In a landslide vote, the Presbyterian Church in America does “recognize, confess, condemn and repent” of the racist sins of their past.
In an overture, the PCA General Assembly resolved:
Be it further resolved, that this General Assembly does recognize, confess, and condemn and repent of past failures to love brothers and sisters from minority cultures in accordance with what the Gospel requires, as well as failures to lovingly confront our brothers and sisters concerning racial sins and personal bigotry, and failing to “learn to do good, seek justice and correct oppression (Isaiah 1:17);” and Be it further resolved, that this General Assembly praises and recommits itself to the gospel task of racial reconciliation, diligently seeking effective courses of action to further that goal, with humility, sincerity and zeal, for the glory of God and the furtherance of the Gospel; and Be it finally further resolved, that the General Assembly urges the congregations and presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in America to make this resolution known to their members in order that they may prayerfully confess their own racial sins as led by the Spirit and strive towards racial reconciliation for the advancement of the gospel, the love of Christ, and the glory of God.
The overture was approved 85-3-0 after a revote.
The PCA has long struggled with addressing racism in its past.
In 2004, the 32nd General Assembly approved a pastoral letter on racism that identified racism as denying the gospel, idolatry, murder and lying. Indeed, the letter even addressed the theological problems of racism.
Now, however, in the 44th General Assembly, the denomination officially recognizes the sins of their past and says they will move forward.
“Be it further resolved, that the 44th General Assembly call the attention of churches and presbyteries to the pastoral letter contained in Overture 55 as an example of how a presbytery might provide shepherding leadership for its churches toward racial reconciliation; and Be it finally resolved, that the 44th General Assembly remind the churches and presbyteries of the PCA that BCO 31-2 and 38-1 provide potent and readily available means for dealing with ones who have sinned or continue to sin in these areas,” the overture concludes.
