52Nd General Assembly
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MINUTES of the FIFTY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY Meeting at St. Davids, Pennsylvania May 30 - June 6, 1985 and YEARBOOK of THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Published by the ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 7401 Old York Road Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19 126 OFFICERS OF THE FIFTY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY Moderator The Rev. John R. Hilbelink, 6206 Oxbow Trail, Amarillo, TX 79106 Stated Clerk The Rev. John P. Galbraith, 2345 Willow Brook Drive, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006 Assistant Clerk The Rev. Stephen L. Phillips, 42 Beresford Road, Rochester, NY 14610 Statistician Mr. Luke E. Brown, 1585 Bauman Drive, Maple Glen, PA 19002 Internal Revenue Service number for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church: 23-7001 990 $6.00 per copy MINUTES of the FIFTY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY Meeting at St. Davids, Pennsylvania May 30 - June 6, 1985 and YEARBOOK of THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Published by the ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 7401 Old York Road Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19 126 FOREWORD The three sections of this volume are as follows: JOURNAL. The minutes of the daily sessions of the Assembly. They do not contain the documents that are given in the second section, except that any recommendations contained in reports are repeated in the Journal at the point where they were considered. For easier reference the Journal is divided into articles, which are recognized in the Index and cross- referencing by the symbol $, rather than by page number. APPENDIX. The documents submitted to the Assembly as reports of Standing and Special committees and by presbyteries or other bodies. References to the documents in this section are by page numbers in both the Journal and the Index. YEARBOOK. This section contains what may be regarded as general statistics: numbers and lists for general reference. References to this section are by page number. The Clerk is endeavoring to improve the usefulness of the volume and suggestions to that end will be most welcome. 1 CONTENTS Page JOURNAL 1 APPENDIX 43 Overtures 44 Communications 47 Stated Clerk 57 Trustees 65 Statistician 66 Foreign Missions, Committee on 69 Christian Education, Committee on 79 Home Missions and Church Extension, Committee on 89 Coordination, Committee on 101 Diaconal Ministries, Committee on 106 Pensions, Committee on 113 Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations, Committee on 124 Pre-Assembly Conference, Committee on 136 Revisions to Book of Discipline and Directory for Worship, Committee on 137 Historian 139 Historian’s Committee 140 Semicentennial Committee 142 Reformed Ecumenical Synod Matters, Committee on 143 Reformed Ecumenical Synod Missions Correspondent 163 Chaplains Commission 163 Hermeneutics of Women in Office, Committee on 164 Emeritation, Committee to Study 168 YEARBOOK Statistical Reports of the Regional Churches 177 Summary of Statistics 21 1 Recapitulation of Membership Statistics 1938-1984 212 Apportionment of Commissioners to 53rd General Assembly 213 Standing Committees (membership listed) 214 Special Committees of the 52nd General Assembly (members listed) 216 Moderators of the General Assemblies 218 Clerks of the General Assemblies 219 Clerks of Sessions 220 Stated Clerks of Presbyteries 227 Ministers (listed) 228 INDEX 23 5 ii JOURNAL JOURNAL of the FIFTY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the ORTHODOX PRESBYTER1 AN CHURCH Meeting at Eastern College St. Davids, Pennsylvania May 30 - June 6, 1985 THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 30 1. ASSEMBLY OPENING. The Fifty-second General Assembly was called to order at 8:OO p.m. by the Rev. