33Rd General Assembly
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The Or t kodox Presbyterian Ch u reh MINUTES OF THE TH IRTY-TH IRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING AT OOSTBURG, WJSCONS IN APRIL 25 - APRIL 28, 1966 Published by The Orthodox Presbyterian Church 7401 Old York Road Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19126 THIRTY-THIRDGENERAL ASSEMBLY 3 MINUTES OF THE THIRTY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ORTHODOXPRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MEETINGAT OOSTBURG,WISCONSIN APRIL 25 - APRIL 28, 1966 TUESDAY MORNING, April 26 The Thirty-third General Assembly was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by the Rev. Robert W. Eckardt, Moderator of the Thirty-second General Assembly. Mr. Eckardt constituted the meeting with a worship service. The Moderator readhed a sermon on the subject, “A Good Servant of Jesus Christ,” using as his text I .r;Pmothy 4:16b. It was moved and carried that to expedite the roll call, as each name is called, requests in accordance with Standing Rule 58 be voiced and that action on these requests be formulated into a single motion. The roll of the commissioners follows: Presbytery of the Dakotas Ministers: Carl A. Ahlfeldt, Lionel F. S. Brown, Abe W. Ediger, Howard E. Hart, Ronald E. Jenkins, Russell D. Piper, Robert D. Sander, Donald H. Taws, John Vefhage, Reginald Voorhees Ruling Elder: Roswell Kamrath Presbytery of New Jersey Ministers: Jay ,E. Adams, Calvin A. Busch, Edmund P. Clowney, Harvie M. Conn, John Davies, Everett C. De Velde, Richard G. Hodgson, Rollin P. Keller, Gordon D. MOUW,LeRoy B. Oliver, Arthur 0. Olson, Jack J. Pelterson Ruling Elders: Richard A. Barker, H. Robert Keenan, Willard E. Nee1 Presbytery of New York and New England Ministers: Leslie A. Dunn, Theodore J. Georgian, George E. Haney, Jr., Raymond M. Meiners, William E. Moreau, John Murray, Wendell L. Rockey, Jr., Charles E. Stanton, Bernard J. Stonehouse, George J. Willis Ruling Elder: F. Kingsley Elder, jr., Ph.D. I Presbytery of Ohio Ministers: Calvin K. Cummings, Arnold S. Kress, Stanford M. Sutton, Jr., Henry P. Tavares Ruling Elders: Arthur Armour, Lloyd L. Bailey, Perry G. Boermans, R. Melvin Copeland, John C. Smith Presbytery of Philadelphia Ministers: Lester R. Bachman, Ivan J. De Master, Robert W. Eckardt, Charles H. Ellis, Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., John P. Galbraith, George W. Hall, Jr., John D. Johnston, Robley J. Johnston, Robert D. Knudsen, Ph.D., John J. Mitchell, William J. Rankin, Laurence C. Sibley, Jr., A. Boyce Sponer, Laurence N. Vail, Paul Woolley Ruling Elders: Newman De Haas, Robert G. De Moss, Clay Duggan, William R. Ferguson, Robert M. Meeker, Lewis W. Roberts Presbytery of the South Ministers: Robert L. Atwell, George W. Knight, 111, John H. Thompson, Jr., Cornelius Tolsma, Robert G. Valentine 4 THIHTY-THIRDGENERAL ASSEMBLY Presbytery of Smithern California Ministers: H. Wilson Albright, William J. Bomer, Ralph E. Clough, Edwards E. Elliott, Lawrence R. Eyres, Robert 13. Graham, Edward L. Kellogg, Calvin R. Malcor, Dwight H. Poundstone, Salvador M. Solis Ruling Elder: Walter Flores Presbytery of the West Coast Ministers: Henry W. Coray, Wilson H. Rinker Presbytery of Wisconsin Ministers: Francis D. Breisch, Jr., Heilry H. Fikkert, George W. Marston, Donald M. Parker, Menry D. Phillips, William A. Shell, Donald F. Stanton Ruling Elders: Earl De Master, Ronald Mentink, Harold P. Rosltamp, Louis J. Voskuil; Alternates: Audley Lemmenes, Adrian Buyze, Howard Le Mahieu, Howard Veldlorst, Henry L. Lemmenes, &win Claerbaut, Herbert Risseeuw On motion ilt was decided that for the purpose of determining full travel fund 1. compensation, attendance through the evening session of Friday, April 29, shall be deemed to fulfill the requirement of attendance at every session of the Assembly. Mr. Donald Stanton, the host pastor, reported for the Committee on Arrangements. The Assembly recessed at 1O:Ol a.m. and reconvened at 10:17 a.m. The report of the Stated Clerk was presented as follows: REPORT OF THE STATED CLERK Thc Minutes of the Thirty-second General Assembly are presented herewith. The Minutes were published on September 22, 1965 and copies were distributed to all ministers and sessions as well as to other churches with whom the Orthodox Presbyterian Church is in correspondence. ’The Clerk has noted a number of typographical errors and calls attention to an omission on page 6 as follows: After the first paragraph #the following motion should be inserted: “On motion this matter was referred to the Committee on Overtures and Communications.” In addition, on page 55 in the Report of the Committee I on Foreign Missions under “Finances” the word “exclusive” in the first sentence should i read “inclusive.” t The Thirty-second Assembly failed to take action to reappoint a Liaison Representa- 5 I tive to the World Home