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Highlights of the 179th General Assembly, part 3.
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- speakerThe eight years of labor the went into the writing and final approval of the Confession of Sixty-Seven
- speakercame before the House as Overture I. It had been sent down to presbytery
- speakerfor approval by the previous assembly and returned to this one with one hundred sixty
- speakereight presbyteries concurring and only nineteen dissenting. Following
- speakeralmost an hour of debate, it was brought to its historic and conclusive vote. [Smathers, Eugene Feland] Someone
- speakermove the previous question? I move it. All right. Previous question. [Thompson, William P. speaking] Mr. Moderator, [Smathers, Eugene Feland]
- speakerthe previous question having been moved, you now put the question Shall the main question
- speakernow be put? Shall the main question now be put? All
- speakerin favour, now vote Aye. Opposed. Now
- speakerand now the motion. You know what the motion is after all this discussion? [Thompson, William P.] There has been a
- speakerrequest for a division of the house. [Smathers] Yes. Now, what do we do? Count?
- speakerIs there still request for the division of the house? How
- speakerdo we vote on this? It has to be done.
- speakerHow do we know. You explain it. [Thompson] The vote will be taken by electing sections.
- speaker[Smathers] Microphone three. The rules for judicatories. Roscoe Wolvington, Presbytery
- speakerof Southeast Iowa. The rule for judicatories on page one fifteen provide
- speaker"If division is called for on any vote, it shall be by rising vote without a count."
- speaker[Thompson] I understood that the commissioner who made the request,
- speakerfirst of all, requested a roll call vote. Our rules do not
- speakerprovide for a roll call vote. We have, in this Assembly,
- speakertaken a vote by electing sections on one occasion. And it seemed to me
- speakerthat this would satisfy the commissioner most nearly approximating
- speakerwhat he requested. It's up to the Assembly how the vote be taken. [Smathers] Shall it
- speakerbe taken by voting sections or by standing
- speakervote? All in favor of rising
- speakervote, say Aye. Opposed.
- speakerWe will vote by. [Thomposn] Microphone seven. [Smathers] Microphone seven.
- speakerMr Moderator. I move that we adjourn for two minutes to have a
- speakermoment of meditation so that we can be in unity with God our maker
- speakerin taking this vote. And I would give you in thought a challenge to continue
- speakerfrom Galatians nine six. And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season
- speakerwe shall reap, if we faint not. Let us faint not, now. Let
- speakerus take the. Mr. Moderator. May I make a point of order to correct
- speakerone statement that was made? Seven? The question
- speakerwas raised that there were only two elders on this commission. This is
- speakernot the case. There were six elders. [Smathers] Let us
- speakertake just a couple of minutes. Quietness. At least if we
- speakeropposed to the some of the content of this Confession, we can certainly
- speakerbe in the, in the spirit of reconciliation of recognizing
- speakerthe Lordship of Christ. And let us now search our own minds
- speakerand consciences before God as before we vote.
- speakerEternal God in this historic moment may
- speakerThy will be done. Amen. Now, all
- speakerin favor of the motion to adopt Overture I and the Confession of Sixty-
- speakerSeven and the Book of Confessions, will be let known by standing. You may
- speakerbe seated. Those
- speakeropposed, please stand. The motion
- speakeris carried. Also in the same. Despite
- speakerour differences of conviction, I hope we can join together in this historic moment,
- speakeras we stand, stand and sing together "Now, Thank We All Our God," hymn number four hundred fifty-nine.
- speaker[organ and sung "Now, Thank We All Our God."] A standing vote has to be seen not heard. The vote looked to be about four to one
- speakerin favor of the Confession of Nineteen Sixty-Seven, which would indicate that some commissioners
- speakerchose to vote their own conscience and not that of presbytery. The
- speakerfirst attempt to amend the Confession was Overture forty-one from Washington City Presbytery,
- speakerwhich sought to delete the words "even at risk to national security" and
- speakerit was defeated.
