th
That Book of Government §2-2 be amended by adding an excerpt from the EPC “Position
Paper on the Ordination of Women” to the existing statement.
Current Language
Book of Government §2-2
Proposed Amendment
Book of Government §2-2
(changes in italics )
§2-2 The officers of the Church: As set forth in Scripture are Teaching
Elders (designated by many titles in Scripture, including Ministers and Pastors), Ruling Elders, and
Deacons.
§2-2 The Officers of the Church as set forth in Scripture are: Teaching
Elders (designated by many titles in
Scripture, including Ministers and
Pastors), Ruling Elders, and
Deacons. The Evangelical
Presbyterian Church believes that the issue of the ordination of women is not an essential of the faith. Since people of good faith who equally love the Lord and hold to the infallibility of Scripture differ on this issue, and since uniformity of view and practice is not essential to the existence of the visible church, the Evangelical
Presbyterian Church has chosen to leave this decision to the Spiritguided consciences of particular congregations concerning the ordination of women as Elders and
Deacons, and to the presbyteries concerning the ordination of women as Teaching Elders.
Grounds: From its beginning, the EPC has not considered a particular view on the ordination of women to be an essential of the faith. Rather, the EPC allows local congregations to elect male or female officers ( Book of Government 7-2: “The particular church has the right to elect its own officers”). The right of a church to call its own pastor(s) is balanced by the authority of the presbytery to concur by receiving pastors into its membership ( Book of Government 7-5). The EPC’s “Position Paper on the Ordination of
Women” (adopted 1986) has functioned as an appropriate application of Book of
Government 7-2 and 7-5. The proposed amendment, by inserting a succinct excerpt from the
Position Paper, formalizes constitutionally what has been the denomination’s historic position and practice on the ordination of women.
1

Descending Overtures from the 30 th General Assembly
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Descending Overture 10-B is presented in two parts which are to be debated and voted upon together. Part 2 is entirely dependent on part 1.
1. That the , Chapter 5, be amended by adding a new §5-5 and §5-6, renumbering the following sections accordingly.
Current language Proposed Amendment
Adding New §5-5 and 5-6 to the Book of Government
Current §5-5 and following sections will be renumbered accordingly.
§5-5 Transfer of an EPC Church to Another Presbytery
Only in the case where: 1) a particular church desires to call a woman Teaching Elder, or 2) the
Session of a particular church desires to endorse or has endorsed a woman who seeks to become a
Candidate Under Care, and the particular church is located in a Presbytery that by a majority vote refuses to receive or ordain a woman as a Teaching
Elder or as a Candidate Under Care, that particular church may petition for membership in a
Presbytery sharing a common boundary (i.e., a bordering Presbytery) that will receive or ordain a woman as a Teaching Elder or Candidate Under
Care. The particular church petitioning for membership in a bordering Presbytery will be transferred to the requested Presbytery upon the fulfillment of all of the following requirements:
A.
The Session of the particular church seeking transfer petitions its current geographic
Presbytery for permission to petition the bordering Presbytery for membership, setting forth as reasons either the prohibition of the ordination and/or the reception of women as
Teaching Elders or as Candidates Under Care.
B. The bordering Presbytery petitioned by the
Session of the particular church seeking transfer receives the particular church pending
“C” below.
C. The current geographic Presbytery of the particular church seeking transfer approves the dismissal of the particular church to the bordering Presbytery.
2

Descending Overtures from the 30 th General Assembly
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
No complaint against the above process of transfer may be made by any person or entity except for procedural defects. Any complaint of procedural defects must be made in writing to the next higher court within 15 days of the completion of the above
G.5-5 requirements, and set forth the details of the procedural defects in accordance with Book of
Discipline , chapter 13.
§5-6 Reception of a Church from Outside the EPC into a
Bordering Presbytery
If a church that is not a member of the EPC and is seeking membership in the EPC, and it is the case that it: (1) has a woman Teaching Elder, (2) desires to call a woman Teaching Elder, or (3) has a woman who seeks to become a Candidate Under Care, then that church may petition for membership in a
Presbytery sharing a common boundary (i.e., a bordering Presbytery) that will receive or ordain women as Teaching Elders or as Candidates Under
Care instead of its geographic Presbytery. The church petitioning for membership in a bordering
Presbytery may be received by the requested bordering Presbytery instead of its geographic
Presbytery upon the fulfillment of all of the following requirements:
A. The church requesting reception in a bordering
Presbytery consults with the Presbytery
Ministerial Committee of its geographic
Presbytery concerning the potential for reception of women as Teaching Elders or as
Candidates Under Care.
B. The Ministerial Committee of the geographic
Presbytery for the church requesting reception into the EPC discerns the need for the church to be received by a bordering Presbytery on the basis set forth in this section G.5-6. The
Ministerial Committee of the geographic
Presbytery contacts the requested bordering
Presbytery and refers to it the issue of reception of the church.
C. The bordering Presbytery that receives the referral receives the church seeking membership.
3