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Th.D., Moderator of the Fifty-first General Assembly. Dr. Gaffin constituted the meeting with a worship service and delivered a ser- mon on the subject “On Being Like-Minded,” based upon Philippians 2:l-5. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered by Dr. Gaffin, assisted by the Rev. Steven F. Miller, and the Session of Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Glenside, Pennsylvania: Ruling Elders William R. Haden, Robert M. Meeker, Howard A.Porter, Samuel F, Reif, and Edward D. Schnitzel, Jr. The Moderator announced that the offering received at the service ($433.00) would be for the General Assembly Travel Fund. 2. RECESS. The Assembly recessed, following the pronouncement of the benediction by Dr. Gaffin, at 9:18 p.m. FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 31 3. DEVOTIONAL and RECONVENE. Following a devotional service led by the Rev. Ken- neth J. Campbell, the Assembly reconvened at 8:13 a.m. The Moderator led in prayer. 4. ROLL OF COMMISSIONERS. The Roll of Commissioners follows. (Commissioners represent presbyteries. Locations of ruling elders are for reference only. The roll includes those enrolled at this and all later points in the Assembly.) Presbytery of the Dakotas Ministers: Stephen D. Doe, Lawrence R. Eyres, John R. Hilbelink, Glenn D. Jerrell, David W. Kiester, Neil J. Lodge, Jack J. Peterson, Gerald S. Taylor, G.I. Williamson, Christopher H. Wisdom Ruling Elders: Frank W. Burger (Abilene), Wesley Frantz (Winner), Richard Vanden- burg (Carson), Ronald E. Vanden Burg (Lark), Larry A. Woiwode (Carson) Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic Ministers: George W. Hall, Jr., Allen H. Harris, Jr., Stuart R. Jones, Richard E. Knodel, Jr., Hailu Mekonnen, Edwin C. Urban Ruling Elders: Richard L. Hake (Burtonsville), Donald Potter (Vienna) Presbytery of the Midwest Ministers: Robert J. Borger, James L. Bosgraf, Calvin K. Cummings,Sr., David B. Cummings, David A. George, Robert W. Harvey, Ronald J. Hoekstra, Donald M. Parker, Donald F. Stanton 1 $4 cont. FIFTY-SECONDGENERAL ASSEMBLY Ruling Elder: Howard L. Veldhorst (Oostburg), Earl Zetterholm (Lansing) Presbytery of New Jersey Ministers: Kenneth J. Campbell, David F. Elmer, W. Ralph English, Ross W. Graham, Gordon S. Miller, Richard A. Nelson, LeRoy B. Oliver, Robert H. Tanzie, Laurence N. Vail, Douglas A. Watson Ruling Elders: Richard A. Barker (Westfield), Jesse J. Denton, Jr. (Ringoes), Sanford C. Garrison (Pittsgrove), Garret A. Hoogerhyde (Fair Lawn), Gordon H. Singer (Strat ford), R. Arthur Thompson (Westfield) Presbytery of New York and New England Ministers: Harold L. Dorman, Robert W. Eckardt, Richard R. Gerber, John W. Mallin, 111, Donald R. Miller, Randolph H. Patterson, Stephen L. Phillips, Laurence C. Sibley, Jr., Richard J. Wirth Ruling Elders: F. Kingsley Elder, Jr., Ph.D. (Covenant, Rochester), Richard L. Guido (Franklin Square), Jonathan H. Landell (Burlington), Sungjin Lee (New Rochelle), Herbert R. Muether, Ph.D. (Franklin Square) Presbytery of Northern California Ministers: David W. Cole, Robert H. Graham, Lyman M. Smith Ruling Elders: Arnold E. Larson (Sunnyvale), David L. Neilands (Berkeley) Presbytery of the Northwest Ministers: Albert G. Edwards, 111, Harold A. McKenzie, Patrick H. Morison, Donald M. Poundstone, Samuel van Houte Ruling Elders: Mark T. Bube (Portland), Terry M. Gray (Eugene), Leonard W. Schmurr (Portland) Presbytery of Ohio Ministers: Ivan R. Davis, Charles G. Dennison, Michael J. Frangipane, Lawrence Semel Ruling Elders: William H. Kiester (Harrisville), Arthur J. Schwab (Sewickley), Craig E. Wargo (Edinburg) Presbytery of Philadelphia Ministers: Thomas M. Corey, George R. Cottenden, Richard M. Craven, Calvin K. Cummings, Jr., Jonathan C. Gibbs, 111, Mark W. Holler, Karl A. Hubenthal, Jack D. Kinneer, Robert D. Knudsen, Ph.D., Steven F. Miller, David J. O’Leary, Albert W. Steever, Jr., Bernard J. Stonehouse Ruling Elders: Charles Angert (Church of the City, Philadelphia), Peyton H. Gardner (Emmanuel, Wilmington), William R. Haden (Glenside), John 0. Kinnaird Ox- ford)Lawrence L. Lyford (Mechanicsville), Robert M. Meeker (Glenside), Howard A. Porter (Glenside), Edward D. Schnitzel, Jr. (Glenside) Presbytery of the South Ministers: Jeffrey K. Boer, Thomas S. Champness, Jr., Louis A. Kickasola, R. Heber McIlwaine, Larry G. Mininger, Robert A. Minnig, Roger W. Schmurr Ruling Elders: none Presbytery of Southern California Ministers: Dominic A. Aquila, Dana W. Casey, Bruce A. Coie, Donald J. Duff, Jay E. Fluck, T.homas A. Foh, Mark A. House, Stephen A. Larson, Kenneth J. Meilahn, Robert W. Newsom, Lewis A. Ruff, Jr., William E. Warren Ruling Elders: John J. Bayles (Oxnard), Robert M. Coie (Artesia), Dick DeRu (LaMirada), Joseph L. Hanna (Oxnard), Archibald M. Laurie (Goleta), Delbert E. 2 JOURNAL $4 cont.-7 Schowalter (Irvine), David Winslow, Jr. (Garden Grove) Ex Officio Ministers: Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Th.D. (Philadelphia), John P. Galbraith (Philadelphia) 5. Corresponding Members a. Committee Representatives Ministers: Lester R. Bachman (Philadelphia), Committee on Diaconal Ministries; Leonard J. Coppes, Th.D. (Dakotas), Committee on Diaconal Ministries; Donald G. Buchanan, Jr. (Northern California), Committee on Foreign Mis- sions; Ruling Elders: William J. Haldeman (Wilmington, Presbytery of Philadelphia); Committee on Emeritation; William J. Vermeulen (Grand Rapids, Presbytery of the Midwest), Com- mittee on Home Missions and Church Extension b. Fraternal Delegates The Rev. Messrs. Dennis E. Roe, (Reformed Church in the U.S.), Morton H. Smith, Th.D. (Presbyterian Church in America), Jonathan B. Leach (Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America), Howard J. Vugteveen (Christian Reformed Church), David Compton (Free Church of Scotland), Myung Doh Kim (Korean American Presbyterian Church), Peter Kingma (Canadian Reformed Churches) 6. CAPITULATION OF APPORTIONMENT AND ENROLLMENT --Ministers Ministers Elders -Elders Appor Enrolled Appor Enrolled Presbytery tioned tioned Dakotas 10 10 5 5 Mid-Atlantic 7 7 4 2 Midwest 9 9 10 2 New Jersey 10 10 7 6 New York and New England 9 9 6 5 Northern California 5 3 3 2 Northwest 5 4 3 3 Ohio 4 4 3 3 Philadelphia 1 3 1 3 South 7 7 3 0 Southern California 12 12 7 7 Ex Officio -2 -2 -0 -0 Totals 93 90 60 43 7. SURVEY OF COMMISSIONERS’ LENGTH OF SERVICE A survey of the commissioners and corresponding members present yielded the following information as to their dates of ordination: Dates of Ordination No. of Presbyters Responding Since Jan. 1, 1980 29 Jan. 1, 1970 to Dec. 31, 1979 35 Jan. 1, 1960 to Dec. 31, 1969 23 Jan. I, 1950 to Dec. 31, 1959 19 Jan. I, 1940 to Dec. 31, 1949 4 Before Jan. 1, 1940 7 Those attending G.A.