The 54th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church met at Calvin College from June 11–18, 1987. As expected, this assembly was for the most part routine.
HOME MISSIONS
The Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension reported an aggressive outreach effort with six new fields being opened this year aimed at major metropolitan areas. The assembly commended its committee for its work. Two actions expressed the dissatisfaction of some in the OPC for perceived trends toward un-Biblical church growth methods. The committee was instructed to “set forth the principles and methods of church growth under which the Committee operates” and “to evaluate these principles and methods.” For nearly five hours the assembly discussed what would be an appropriate response to an ad appearing in Eternity magazine (June 1987) that pictured a “yuppie” woman working out at a weight-lifting machine and asked readers to join in with the Home Missions Committee to reach this group of people who need to hear the gospel. The assembly directed its committee “to communicate regret and apology” to any who express offense at the ad and to establish a publicity review procedure for similar ads in the future. The assembly spent too much time on an unscheduled issue that prevented adequate treatment of other matters more properly before the assembly. A committee was established “to study ways for the General Assembly to process its work more expeditiously.”
FOREIGN MISSIONS
The Committee on Foreign Missions presented favorable reports of the missionary efforts in Japan, Kenya, Korea, the Middle East and Taiwan. A new field was opened this year in Surinam, the OPC’s first work in South America, and there was talk of yet another new field in the Philippines. Some of the personnel for these new fields may be veteran missionaries currently stationed in Korea; many believe that our work in Korea is nearly complete and that the time has come to leave that field. The General Assembly approved a “new” approach to supporting foreign missions that would allow for the expansion of the OPC’s missionary efforts. A missionary, if approved by the Committee on Foreign Missions, can now raise funds by deputation to support a new foreign mission field. Also, a local church or a presbytery may sponsor a missionary to a new field with the cooperation and blessing of the Committee on Foreign Missions.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
The Committee on Christian Education sought and received the approval of the revision of the Trinity Hymnal. Several speeches questioned the doctrinal soundness of the new hymns. Not all were satisfied, but it appeared that the response of theological advisor Prof. John Frame persuaded the assembly that indeed the new hymnal was in accord with Reformed theology. The assembly adopted rules for commending a theological seminary; these include that the seminary has adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as its doctrinal standards and that a clear mechanism for determining subscription to these standards be operating. The assembly also approved a “Recommended Curriculum for Ministerial Preparation in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.”
ECUMENICITY
The General Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to the visible, organizational unit)’ of the church and set out to practice that commitment by encouraging its Committee on Ecumenicity and Inter-church Relations to pursue discussions with a goal of eventual church union with the parallel committees in the Presbyterian Church in America and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America. The assembly also encouraged sessions, presbyteries and program committees to apply these principles of church unity as much as possible in their local sphere. The General Assembly approved a letter to be sent to the Interim Committee of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod entitled “Why the Membership of the GKN in the RES Must Be Terminated Now” due to the fact that the GKN tolerates homosexuality in the membership and the ministry, together with other deviations from Biblical Christianity. Again this year the OPC General Assembly refused to withdraw or to take threatening action, but chose to wait until RES Harare 1988.
STUDY COMMITTEES
The report of the Committee of Paedocommunion (children at the Lord’s Supper) indicated that a majority on the committee were favorable toward the practice. There was no discussion of the issue on the floor of the assembly and the committee was continued in order to prepare a careful Biblical defense of its position.
The reports of the Committee on Hermeneutics of Women in Ordained Office contained an emphatic conclusion that women may not hold the office of elder. The committee has not completed its work with respect to the office of deacon. Both committees were continued for another year.
In response to an overture from one of the presbyteries, the assembly directed its Committee on Diaconal Ministries to study ways to aid small churches who are unable to support their own full-time pastor.
COMPLAINT
Complaints from the Presbytery ofSouthern California felt that the presbytery had erred in refusing to re-ordain a minister from the Presbyterian Church (USA) who had been received into that presbytery. The complaints argued that such a church is not a true church of Christ due to widespread unbelief of cardinal doctrines of the faith and due to the official adoption of neo–orthodoxy with the Confessions of 1967; and that ordination by such a church is not a valid ordination. The General Assembly denied the complaint on the grounds that while heresy may be widespread in that denomination, it may not be said that there is not a remnant of true Christians in their membership, their sessions or their presbyteries.
REFLECTIONS
At times during the assembly it appeared that the OPC was deeply divided and often along predictable lines. It is grevious that differences in opinion about implementation of common principles is accompanied with such a critical, uncharitable spirit, one that even impugns the motives of others. As the OPC has been forced to take specific stands on specific issues, differences appear, but if opposing sides just take a few steps back, they will find that they agree more with their brethren in the OPC on the principles behind these issues than with anyone else.
Terry M. Gray, a professor of Chemistry at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, reports on the general assembly of his church.