The Orthodox Presbyterian Church MINUTES OF THE TWENTY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY i MEETING AT WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY CHESTNUT HILL, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA MAY 25-30, 1955 Published by The Orthodox Presbyterian Church 728 Schaff Building, 1505 Race Street, Philadelphia 2, Pennsylvania .* J TWENTY-SECONDGENERAL ASSEMBLY MINUTES OF THE TWENTY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY ot THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH I MEETING AT WESTMINSTERSEMINARY, CHESTNUTHILL, PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA I May 25 - 30, 1955 WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 25 I I The Rev. Robert K. Churchill, moderator of the Twenty-first General Assembly, opened the Communion Service preceding the Twenty-second General Assemlbly at 8 P.M., May 25, 1955, in the Cslvary Church of Glenside, Pa. Mr. Churchill delivered a sermon on the subject “The Gospel Invitation”, using as his text Isaiah 55:l. Following the sermon, the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered by Mr. Churchill, as- sisted <by the Rev. Francis E. Mahaffy and the Rev. Lawrence N. Manross, Ph.D., and Ruling Elders L. H. Barker, L. G. Brown, B. A. Cooky, and Charles H. Phillips. THURSDAY MORNING Following a devotional service led by the Rev. Lawrence R. Eyres, at 8.30, the Twenty-second General Assembly was called to order at 9 o’clock in the Calvary Church of Glenside and constituted with prayer by Mr. Churchill. I The roll of commissioners follows: Presbytery of California Ministers: Edwards E. Elliott, Edward L. Kellogg, E. Lynne Wade. Ruling Elder: L. M. Barker. Presbytery of New Jersey Ministers: Wm. Harllee Bordeaux, Ralph E. Clough, Edrnund P. Clowney, Jr., John Davies, Everett C. DeVelde, Leslie A. Dunn, Albert G. Edwards, 111, Charles H. Ellis, Theodore J. Georgian, John C. Hills, JL., Meredith G. Kline, LeRov B. Oliver, James W. Price, Carl J. Reitsma, Raymond 0. Zorn. Ruling Elders: Floyd C. Graf, Henry L. Griswold, Cooper Kirk, Willard E. Neel, John Pedersen, A. Boyce Spooner, Malcolm Woodruff. Presbytery of New York and New England Ministers: John J. de Waird. Herbert V. G. DuA‘Iont, Rflyinond M. Meiners, Jolii; Murray, John H. Skilton, Dale N. Snyder, Charles E. Stdntm. Ruling Elders: Buford A. Cooley, Arthur L. Comstock, Charles F. Remein. Presbytery of Ohio Ministers : Calvin Knox Cunimings. Wendell L. Rockcy, Jr., Ruling Elder: David H. I-Ienry. Presbytery of Philadelphia Ministers: Robert L. Atwell, Lester R. Bachman, John P. Clelland, Glenn R. Coie, Raymond E. Comineret, Robert W. Eckardt, F. Clarke Evans, David Frecinaii, John Y. Galbraith, Francis E. Mahaffy, Robley J. Johnston, Arthur W. Kuschke, Jr., Robert S. Marsden, Leslie W. Sloat, G. Travers Sloyer, Ned B. Stonehouse, Robert L. Thoburn, Cornelius Van Til, Robert L. Vining, Paul Woolley, Ed- ward J. Young. Ruling Elders: William A. Campbell, J. D. Faran, alternate, Thomas G. Kay, J. nichard Kreiner, Herman L. Steen, Howard A. Porter, alternate, M. F. Thomp- son, alternate, Harry Greiner, alternate, Richard C. Zebley, alternate, Leonard G. Brown, Wm. R. Ferguson, Clzarles W. Breuninger, alternate, Charles H. Phillips, Ralph Clouser, Albert Eiscntrdger, Robert H. George, 111. f tion was granted. Mr. Oliver was elected on the first ballot. The Clerk read the following overtures. OVERTURES OVERTURENo. 1. TWENTY-SECONDGENERAL ASSEMBLY 5 OVERTURENo. 3. From the Presbytery of California: . .that the Assembly heed the call extended by the Reformed Presbyterian Church to confer regarding the possibilities of union with certain other Reformed Churches. OVERTUR~No. 4. From the Presbytery of the Dakotas: . .that the Assembly adopt the following resolu- tion : Whereas the Orthodox Presbyterian Church has passed, with travail, through her for- mative years; and Whereas the business of the General Assembly has now become more or less routine; and Whereas the budget of the past few General Assemblies has not tbeen met; and Whereas the Travel Fund of nearly all the Assemblies has failed of its purpose; therefore Be it resolved that the General Assembly submit to the Presbyteries for their approval an amendment to Chapter XI, Paragraph 7 of the Form of Government, so thi?t the General Assembly be authorized to adopt a biennial plan of meeting; this amendment to bE handled in accordance with Chapter XXIV, Paragraph 1 of the Form oE Govern- ment; and Be it further resolved, that the General Asscmlbly instruct its permanent Committees to prepare to reincorporate in accordance with the biennial plan of meeting and effect whatever changes are necessary so that when approval of the Preesbyterics is indicated, the policy of meeting biennially may !be put into immediate operation. OVERTURENo. 