NYC Metro Complaint moves to PCA Standing Judicial Commission

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Scott1

Puritanboard Commissioner
:pray2:
Complaint
TE Mark Robinson, et. al. vs. Metropolitan New York Presbytery

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The Constitution is binding on the churches within the PCA. Though the Constitution is not Scripture, much of the Constitution explicitly claims to derive from biblical teaching. Moreover, the PCA has bound itself together by means of these documents (including the BCO), believing that its Constitution represents “the form of government founded upon and agreeable to the Word of God.” BCO Preface—II. Preliminary Principles. Careful attention must therefore be taken to avoid diminishing the BCO’s dependence on Scripture. In the realm of judicial process, careful attention is given to single words of the BCO. If this degree of attention is paid to sections of the BCO which are in many cases tangential to the provisions of Scripture, no less attention is required of sections of the BCO which are explicitly said to derive from Scripture itself. If churches within the Presbytery believe that the BCO is overly restrictive or not in accord with Scripture, the BCO itself provides the remedy: an amendment to the Constitution. BCO 26-2. By permitting the continued practices described in the resolution, the Presbytery has, in effect, allowed a functional amendment to the BCO. Such action marginalizes those members of Presbytery whose affiliation with the PCA is predicated, in part, on the system of government agreed upon in the Constitution and forgoes deliberative denominational discussion on the matter for which very purpose the amendment process was designed.


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5. The April Complaint requested the following amends:

1. That the New York Metropolitan Presbytery nullify, rescind, annul and/or retract the resolutions concerning diaconal ministry passed at its March 13, 2009 meeting;
2. That the New York Metropolitan Presbytery affirmatively adopt, by written resolution, a statement rejecting views 5 and 6 contained in such resolutions as contrary to the system of government required by the Constitution of the PCA;
3. That the New York Metropolitan Presbytery request each Session within its jurisdiction to evaluate the functioning of its Diaconate with respect to conformity to the Constitution of the PCA, particularly with respect to violations exemplified in the current practice of views 5 and 6 in the aforementioned resolutions; and
4. That the New York Metropolitan Presbytery direct churches within its jurisdiction that are in continuing violation of the Constitution through the practices reflected in views 5 and 6 to move into full conformity with the Constitution of the PCA in this matter by rejecting such practices and that the New York Metropolitan Presbytery offer assistance to sessions regarding the difficulties that may arise in the process of bringing their diaconal practices into full conformity with the Constitution of the PCA.

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The Presbytery granted the first of the requested amends—rescission of the resolution—without ruling on the constitutionality of the diaconal practices currently observed by churches within the Presbytery’s jurisdiction. The remaining three requested amends were not granted.
 
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