PCA Members Should Speak Out on Overture 15

I attend a church in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). The PCA is one of the more “conservative,” or biblically sound, denominations in the United States. Yet over the last 25 years the woke progressive movement has been making inroads into the PCA like it has in many other denominations. These inroads have been made on biblical doctrines such as those related to the days of creations, race, and egalitarianism.

The most recent assault on God’s Word in the PCA is on the issue of homosexuality. Particularly what is known as Side B homosexuality, the idea that it is okay to be a “Gay Christian” with same-sex attraction as long as one remains celibate. Now, I welcome all same-sex attracted men and women to church, including those who are attempting to remain celibate. I do so because they, like me, need to repent of their sin. And unless they come to church, they are unlikely to hear that both same-sex sex and same-sex attraction are unholy and sinful in God’s eyes and something of which they need to repent.

Sadly, in the PCA there is a movement which proclaims that same-sex attraction is not a sin if accompanied by celibacy, that men and women can live their lives as Gay Christians. To address this and to speak to the culture around us, the PCA has adopted a number of “overtures,” or resolutions, at our recent annual gatherings (General Assembly–GA). The same is true this year; several of the overtures relating to homosexuality this year (Overtures 8, 15, and 29) would amend the PCA’s Book of Church Order (BCO), one of our governing documents. To be included in the BCO, each must be also ratified by ⅔ of our presbyteries, then go back for one more vote at GA next year.

I want to focus on one of those overtures here: Overture 15. It would insert the following into Chapter 7 of the BCO:

7-4. Men who describe themselves as homosexual, even those who describe themselves as homosexual and claim to practice celibacy by refraining from homosexual conduct, are disqualified from holding office in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Overture 15 highlights one problem currently facing the PCA; the committees and agencies of the PCA don’t always reflect the beliefs of the majority of elders and members in the PCA. It was rejected by the GA’s Overtures Committee, but resurrected on the floor of GA and passed by a majority of elders.

One reason why a majority of our elders approved this is because the PCA has at least one elder (and perhaps more) who describes himself as gay and same-sex attracted. And because during the several years this has been an issue, the presbytery this man belongs to has refused to remove him from office. And because the highest court in the PCA, the GA’s Standing Judicial Committee, has ruled against one attempt that might lead to his removal. And because, more generally, the PCA has dealt poorly with the Side B Gay movement in our denomination and the culture over the last five years.

The vote to approve the language in Overture 15 for inclusion in the BCO was very narrow: it passed with only 51% of the votes, 1094-1044, (a second vote approved Overture 15 with 54%). Because of the narrowness of the vote, many people predict that Overture 15 will not receive the ⅔ majority of the presbyteries needed to become part of the BCO. Elders from my presbytery, the South Texas Presbytery, will vote on Overtures 8, 15, and 29 on October 29. A few other presbyteries have already voted, while the rest will be voting fairly soon. You can follow the votes of presbyteries on this and other overtures here.

Members of the PCA elect our elders. And though we are not congregational and cannot vote them out, we do have the ability to ask them to leave (BCO 23 & 24). This arrangement in the BCO teaches that members have an obligation to be educated on and speak to our elders on matters of importance to the church, not unlike we do with officials in our American civil governments–which after all are modeled after Presbyterian polity (form of government). Likewise, elders have an obligation to seek our input on these matters, to listen to us, and to change their minds when we have expressed a persuasive biblical position. The polity of presbyterian denominations and the relations of elders to members is shaped in part by the people of Israel three times giving their consent to the covenant God is making with them at Sinai (Ex. 19:8, 24:3, 7). We also see it in that God desires our prayer and responds to it (Luke 18:1-8), and even “changes His mind” in response to our petitions (Ex. 32:14).

I have begun the process of reaching out to my elders to understand their perspective and share my thoughts on this. I would encourage all PCA members to do the same with their elders.

There are three main reasons being expressed in the PCA in opposition to Overture 15. First, it is okay for a pastor to describe himself or identify as a homosexual, as long as he is celibate. Second, the language of Overture 15 is unclear and contentious. Third, the BCO is not the place for language dealing with specific sins; this problem should be dealt with using the existing BCO, the proposed Overture 29 (which deals generically with elder qualifications), our confessional documents, and Scripture.

As you can read in some of the links below, many reject the first reason as unbiblical. I agree, and believe that a man who misreads the Bible in this way has no more business shepherding God’s flock than does the man who describes himself as homosexual. I also disagree with the second argument. In fact, it is the clarity of Overture 15 that cause those who think it is okay for a pastor to describe himself as a homosexual to contend against it. And while I do believe there can be more reasoned disagreement on the third position, I do not believe it passes the test of our BCO, confessional documents, and Scripture. In short, I believe the failure of the PCA to include the language of Overture 15 in the BCO will be harmful to the peace and purity of the PCA (which we are all required to study).

There are people much more knowledgeable of scripture and articulate than I who have explained why our elders should approve Overture 15. So for the most part, I’ll refer you to their explanations: here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. For this piece, I will simply repeat what I said to an elder that believes that the Overture 15 language should not be in the BCO, at least not at this time: “If not now, when?”

The PCA has been struggling with this issue for more than four years. I understand the virtue of patience (though do not practice it as well as many others), but it seems to me that the time for more direct action has arrived. One action our denomination can take now is by making clear to the world, our presbyteries, and our churches through Overture 15 that men who define themselves as homosexual cannot be elders in our denomination. Perhaps even more important is that we make this strong statement to those struggling with same-sex attraction so that it is clear that Side B homosexuality is sinful and must be repented of.

It is quite possible, however, that instead of speaking directly to this issue through Overture 15, the PCA may instead indirectly address this issue through the proposed Overture 8 (and Overture 29), and in the process harm our presbyterian form of government. Overture 8 was also approved by the GA this summer. Unlike the current provision in the BCO which allows GA to take original jurisdiction of a case (such as one dealing with homosexual elders) when a presbytery doesn’t act on a complaint, Overture 8 would allow GA to assume original jurisdiction if a presbytery fails to convict someone who is the subject of a complaint. While this might be a work around to the problem of the Missouri Presbytery, it fundamentally alters the presbyterian form of church governance. The PCA is already too hierarchical, inching toward more of an episcopal form of government through its committees and agencies. While it won’t introduce bishops into the PCA, Overture 8 will move authority further away from local sessions and presbyteries.

The question is not whether we act now, it is how should we now act? Our denomination should act by rejecting Overture 8 and adopting Overture 15 to be better equipped to take on the nations’ raging assaults on the church today. And PCA members should remind their elders of the biblical foundation for doing so.