MINUTES OF THE 160th GENERAL SYNOD OF THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH EVANGELICAL SYNOD HELD AT CALVIN COLLEGE GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN JUNE 11-14,1982 WITH INDEX - 1965-1982 INDEX Administrative Committee .............................................................. 66-69 Archivist ..................................................................................... 136-137 Attendance and Expense .................................................................... 78 Audits .................................................................................................. 65 Bills and Overtures ........................................................................ 75-76 A-Amend FOG To Include Examination of Elders ....... 12-13, 75-76 B-Priority Ministry to Ethnic Peoples ...................................... 13, 76 C-On Our Orthodox Presbyterian Brothers ....................... 13-14, 76 D-Reject J and R, and Perfect a Plan of Union ....................... 14-15 E-Reject J and R, and Perfect a Plan of Union ............................ 15 F-Postpone J and R For One year ......................................... 15-16 G-Request Negotiated Union With PCA ....................................... 16 H-Appoint New Fraternal Relations Committee to Develop a Plan of Union ........................................................ 16-18 I-Reject Joining or Merger with PCA ............................................ 18 Communications 1-From PCA: Response to WPM's Concerns re: MTW .......... 18-20 2-From PCA: Reporting Vote by Presbytery on Invitation to RPCES ................................................................................ 20-21 3-From NAPARC: Report of Committee on Hermeneutics ..... 21-23 4-From Korean American Presbyteian Church ........................ 23-24 5-Greetings from Korean Presbyterian Church (Reformed) ..... 24-25 6-From Russell R. Doig, chairman, Special Committee on Relation of Agencies and Churches ............................................ 25 7 -From William Mahlow Jr. reo Appeal on Pension Withdrawal. .................................................................. 25-26, 70-71 8-From Donald A. Semisch-Opinion on Mahlow's Request. ...................................................................... 26-27, 70-71 9-From American Bible Society .................................................... 27 10-From Harold S. Laird in Support of J and R........................... 28 11 -(Same as Communication 3) 12-From Stephen E. Smallman on Study Committee for Christian Unity .................................................................. 28-29, 76 13-From Francis A. Schaeffer in Support of J and R............. 29-30 14-From Evangelical Presbyterian Church Responding to Concerns on Name ............................................................ 30-31 1 5-From Evangelical Presbyterian Church Denying Any Claims to Bequests, Etc .............................................................. 31 Board of Home Ministries .............................................................. 87-96 Budget, Synod Administration (1982 and 1983) ........................... 67-68 Chaplains, Committee on ........................................................... 101-104 Christian College in Africa, Committee on ................................ 137-138 Christian Training Inc ................................................................... 97 -101 Corresponding Members, Seating of ............................................ 12, 32 Covenant College .......................................................................... 54-60 Covenant Theological Seminary .................................................... 60-63 [3] Days of Prayer .... ""'" ................. , ........... """"",,,,,,,,, ""'"'''''''''' ........ 67 Digest of Synod Actions ..................................................................... 64 Directory: Ministers and Presbytery Officers ............................. 182-232 Docket, Adoption of. ........................................................................... 1 2 Elections ................ "'" .............................................................. 7, 60, 76 Errata, Minutes of 159th General Synod (1981 )................................. 64 Evangelism Committee ................................................................. 137 Form of Government Amendments ................................................................................... 65 Report of Committee ..................................................................... 1 36 Foundation, Reformed Presbyterian ...................... "",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 78-87 Fraternal Delegates ......................................... '" ............................ 32-33 Fraternal Relations Committee .................................................. ",,32-53 Hospitalization ............................................................................ 134-136 Judicial Commission ... " .. """ ........ "."" .... " .. " .............. """"'"'''' ... 69-71 Lamb and Theological Fund .... " ... " .... " .. " ......... "" ..... " ........ " .. " ... 76-78 Magazine Committee ........................................................................ 140 Memorials ....................................................................................... 73-75 Ministerial Welfare and Benefits .. " .. "" .............. " ..... " .. " ... 131, 133-136 Minutes, Approval of." " .... " " ......... " .... " .. " .... " " ........ " ....... " .. " ........ 78 National Presbyterian Missions" ................ """ .... "."" ................... 79-84 Nominating Committee (See Elections) Pension Fund Committee" .... " .. " .... " .. " .... " .. " .. " .... " .. " .... 127-131, 132 Presbyterian Church in America, Relations with .. " .......... 34-53, 69, 78 Presbytery Records Committee .. "."" .. " ... " .... " .. "."" ....... " .... " .. " .... 139 Relation of Agencies and Churches, Special Committee" .. " ........ " ... 25 Reformed Presbyterian Foundation." ....... " ........ " .. ". """ " ......... " .. 78-87 Roll Call ............................................................................................ 8-12 Sabbath, Study Committee ............................................................... 139 Stated Clerk's Report ....................................... '" ...... '" .................. 63-66 Standing Committees, Appointment of. ... """."." ... " .................. ,, .... ,,32 Standing Rules .................................................................................... 67 Statistical Tables" ...... " .. " ........ "." " ...... " " ........... " ... " .. " ""' .. ,, .. 141-180 Succession of Synods .... "'"'''''' ........ " ... "" .. """"',, ............ "." .233-238 Time and Place of Synods ................................................................. 67 Treasurer of Synod, Report of .... " ........ "" ...... " .. " ........ " ...... "" .. ".71-73 Trustees of Synod, Report of" .. " .. " .. " ... " .. "" .. " .. " .... " .. "" ..... 125-128 Visiting Brothers, Seating of.. .. " .... ". """"",,"""""''''''''. """ .... " .. ".12 World Presbyterian MissionS .... """"."" .... """ ........ " .. """" .. " .. 105-125 [41 PREFACE TO SYNOD MINUTES The 160th General Synod is history. It was the last general synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, meeting under that name. With a vote of almost four-fifths of the assembled commissioners in favor of the Joining and Receiving, the RPCES became part of the Presbyterian Church in America at 1 p.m. on June 14, 1982. For everyong present, it was amazingly clear that the Spirit of Christ was guiding all the deliberations and decisions. The events during the Tenth General Assembly of the PCA confirmed to us all that God was working to bring together several branches of His church. Psalm 133, sung traditionally at the close of presbytery and synod meetings, has been adumbrated by the experience of those eight glorious days in June. Soli Deo Gloria. May future events prove that it was good for us to come together. By the nature of the case, this current edition of the 160th General Synod Minutes has some different features from previous years. Since synod met for only three days of meetings, the minutes record actions dealing with the JOining and Receiving and a few other matters that needed synod's attention. All other reports presented are printed only as part of the record. The roll call vote on J and R is recorded on pages 8-12 along with the attendance record. The directory of synod is given as of June, 1982, by presbytery, without benefit of index. Also, no directory of committees and agencies is published since no commitees continue to exist. However, an extensive and detailed Index of Synodical Actions of the RPCES, 1965-1982 is included. Finally, as a matter of historical record, the list of succession of synods, moderators, and stated clerks since 1 77 4 has been included. These minutes are being published and distributed later than usual because the editor had taken time to publish Documents of Synod 1965-1982, which is now available from the Committee on Chris­ tian Education and Publications of the PCA, P.O. Box 39, Decatur, GA 30031. Also, the Index of Synodical Actions needed to include the minutes of 1981 and 1982. This also took additional work. These minutes, according to the action of the 153rd General Synod, are to be distributed free to all ministers, "one copy to every church (whether for clerk of session or church library), plus additional copies for each $50