Savannah River Presbytery approved an overture at its January 25, 2020 Stated Meeting, placing before the 48th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America a “BCO 34-1 request for General Assembly to Assume Original Jurisdiction in Missouri Presbytery Issue.” The overture concludes with this resolution:

Savannah River Presbytery requests that the 48th General Assembly assume original jurisdiction of the case of the investigation by Missouri Presbytery of Greg Johnson and the session of Memorial Presbyterian Church with regard to theological error and involvement in the 2018 Revoice Conference.

This is the second Presbytery to make the same request to General Assembly asking it to assume original jurisdiction over the Missouri Presbytery issue. On January 11, 2020, Central Georgia Presbytery approved the same request. The matter will be sent to the PCA’s Standing Judicial Commission to consider the matter. BCO 34-1 provides that if two Presbyteries request the General Assembly to assume original jurisdiction on a matter it shall do so:

Process against a minister shall be entered before the Presbytery of which he is a member.  However, if the Presbytery refuses to act in doctrinal cases or cases of public scandal and two other Presbyteries request the General Assembly to assume original jurisdiction (to first receive and initially hear and determine), the General Assembly shall do so.

An overture is a means by which a Presbytery can bring a matter to the General Assembly for consideration. The rules provide that this overture will be sent to and considered by the Standing Judicial Commission.