledge his divinity.