OPC Assembly

[Pergamum]

Can you tell us what that means?.

A new Directory of Public Worship has been approved for submitting to presbyteries for their ratification. The DPW is part of the Book of Church Order, which also contains the Form of Goverment and Book of Discipline. With the confessional standards and the Bible, these documents make up the constitution of the church. A majority of presbyteries must approve the proposed directory for it to become official. As there are 16 OPC presbyteries, that means 9 must approve before next year's GA.

Today, we worked through the appeals and complaints, extending the last session until 10:15 PM.

There is still a "humble petition" to President Obama concerning the proposed changes in the UCMJ to allow practicing homosexuals in the military. The proposed petition itself is controversal in the OPC GA, because some believe it is contrary to the "spirituality of the church." This does not include myself.

GA is suppose to end at noon tomorrow.

Interesting about the humble appeal.

If you were going to write an appeal, why focus on the military and not gay marriage in general? Not knocking it, just curious why it focused on the military.

 

[Oecolampadius]

Interesting about the humble appeal.

If you were going to write an appeal, why focus on the military and not gay marriage in general? Not knocking it, just curious why it focused on the military.

The following is quoted from the 2009 General Assembly Report:

After the Assembly concluded its business with these temporary committees, we returned to the report of the Committee on Chaplains and Military Personnel. Elder Robert M. Coie and Elder Gordon E. Kauffman concluded the report of the committee and presented its recommendations to the Assembly.

We considered at length a recommendation of the committee to send a "humble petition" to President Obama.

The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) states, "Synods and councils are to handle, or conclude nothing, but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary; or, by way of advice, for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate" (WCF 31.4). One may compare, for example, the humble petition that the 60th GA sent to President Clinton. [emphasis mine]

I believe that the reason why the petition's focus is on the military is that it was submitted by the OPC's Committee on Chaplains and Military Personnel. If you will read the OPC's Humble Petition to President Clinton, which I believe addressed similar concerns, you will notice that it begins by addressing the issue of homosexuality in general, not just in the context of the military.

 

[Pergamum]

Interesting about the humble appeal.

If you were going to write an appeal, why focus on the military and not gay marriage in general? Not knocking it, just curious why it focused on the military.

The following is quoted from the 2009 General Assembly Report:

After the Assembly concluded its business with these temporary committees, we returned to the report of the Committee on Chaplains and Military Personnel. Elder Robert M. Coie and Elder Gordon E. Kauffman concluded the report of the committee and presented its recommendations to the Assembly.

We considered at length a recommendation of the committee to send a "humble petition" to President Obama.

The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) states, "Synods and councils are to handle, or conclude nothing, but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary; or, by way of advice, for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate" (WCF 31.4). One may compare, for example, the humble petition that the 60th GA sent to President Clinton. [emphasis mine]

I believe that the reason why the petition's focus is on the military is that it was submitted by the OPC's Committee on Chaplains and Military Personnel. If you will read the OPC's Humble Petition to President Clinton, which I believe addresses similar concerns, you will notice that it begins by addressing the issue of homosexuality in general, not just in the context of the military.

Thanks, makes perfect sense now.

 

[Scott1]

Interesting about the humble appeal.

If you were going to write an appeal, why focus on the military and not gay marriage in general? Not knocking it, just curious why it focused on the military.

The following is quoted from the 2009 General Assembly Report:

After the Assembly concluded its business with these temporary committees, we returned to the report of the Committee on Chaplains and Military Personnel. Elder Robert M. Coie and Elder Gordon E. Kauffman concluded the report of the committee and presented its recommendations to the Assembly.

We considered at length a recommendation of the committee to send a "humble petition" to President Obama.

The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) states, "Synods and councils are to handle, or conclude nothing, but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary; or, by way of advice, for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate" (WCF 31.4). One may compare, for example, the humble petition that the 60th GA sent to President Clinton. [emphasis mine]

I believe that the reason why the petition's focus is on the military is that it was submitted by the OPC's Committee on Chaplains and Military Personnel. If you will read the OPC's Humble Petition to President Clinton, which I believe addresses similar concerns, you will notice that it begins by addressing the issue of homosexuality in general, not just in the context of the military.

Thanks, makes perfect sense now.

The PCA has a similar overture before it.

This is not a general "speaking out" about an issue of concern. As I understand it, the PCA requires petitions of this kind to be for "extraordinary" situations as well.

It is a proposed direct communication to the President about an action he is promoting right now. While the President's actions would openly promote grievous immorality, it poses an immediate direct threat to combat readiness (our national defense), troop moral, troop discipline and military recruitment.

The PCA's overture proposes, in addition to direct communication on behalf of our church witness to the President, a day of "prayer and fasting" be declared by the denomination about this proposed action.

 

[Glenn Ferrell]

I was traveling immediately after the OPC GA and did not comment on the Humble Petition, referred back to committee.

In my opinion, many of the arguments against this were based upon a misunderstanding of “the spirituality of the Church.”

The proposed changes in the UCMJ would not only effect chaplains, who already have a degree of protection in the confessional standards, but Christian military personnel in general. If the code is changed to make homosexual orientation the same as race, NCO’s and officers may find themselves disciplined, receiving bad performance reviews, or denied promotions because they express the biblical position regarding homosexuality. The UCMJ is the only place in American civil law where the sin of homosexual practice is prohibited and potentially enforceable.