5. From the Presbytery of the Dakotas: . .to propose to the Presbyteries to add to the Book of Discipline, Chapter VI, Article 2, the following: When a member removes from the bounds of the congregation, and does not unite with another particular church, and does not show any real interest in the local congregation of which he is a member for a period of one year, his name shall be erased from the roll and the fact recorded in the minutes of the session. OVERTURENo. 6. From the Presbytery of the Dakotas: . .to propose to the Presbyteries to add to the Book of Discipline, Chapter VI, Article 2, the following: When a memlber within the abounds of a congregation absents himself from the regu- lar worship service of that congregation for a period of six months, except for reasons of sickness or infirmity of age, he shall be notified of his absence by the session, and, if he continues to absent himself for an additional period of three months, his name shall be erased from the roll, and the fact recorded in the minutes of the session. OVERTURENo. 7. From the Presbytery of the Dakotas: . .to call the attention of the Presbyteries to the Form of Government, Chapter X, Article 2, Line 3, where the words “within a certain district” restrict memabership in each particular Presbytery to those whose legal residence is “within a certain district” geographically defining the bounds of Prl-sbytery; and, that particular Presbyteries violating this requirement by continuing on their rolls ministers not within the geographical district of Presbytery, ie., ministers whose legal residence is not within the geographical bounds of the Presbytery, be instructed to correct such violations, by either dismissing the ministers in violation to the proper Presbytery or erasing thzir names from the rolls. OVERTURENo. 8. From the Presbytery of the Dakotas: . .to instruct the Stated Clerk to record the amount given by each particular church to the Committees of the General Assembly in the Sta- tistical Report included in the appendix to the minutes of the General Assembly. 6 TWENTY-SECONDGENERAL ASSEMBLY OVERTURENo. 9. From the Presbytery of the Dakotas: . .to consider the matter of the (our) Church’s rc- lation to the Boy Scouts of America, and to give its decision after consultation with the representatives of the Boy Scouts of America. COMPLAINTS It was moved and carried that the complaints be recorded at this point in the Mi- nutes, but that the reading of them at this time be dispensed with. March 4, 1955 To the Twenty-second General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church : Fathers and Brethren: This letter presents two Complaints, on behalf of the signers thereof. The first complaint, that of July 8, 1954, charges the Presbytery of Philadelphia with doctrinal error in its decision of May 17, 1954 to ordain Mr. G. Travers Sloyer. It was rejected, in effect, by the ordination of Mr. Sloyer on July 25, 1954. The second complaint, that of October 15, 1954, charges the Presbytery of Philadel- phia with violations of Presbyterian order on July 19 and 25, 1954 in proceeding to ordain Mr. Sloycr. Since the presbytery has thus far failed to make amends in answer to either com- plaint, both complaints are herewith carried to the Twenty-second General Assemjbly for hearing and decision. Appropriate notice has been given to the Presbytery of Philadel- phia, in accordancc with Chapter X, Section 3 of the Book of Discipline. AETHURw. Kuscir~~JI;. To the Twenty-second General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church: And now, this 8th day of July, A.D. 1954, come the undersigned and complain against the action of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, on May 17, 1954, in determining to ordain Mr. G. Travers Sloyer; and in support of this complaint set forth the following reasons : 1. The burden of proof being upon Mr. Sloyer, he has failed to show that he safe- guards the sole authority of Scripture in the following contentions as to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which he has held before the presbytery for several years and with respect to which he has refused to change his position: a. He regards Luke 4:l and Acts 16:6-7as normative for that type of guidance which we receive today. (Transcript of the examination of Nov. 17, 1952. 44:4-27, 12: 35-14: 2 1, 24:3-25 : 3, 32:8-1 5, 45;13-22) b. He acknowledges an “illogical jump” between the Word and that guidance of the Spirit which he claims. (,Complaint signed by Mr. Sloyer, Minutes of the 20th General Assembly, 1953, pages 9-10,no. 5). Such guidance is neither expressly set down in Scripture nor deduced from Scripture by good and necessary consequence, and is therefore contrary to the Westminister Confession, Chapter I, Section 6. c. He relies upon his recognition of the work of the Holy Spirit as a means of identifying the guidance of the Spirit. (Transcript, 29: 16-30:23, 38:6-28) d. He relies upon such recognition even when the alternatives before him are good according to Scripture and he knows of no reason derived from Scripture which determines the choice of one alternative rather than another.