FEATURE

Dear Fathers and Brothers of the OPC,

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic which has compelled various civil magistrates to issue travel and meeting-size restrictions for the safety of citizens; and in response to the closing of the campus of Eastern University through the end of June 2020 which necessitated a change of venue for the next General Assembly of the OPC; and in consultation with the general secretaries of the three program committees of the OPC, representatives of other standing committees, the former stated clerk, and the president of the Trustees; and in response to the unanimous recommendation of the Committee on General Assembly Arrangements, the acting moderator of the General Assembly, Rev. John Van Meerbeke, per FG XVIII, 2, together with the concurrence of the stated clerk, Rev. Hank L. Belfield, has determined that the convening of the 87th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church will be postponed until the summer of 2021.

As recommended by the Committee on General Assembly Arrangements, the new place, date, and time for the 87th General Assembly of the OPC will be the campus of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL, beginning with a worship service at 7 PM on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, and concluding no later than noon on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.

In light of this postponement, the following shall be observed until the convening of the 87th General Assembly:

1. All budgets set by the 86th (2019) General Assembly for 2020 shall remain in effect until new budgets can be presented and approved.
2. The membership of the classes of the standing committees of the General Assembly shall remain in their places of active service (as able) until elections can be held.
3. The membership of the special committees of the General Assembly shall remain in active service (as able).
4. The statistician of the General Assembly will remain in his position, but the computation of the allotment of commissioners per presbytery to the 87th General Assembly will continue to be based on the report of the statistician to the 86th (2019) General Assembly.
5. Excepting any report deemed too sensitive to pass along, the reports of the standing and special committees of the Assembly, along with those of the stated clerk and statistician, intended for review by a 2020 general assembly, shall be distributed for information to the presbyteries and sessions at a time and in a manner agreeable to the moderator and the stated clerk. Those reports which are distributed will not include recommendations.
6. Appeals and complaints submitted to the stated clerk with the intention of their review at a 2020 general assembly shall be held until the 87th General Assembly is convened in 2021, with the understanding that these appeals and complaints may be withdrawn by those submitting them before they are presented to the Assembly for adjudication.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the moderator,

Hank L. Belfield
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church