Category: Response to the Remits

St. Andrew’s and St. Stephen’s North Vancouver Overture re: Gracious Dismissal

WHEREAS, between 2015-2020 24 Overtures and Petitions have been made to General Assembly requesting, in general, that The Presbyterian Church in Canada permit congregations to leave the denomination with their property at nominal cost to the congregation if the denomination approves either a redefinition of marriage to include same sex couples or the ordination of … Continue reading St. Andrew’s and St. Stephen’s North Vancouver Overture re: Gracious Dismissal

St. Paul’s Simcoe Overture re: Virtual Assembly

Whereas the congregations and courts of the Presbyterian Church in Canada have been adapting to different forms of meeting since March 2020; and Whereas these forms have challenged our longstanding principle and practice of full participation by each member in the business of the courts (Book of Forms 4.4,4.3); and Whereas the Assembly Council has … Continue reading St. Paul’s Simcoe Overture re: Virtual Assembly

Knox Thedford Overture re: Separate Synods

WHEREAS the divisions within the Presbyterian Church in Canada have become more pronounced, and have both widened and deepened over the last decade; and WHEREAS the matters of disagreement include many aspects of faith and life, belief and practice; and WHEREAS by its own admission in a report received by General Assembly in 2019, there … Continue reading Knox Thedford Overture re: Separate Synods

PCC Restructuring Call to Action

Recent years in our denomination have been turbulent. Some fear that our denomination may not, in its entirety, find its way back to authentic Biblical thinking, powerful Spirit-led prayer, and effective Gospel witness. Several of our members have been working on a way forward that was proposed by the Special Committee ... Read more

A Dangerous Precedent

A Joint Statement from PSALT and the Renewal Fellowship. Since the denomination’s beginning, there have been unofficial groups gathering within The Presbyterian Church in Canada. They have been structured to pursue particular goals of Christian ministry. Some have been of an ad hoc nature, with both leadership and focus changing regularly. Others have been organized … Continue reading A Dangerous Precedent

PCC Covenant Opening Worship

I once posted in social media a picture of me wearing a Toronto Blue Jays cap, and my cousin posted along the lines that I look like “a thug from the hood", to which I replied, “I didn't choose the thug life, the thug life chose me.” Most of us here could say something similar about our denomination. We've been born into or have been a part of the PCC for a long time. I, however, like many of you did have the special opportunity of really affirming our denomination through my ordination vows, as I pledged myself and swore to uphold our subordinate standards ... Read more

Gracious Dismissal Final Report

This week, Assembly Council published the minutes of its October 27, 2020, meeting in which the report of its Gracious Dismissal Committee was on the agenda. A majority on the council voted not to receive it "until at least after the General Assembly has dealt with Remits B and C." Notwithstanding this decision ... Read more

Victory On The “Losing” Side

As we wait for the next General Assembly, many of us in PCC orthodoxy are praying, listening, discussing, discerning, and planning. It appears that a future General Assembly will approve the proposed parallel definitions of marriage in which “faithful, Holy Spirit-filled, Christ-centred, God-honouring people can understand marriage as a covenant relationship between a man and ... Read more

We Need to Create New Wineskins

It’s time for the church to issue its own marriage licences. This writer is old enough to remember the burning of draft cards to protest the Vietnam war and bras being burned to somehow advance a feminist agenda. Similarly, as both a protest and affirmation, he would have no difficulty shredding his government-issued marriage licence ... Read more

Grace Orleans Overture re: Governance Model Protection

Whereas the discussion of human sexuality issues has been before the Presbyterian Church in Canada for at least the past thirty years; it is time to bring it to a conclusion that protects congregations with a traditional understanding of the Bible; and whereas the Session and congregation of Grace, Orleans ON, has yet to see a definitive response to an Overture submitted five years ago regarding Gracious Dismissal, having experienced significant pain both in the congregation and the loss of its pastor of many years, and significant conflict over this issue ... Read more

One Man’s Holy Dissent

Any member of a court who has voted on a question and who disagrees with the outcome may register a dissent. The following was written in response to the Presbytery of Hamilton's decision to support Remits "B" and "C". Rev. George Anderson All things in the church start and end with Jesus Christ who is … Continue reading One Man’s Holy Dissent

Remit Voting Results

From September 2019 through March 2020, each of the 45 presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church in Canada will be voting on the two Remits concerning same-sex marriage and ordination. If a majority of the 45 presbyteries approve, and that majority consists of at least half of the combined total of the constituent members on the rolls of presbyteries, then the remits will go to next year’s General Assembly, which is free to vote “Yes” or “No”. The dates, results, and numbers were supplied to us by members of the courts ... Read more

Orthodoxy in the PCC – Where It’s At

In February 2020, The Renewal Fellowship convened three online gatherings of ministers, elders and congregants who adhere to a traditional view of doctrine and theology in The Presbyterian Church in Canada. The participants were, generally speaking, opposed to the remits (proposals) before our church courts to redefine marriage in order to create equal space for … Continue reading Orthodoxy in the PCC – Where It’s At

Cheyne Stoney Creek Overture re: Two-Stream Structure

Whereas since 2014 many studies, overtures, and debates focusing on LGBTQI matters have revealed a deeply divided denomination; and whereas, despite many serious attempts to resolve these deep divisions, the numerous dissents and expressions of profound pain at the 145th General Assembly … Read more

Overture from Eastern Han-Ca Presbytery

Whereas Korean congregations from 1967 onwards entered into a mutual covenant with The Presbyterian Church in Canada for the reason that our theological and doctrinal beliefs, expression of faith and worship, and governance were in consonance with those of The Presbyterian Church in Canada; and whereas these beliefs of The Presbyterian Church in Canada are found in our subordinate standards – the Westminster Confession of Faith adopted in 1875 and 1889 ... Read more

Grace West Hill Overture re: Safe Place for Congregations

Whereas the beliefs of The Presbyterian Church in Canada are defined in our subordinate standards, and whereas every minister and elder in The Presbyterian Church in Canada affirmed our subordinate standards in their ordination vows; and whereas General Assemblies of our denomination, despite these ordination vows, have nevertheless for several years been discussing changes, referred to as human sexuality issues, that would contravene our subordinate standards ... Read more

To the Life and Mission Agency

In June 2019, General Assembly approved the following recommendation regarding Remits B and C – “That as a matter of urgency, the Life and Mission Agency provide a means for those affected by this decision to express their concerns, views and pain in a safe environment and that the concerns be reported back to the 2020 General Assembly before the report on remits is received and its recommendations considered.” While the Feb. 15 deadline to file these expressions has passed, I am sharing my statement in an effort to encourage prayer ... Read more

A Fresh Round of Overtures

As the March 31st deadline for presbyteries to consider the Remits draws closer, there’s renewed anticipation of what new proposals might be in the wings. Not content with pledges of “liberty of conscience and action” in either Remit, several courts are asking General Assembly for something more concrete ... Read more