A Summary of Actions Taken by the 45th General Assembly of the EPC
This week my denomination, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, held its 45th stated General Assembly in Detroit, Michigan. This is the annual meeting and council (synod) of my church, and every pastor has a right to attend and every congregation may send elder representatives. This was a quiet assembly, and in many ways an archetype of EPC gatherings. Lots of things went on at the assembly, but below is a summary of its official actions.
To amend the EPC’s constitution requires a majority vote of one assembly, a majority vote of three-fourths of the presbyteries over the next year, and then a majority vote of the subsequent assembly. The GA completed that amendment process to clarify how presbyteries deal with transitional pastors (interim pastors) who are ordained in other denominations, want to maintain their ordination in their home denominations, but still want to temporarily serve an EPC congregation in a transitional role.
The EPC’s formal ecumenical relationships are called “fraternal partnerships” and are aimed at increasing cooperation on mission, church planting, theology, and education. The GA voted to terminate our fraternal partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Madagascar with the rationale that no real partnership exists and attempts to rekindle them had been unsuccessful. The EPC entered into a fraternal partnership with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, which is a wonderful development. We also updated our connection to St Andrew’s Presbytery of Argentina, a longstanding fraternal partner of the EPC. The Evangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile) sent its leadership as delegates to our GA and it looks like a fraternal partnership with them will be formalized in the near future.
The big item of business this year was a series of a recommendations from our Ad-Interim Committee on Ordination Standards. This AIC was formed two years ago to provide recommendations on clarifying and assessing the EPC’s standards and processes for ordaining ministers. They brought 16 (!) recommendations to us this year, all of which needed to be voted on separately. All of the recommendations passed. Some are proposed amendments to the EPC’s constitution and are now on their way to the presbyteries for ratification, and some were revisions to GA policy and standards. All of the recommendations essentially cleaned up and standardized language and process. The AIC was originally given two years to complete its work, but requested and was granted a third year to continue working on standards.
The GA also amended its Rules of Assembly, the policies for how the GA conducts its work. These revisions clarified how business is to be received by the GA (normally as a presbytery-sent overture, i.e. a request for action) and provided a pathway under narrow circumstances for overtures defeated at a presbytery-level to still get to the GA.
The EPC produces position papers from time to time that enables the church to make a definitive statement to itself, the Christian community and the world about particular issues. This GA instructed our Permanent Committee on Theology to review the EPC’s Position Paper on Divorce and Remarriage in light of larger cultural developments and pastoral concerns flowing from them, and then to make any recommendations for revision it deems necessary to the 46th GA next year.
Finally, Bob Stauffer, the EPC’s National Director of Church Health, retired. Bob is a longtime EPC minister and EPC staffer and was ordained on the floor of the very first EPC GA back in 1981.
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Helpful summary, Cameron. Thank you. One minor addition: The EPC hopes to maintain a relationship with the Church of Jesus Christ of Madagascar through the World Reformed Fellowship.
This is quite helpful. I would add to this summary the celebration throughout the meetings of the completion of the Engage 2025 goal (for each presbytery to begin a presbytery initiated and sponsored church planting work among a particular least reached people group). Having been at the GA in 2010 when this effort was proposed, reaching the goal is a really big deal. Now, every presbytery has crossed the starting line and the ministry of world outreach through Engage is clearly underway. That was something the whole assembly celebrated!
I’m just wondering, wasn’t there an Ad-Interim committee on whether or not we would allow Greg Johnson and his church to enter the EPC, or was it on side B Christianity more broadly? I thought that they were supposed to give an update at this GA and their decision next year. Was there an update? How is it looking from your point of view?
Yes, that committee is at work. In these summaries I only provide updates on what was actually voted on, rather than all the other going ons. That ad-interim committee gave an update on their work and there will likely be some votes next year on their recommendations.