Descending Overtures from the 30 th General Assembly
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
§16-14 The Presbytery: The presbytery has the oversight of the life of a number of churches within a designated area. It is composed of all the ministers of the Presbytery and at least two Ruling Elders elected by the Church Session. The
Church Session shall elect two additional Ruling Elders for each additional Pastor, whether
Associate or Assistant. In any case, a particular church shall have no fewer than two Ruling
Elders for each 500 members or major portion thereof.
Grounds: The right of the congregation to elect its officers and the authority of the presbytery to examine and approve persons for positions as Teaching Elders can create conflict. The proposed amendments provide freedom of practice for those congregations that wish to endorse a woman Candidate or call a woman as a Teaching Elder without compromising the constitutional authority exercised by presbyteries.
2. That §16-14 be amended to reflect the fact that churches received by the provisions above will be outside their geographic boundaries.
Current Language
Book of Government §16-14
No complaint against the above process of reception by a bordering Presbytery may be made by any person or entity except for procedural defects. Any complaint of procedural defects must be made in writing to the next higher court within 15 days of the completion of the above G.5-6 requirements, and set forth the details of the procedural defects in accordance with Book of Discipline, chapter 13.
Proposed Amendment
Book of Government §16-14
(change in italics )
§16-14 The Presbytery: The presbytery has the oversight of the life of a number of churches within a designated area as modified by the inclusion or exclusion of churches according to the provision of G .5-5 and G .5-6.
It is composed of all the ministers of the Presbytery and at least two
Ruling Elders elected by the
Church Session. The Church
Session shall elect two additional
Ruling Elders for each additional
Pastor, whether Associate or
Assistant. In any case, a particular church shall have no fewer than two Ruling Elders for each 500 members or major portion thereof.
Grounds: With the approval of G.5-5 and G.5-6, a change in the definition of a presbytery is needed.
4

Descending Overtures from the 30 th General Assembly
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
That Book of Government 16-22B be amended by adding a new item 6 to the responsibilities of the General Assembly.
Current Wording
Book of Government §16-22B
Proposed Amendment
Book of Government §16-22B
(new item 6 in italics )
B. Ensures the denomination’s connectional life is consistent with
Presbyterian polity as it is expressed in God’s Word. In doing so, it has the responsibility:
1. To establish, unite, divide, or dissolve Presbyteries.
2. To approve and recommend to the
Presbyteries such changes in the constitutional documents as it deems wise, fit and helpful. Such changes reported to the General
Assembly by its Permanent
Judicial Commission shall, upon approval: a. Be referred to the
Presbyteries, and b. Upon approval by a threefourths majority of the
Presbyteries and in a succeeding Assembly (unless constitutional provisions hereafter stated require a different vote) shall be enacted.
3. To make final decisions on judicial cases brought before it in accordance with The Book of
Discipline.
4. To provide guidance for the theological preparation of candidates in mission fields outside North America where
Presbyteries do not yet exist, and to arrange for the ordination, where appropriate, of those persons who are duly called and prepared for the office of Minister,
Elder or Deacon.
5. To hold Presbyteries accountable,
B. Ensures the denomination’s connectional life is consistent with
Presbyterian polity as it is expressed in God’s Word. In doing so, it has the responsibility:
1. To establish, unite, divide, or dissolve Presbyteries.
2. To approve and recommend to the
Presbyteries such changes in the constitutional documents as it deems wise, fit and helpful. Such changes reported to the General
Assembly by its Permanent
Judicial Commission shall, upon approval: a. Be referred to the
Presbyteries, and b. Upon approval by a threefourths majority of the
Presbyteries and in a succeeding Assembly (unless constitutional provisions hereafter stated require a different vote) shall be enacted.
3. To make final decisions on judicial cases brought before it in accordance with The Book of
Discipline.
4. To provide guidance for the theological preparation of candidates in mission fields outside North America where
Presbyteries do not yet exist, and to arrange for the ordination, where appropriate, of those persons who are duly called and prepared for the office of Minister,
Elder or Deacon.
5. To hold Presbyteries accountable,
5

Descending Overtures from the 30 th General Assembly
Evangelical Presbyterian Church by exercising the principle of review and control through an annual review of minutes, for: a. Encouraging and equipping their local churches to fulfill the Great Commission, and b. Remanding what may be contrary to the Constitution and to see that all lawful injunctions are followed. by exercising the principle of review and control through an annual review of minutes, for: a. Encouraging and equipping their local churches to fulfill the Great Commission, and b. Remanding what may be contrary to the Constitution and to see that all lawful injunctions are followed.
6. To correspond and cooperate with other denominations, national and international groups.
Grounds: In 2010 the 30 th General Assembly ratified an amendment creating a new G.16-22 which restated and reorganized the list of duties and responsibilities of the General
Assembly in terms of its mission. The proposed new item 6 reaffirms the Assembly’s responsibility for relating to other denominations (inadvertently omitted in the 2009-2010 amending process) and adds the category of “national and international groups.”
Historically, the EPC has related with groups such as the National Association of
Evangelicals and the World Reformed Fellowship which fall into that category.
6