Assembly refuses to make 'essential tenets' clear By John H. Adams The Layman Online Thursday, July 1, 2004 2004 General Assembly Richmond, Virginia June 26-July 3, 2004 General Assembly news index RICHMOND, Va. – Without any discussion, the 216th General Assembly voted against making the denomination's "essential tenets" clear by rearranging chapter 2 of the Book of Order. Instead of approving an overture from the Presbytery of John Calvin calling for "reorganizing and improving the presentation of G-2.0300, G-2.0400 and G-2.0500," the commissioners issued a statement. Essentially, it said, the issue of the essential tenets is moot and complex. "From the beginning, the church has lived in the space between two tendencies," the statement said. "One stressed the more 'objective' aspects of Christian faith such as theological precision, the distinct character of the ministry and ordered government. The other placed more emphasis on spontaneity, vital experience and adaptability." The statement continued to trace out parts of Presbyterian history when, on some occasions, governing bodies chose to not to make their "essential" tenets essential. Such is the case today in the Presbyterian Church (USA), even though it requires candidates for ordination to "sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith." One historical episode cited in the report was a report adopted by the 1927 General Assembly which said the denomination's governing body "does not have the constitutional power to give binding definitions to the church's essential faith." The commissioners decided to treat the report as if it were engraved in stone – which the essential tenets once were.

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