In Boys Adrift, I also presented evidence that schools bear some of the blame for the disengagement of boys from education. American schools, with a few exceptions, have become unfriendly to boys. Boys doing things that boys have always done—such as pointing fingers at each other saying “bang bang you’re dead”, or doodling a sketch of a sword—now often get into trouble at school. But reprimanding an elementary-school boy for chewing his pastry into the shape of a gun does not change that boy into a flower child who wants to talk about his feelings. 

There is a growing gender gap in higher education. According to the latest figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center: as of spring 2021, women accounted for 59.5% of students attending colleges and universities nationwide. Among four-year private colleges, women now account for 61% of all students. Both figures represent new records. Douglas Shapiro, executive director of research at the National Student Clearinghouse, told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month that if current trends continue, within a few years there will be two women graduating from college for every one man.
Well, so what? In 1970, men accounted for 58% of students attending colleges and universities, and there was no great outcry back then about the gender imbalance. Why should we be concerned now that the pendulum has swung in the other direction?
I think there are good reasons for concern, which can be summed up in three words: “educational assortative mating.” Educational assortative mating means that if a woman has earned a four-year degree and she is looking for a husband, she will usually choose a man whose educational achievement is equal to or greater than her own. Fifty years ago, if a man earned a four-year degree and was looking for a woman to marry, he might have many qualifications in mind for his future wife; but educational attainment was not one of them. In that era, college-educated men were happy to marry women who had never attended college. In our era, college-educated women are hoping to marry college-educated men. And there are not enough college-educated men to go around.
This problem is not confined to the college educated. I am a family doctor. A young woman in my own practice, let’s call her Linda, has two small children. She has never been married. She has never attended college. I bumped into the father of her two children. He told me how much he loves Linda. He told me that he has proposed marriage, twice, and both times Linda turned him down. I asked Linda, as gently as I could, why she did not want to marry the father of her two children. She answered: “Dr. Sax, I already have two babies at home. I don’t need a third!”
At every level, not just among the college-educated, young women seeking a man to marry are looking for men who are at least as competent and hard-working as they are. But ever since the 1980s, boys’ academic achievement in high school has declined relative to girls, not primarily because girls are doing better but because boys are doing worse.
Marriage rates in the United States peaked at 16.4 per 1,000 per year in 1946. As recently as 1990, marriage rates were still 9.8 per 1,000. Right now, the marriage rate is 6.1 per 1,000: that’s the lowest on record, going back to the 1880s. Although many factors have contributed to the decline in marriage, scholars agree that one major factor driving the decline is the reality that many women want their husbands to earn more than they do. American women have always tended to prefer husbands who can earn more than they do, but the growing phenomenon of underachieving young men means that there are not enough successful men to go around.
Nevertheless, many women still want to have children.
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Even when it is meant for evil, as with Joseph’s brothers; even in the midst of our sin, as with David; and even when it involves people we wouldn’t expect, such as Rahab; God is still sovereignly accomplishing His will for the redemption of His people for His glory.

A colorful coat given to a boy. An evening walk on a palace roof. A red cord hung from a prostitute’s window. These brief scenes from over three thousand years ago should have no bearing on our lives today. Yet these moments were used to bring about the most important event in human history: the cross of Calvary. You could write it off as coincidence, you could minimize the significance, or you can marvel at God’s sovereignty.
But what is sovereignty? Sovereignty is God’s right to rule over His creation and to do as He pleases (Psalm 115:3). Everyone—from the greatest world ruler to the humble farmer—reports directly to God. No one answers to themselves or operates outside of His will. The Westminster Confession of Faith says it this way, “God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.” (WCF, 3) God’s sovereignty is the very core of everything that has happened or will ever happen, and we are called to submit to Him as the Author, the Potter, the Creator, the King.
Though God reigns over the arch of history, He is also so intimately involved in the daily details of our lives that even seemingly random acts such as the casting of lots are governed by Him (Prov. 16:33). There is nothing that catches God off guard, nothing that causes Him to course correct, nothing that He watches helplessly. There is nothing so big or so small—no panic attack or pandemic—that occurs without His permission. He guides our steps, numbers our hairs, and ordains our days (Ps. 37:23-24, Ps. 139, Matt. 10:30).
As Christians, such careful involvement ought to greatly comfort and astound us but it often leads to anxiety or apathy instead.
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As Fall fades into Winter about 38 presbyteries have given their advice and consent concerning some or all of the twelve Items sent down from the 49th General Assembly (2022) in Birmingham, AL. To change the Book of Church Order, an amendment is run through a three-part process.
