Two overtures that will come before the 227th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Milwaukee, WI, in late June and early July were prepared by the Presbytery of Philadelphia. One focuses on expanding healthcare options for pastors while the other seeks transparency concerning the denomination’s recent elimination of mission co-workers.
The Constitutional Interpretation Committee will discuss the overture seeking amendment to the Book of Order regarding a pastor’s terms of call. The overture claims that the current wording in the Book of Order is outdated and needs rewritten.
“The Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was designed to fit a previous time and place, when only the minister had access to employer-provided medical coverage, and before there was a national marketplace for health insurance (with additional incentives at the state level),” the overture states. “If a minister has access to comparable medical benefits through their spouse, or if comparable medical coverage is available through a state or national marketplace, the presbytery should be able to approve the most cost-effective medical coverage for the terms of call.
“Since the current requirement applies explicitly to installed relationships, it is hoped the flexibility provided through this overture would be an encouragement for congregations to consider calling installed pastors.”
Rev. Kevin Porter, the stated clerk at the Presbytery of Philadelphia, offered reasoning for the proposed language change.
“This overture speaks to the concern regarding the capacity of our congregations to attract and fairly compensate the present and future generation of pastors, given the cost of healthcare,” he said. “It intends to afford congregations one additional option that might help them steward their resources, while simultaneously inviting the Church to consider what other options might be available. It seeks to empower congregations to address these financial realities without compromising their witness, while also recognizing the faithful work of the Board of Pensions since its inception.”
To review this overture, click here.
The Presbytery of Philadelphia’s other overture will be heard by the Reformed Identity Around the World Committee. This overture relates to a decision by the denomination to remove mission co-workers from around the world. The presbytery is asking for “a detailed report that demonstrates that the decision to eliminate our mission co-workers upholds the will of the 225th General Assembly,” and seeks “reasoning behind this elimination of mission co-workers based on statistics, testimony of global mission partners, input from our mission co-workers, and conversation with our congregations.”
Rev. Ruth Santana-Grace, the executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, provided insight on why her mid council is seeking the above explanations.
“This overture comes from our presbytery as an articulation of concern for the process of how we do mission in the field,” she said. “These concerns include a perceived lack of clear communication, transparency and accountability. It also reflects a larger reality of grief for losing what has been believed to be one of our most valued ministries and expressions of our collaboration with mission partners around the globe.”
This overture is available for review by clicking here.
This year’s General Assembly is once again using a hybrid format for its gathering. While the plenary sessions and moderator election will be held in Milwaukee from June 29 to July 2, the committees initially reviewing the overtures and offering their feedback will meet online from June 22-24. This same format was also used in 2024 in Salt Lake City, UT.
At the 225th General Assembly (2022) in Louisville, KY, the locations were reversed, with the committees meeting in person and the plenaries being online. In 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 224th General Assembly was held entirely online. The last completely in-person General Assembly was held in St. Louis in 2018.