The Presbyterian Church (USA) continues to be embattled on moral issues that reflect very basic theological dif-ferences. Presbyterian New Service says the Richmond G.A. meeting will include "acute debate of chronic issues," and lists abortion, sexual standards for ordin-ation, biblical authority and the family. It’s another opportunity for commissioners to G.A. to make decisions that are faithful to Scripture and the confessional teachings of the Christian Church.

As of this writing, the deadline for overtures (May 12) has not passed, but there are five overtures dealing with abortion already scheduled for this G.A.

Using Scripture as its rationale, Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery (Overture 5) seeks the church’s repentance for its support of abortion and asks the G.A. to develop life-affirming ministries to protect unborn children as well as their mothers and families. In addition, their overture seeks education resources that teach the "biblical grounds for courtship, marriage, and family life," and a constitutional affirmation of the protection of life.

Overture 5 and overtures from five other presbyteries address late term abortions specifically: Charlotte, Beaver-Butler, Pittsburgh, John Knox and Shenango. These overtures appeal to Scripture as well as to our Confessions and current church policy in seeking the protection of babies who are well-developed enough to survive outside the womb if delivered instead of aborted.

Two other overtures favor an increase in abortion. Lackawanna Presbytery (Overture 48) wants the church to advocate for full restoration or increase of appropriations to the United Nations Population Funds. It advocates that the U.S. set a goal of fewer births than deaths worldwide by the year 2030 in a misconceived notion that further accentuating an aging population will preserve and protect the planet.

Baltimore Presbytery (Overture 66) asks the General Assembly to support the availability of "Emergency Contraception over the counter, without prescription...." The overture also seeks revision of the denomination’s sexuality curriculum for youth to advise young women of the availability of the emergency contraception. The overture accepts promiscuity among young women and wants the church to support them by urging the use of chemicals to block or abort a pregnancy.

Sixteen presbyteries have sent overtures related to sexual standards for ordination. The overtures use several approaches in an effort to accomplish two goals: removal of G-6.0106b ("fidelity and chastity") from the Book of Order and removal of the Authoritative Interpretations that apply the PC(USA) constitution specifically to the ordination of persons in homosexual relationships. Removal of authoritative interpretation does not require the consent of the presbyteries as do changes in the Book of Order.

The Covenant Network already has served notice that it encourages creative interpretation of the broader constitutional language. Their paper, called "Interpreting G-6.0106b," and a critique of their paper, appear on the Coalition website: www.presbycoalition.com. It is important to preserve both G-6.0106b and the authoritative interpretations.

Last year’s General Assembly sent a proposed policy paper on the family back for major rewrite. The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) produced the original paper and will bring the revised version back to this G.A. Last year they did not reveal their very long document until shortly before the Assembly met. In spite of promises to keep Presbyterians and commissioners advised of their work this year, as of this writing, the revised version is still not public. Recent drafts suggest that it remains a very long document with no fewer than 18 pages of recommendations.

The primary problem with last year’s version of the policy was that it would have had the church say that any make up of a household could be a legitimate family. To say that God intends the marriage between husband and wife to be the basis of family was regarded as discriminatory. Same-sex couples were included as a legitimate form of family.

Whether the revision will speak with a biblical voice to the problems of modern family life remains to be seen.

The process by which the General Assembly conducts its business is always an issue. This year, at least four overtures (Overtures 11, 23, 53, 60) address the issue of advisory delegates, both their numbers and their privilege of vote in committee.

Biennial Assemblies are still an issue. National Capital Presbytery (Overture 24) is asking for a constitutional change to make annual assemblies mandatory. This is an issue that is likely to have support across theological lines.

Overture 51 from Mississippi Presbytery addresses the problem of lack of enforcement of the constitution by establishing a committee of the G.A. to judge whether judicial decisions have been complied with. The committee would have the power to intervene in cases where it judges lack of compliance with the constitution. The Book of Order already gives higher governing bodies the general power to act. The overture would spell out a procedure in the Standing Rules of the G.A.

There will be three elections to watch at this General Assembly. On Saturday night, commissioners will choose from among three commissioner candidates for a Moderator of the General Assembly: ministers David G. McKechnie and K.C. Ptomey, Jr., and elder Rick Ufford-Chase.

On Friday, the incumbent Stated Clerk, Clifton Kirkpatrick, will be on a slate of four candidates for that office. The others are pastor and lawyer Robert Davis, pastor Linn "Russ" Howard, and elder and physician Alex F. Metherell.

Sometime during the week, the G.A. will elect a class of the General Assembly Nominating Committee (GANC) for the first time in history. The GANC historically was appointed by G.A. moderators. Last year the presbyteries approved a Book of Order change that allows the moderator only to nominate a class. The change in process will allow nominations from the floor.