Bible League and News and Missions Correspondents to the 1 Reformed Ecumenical Synod. Lacking good reason to suppose that this was anything I but an oversight, the Clerk requested those who had served in these capacities to continue their service for another year. The Committee on a Thirtieth Anniversary Booklet, appointed by the Moderator after the dissolution of the Thirty-second Assembly resigned en masse and consequently the docket for the Thirty-third Assembly does not include a repoat on a Thirtieth Anniversary Booklet. In past years the Stated Clerk has communicated with churches with whom the Orthodox Presbyterian Church is in correspondence, inviting them ,to send fraternal delegates to our assembly. With the erection of a standing Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations, the Clerk was uncertain whether this practice should be continued and the Committee on Ecumenicity :had not originally envisioned this as a part of its regular activity. As a consequence, no such invitations were sent this year. The Clerk recommends therefore, that the matter of the procedure to be followed in inviting other churches to send fraternal delegates be referred to the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurah Relations for its advice. The Clerk acted as agent for the denorination in endorsing applicants for service in the chaplaincy of the military services. Communications from the several dhaplains’ headquarters are received regularly, but the Clerk has neither the time nor r’he facilities THIRTY-THIRDGENERAL ASSEMBLY 5 to make any effective use of the information provided in these communications. The Clerk has performed such other duties as are required by Rules No. 19 and 20 of the Standing Rules of the General Assembly. The report of the General Assembly Fund is as follows: GEN,ERAL ASSEMBLY FUND Statement of Cash Receipts and Disbursements July 1, 1965 to April 15, 1966 Balance July 1, 1965 ........................................................ $ 258.82 RECEIPTS Contributions from 87 churches _______________________________________ $4,826.48 Sale of Minutes L_______________________________________------------------------ 378.48 5,204.96 ------ ------ ------$5,46 3.78 DISBURSEMENTS Printing and mailing Minutes $1,688.53 Binding previous Minutes 233.40 Fees - Stated Clerk - 31st G.A. 150.00 Stated Clerk - 32nd G.A. _______r__________________________150.UO Assistant Clerk ___________________________c____________------------- 25.00 Statistician ________________________________________--------------------50.00 Stationery, Tele$hone, Postage 434.44 Secretarial expense 267.75 Gereformeerde Kerken - Letters, etc. ____________________-------- 75.08 Travel - Delegates: Reformed Presby. - Evangelical Synod 1966 - Advance 95.00 Gereformeerde Kerken - 1965 2.33 Fraternal Delegates - 32nd G.A. 10.50 Committee expenses: Stewardship .................................................................... 80.07 Radio and Television ____________________________________________________ 109.80 Baptism 26.46 Presbyterial Records ________________________________________----------27.24 To Confer with Christian Ref. Church ........................ 14.10 Travel Fund ................................................................. 7.00 Ecumenicity & Interchurch Relations 398.22 Reformed Ecumenical Synod 1966 Assessment ________________________________________--$550.00 1966 Regional Conference ___________________________ 300.00 Misc. Expense ____________________________________________ 5.05 855.05 $4,699.97 $5,463.78 The recommendation of the Stated Clerk was adopted as follows: It was moved and carried that the matter of procedure to be followed in inviting other churches to send frater- nal delegates be referred to the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations for its advice. 6 THIRTY-THIRDGENERAL ASSEMBLY On inotion Standing Rule 35 was suspended and the report of adhe Statistician was ordered printed in the Minutes without being read orally. The report of the Statistician is as follows: REPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN To assist in understanding the Statistical Report for the year ending December 31, 1965, the following brief summary is presented. MINISTERS AND CHURCHES At the end of 1965 there were 151 ministers enrolled, two more than the year before, returning to the high point of two years ago. The number of churches increased by two, reaching a new high of 103. Churches without a pastor ran about 15% of the total which has been the general level. The number of chapels remained at seven. MEMBERSHIP Total membership at the end of 1965 was 12,867 persons, a net gain of 310 during the year or 2.5%. This compares with a gain in U.S. resident population of 1.2% for the same period. A large part of the gain is attributable to growth in the Presbytery of rhe South with the addition of the church at Harriman, Tennessee in