First, it must pass the General Assembly by a simple majority. Then, it must pass 2/3 of the 88 presbyteries, or 59, by a simple majority. Finally, it must pass the following General Assembly by a simple majority. This article reports on how the twelve Items are faring across the presbyteries of the PCA. These are unofficial results compiled from presbyters throughout the PCA; the official results will be published by the Stated Clerk’s office before the 50th General Assembly, which will meet in Memphis, TN.
Item 1 (Overture 15)
Item 1 was perhaps the most controversial overture to come out of the 49th General Assembly. This amendment was drafted to address the ongoing controversy in the PCA concerning the Revoice Movement. While Items 4 and 5 seek to do something similar, proponents of this amendment argue that it would put an end to the 5-year conversation concerning the nature of biblical sexuality. For those who support this amendment, it communicates a clear and simple rejection of any Side-B movement in the PCA. Opponents argue that this amendment is redundant (given the consensus behind Items 4 and 5) and that it could unduly jeopardize the witness of the PCA to the world. The amendment states:
BCO 7-4. Men who describe themselves as homosexual, even those who describe themselves as homosexual and claim to practice celibacy by refraining from homosexual conduct, are disqualified from holding office in the Presbyterian Church in America.
This amendment passed the Assembly by a vote of 1167-978 (54%-36%). Many wondered, after the Assembly, if Overture 15 would be “Dead on Arrival” to the presbyteries. This has not been the case. Overture 15 has exceeded expectations across the presbyteries. So much so, that it tracks well with last year’s vote on Overture 23. So far, 24 presbyteries have voted in favor and 12 presbyteries against it. Of the remaining 52 presbyteries, 35 or 67% of them must vote in the affirmative for it to be considered at the 50th General Assembly. Overture 15 did not die in the Fall and will be watched closely as presbyteries vote in their January-April meetings.
Item 4 and Item 5 (Overture 29 and Overture 31)
Items 4 (O29) and Item 5 (O31) were perhaps some of the least controversial amendments to pass last year’s Assembly and resemble a consensus regarding the issue of biblical sexuality in the PCA. Overture 29 states:
BCO 16-4. Officers in the Presbyterian Church in America must be above reproach in their walk and Christlike in their character. While office bearers will see spiritual perfection only in glory, they will continue in this life to confess and to mortify remaining sins in light of God’s work of progressive sanctification. Therefore, to be qualified for office, they must affirm the sinfulness of fallen desires, the reality and hope of progressive sanctification, and be committed to the pursuit of Spirit-empowered victory over their sinful temptations, inclinations, and actions.
Item 4 passed the assembly by a vote of 1922-200 (91%-9%) and Item 5 passed the Assembly in an omnibus vote of 2062-33 (98%-2%). These amendments have sailed through the presbyteries. So far, 36 presbyteries have voted in for item 4 and 1 presbytery is against it. Likewise, 36 presbyteries are for item 5 and 2 presbyteries are against it. Overall, the raw tallies reveal that these amendments are supported by over 90% of the Elders in the PCA. Given the present trajectories, Commissioners at the next General Assembly will likely have the opportunity to consider both Items 4 and 5 for final ratification.
Item 7 (Overture 8)
Item 7 is an amendment that seeks to fix a major issue in the Book of Church Order (BCO) concerninghow the General Assembly can assume original jurisdiction over a presbytery in a case of doctrinal or public scandal. Proponents of the amendment argue that this solution is far superior to the current language of BCO 33-1 and BCO 34-1. They reason that by changing the language from “fails to act” to “fails to indict” clarifies when the Assembly could assume original jurisdiction of a case. They also argue that by raising the number of presbyteries needed to require the GA to assume jurisdiction to 10%, and by placing the burden of the cost for the investigation on either the petitioning presbytery or presbytery of the minister, this would prevent the provision from being abused.
Some opponents argue that the 10% threshold is too high basically rendering the provision useless. Other opponents claim the threshold is too low resulting in overburdening the Standing Judicial Commission. However, all the opponents agree that amending BCO 33-1 would overburden small presbyteries, especially that with less than 10 churches; under the provision if amended only one Session would would be needed to require a presbytery to assume original jurisdiction over a case. Both proponents and opponents of this provision agree that BCO 34-1 is broken in its current state, but the solution is less clear than the problem. The amendment states:
BCO 33-1. Process against a church member shall be entered before the Session of the church to which such member belongs. However, if the Session does not indict in either doctrinal cases or instances of public scandal and the Sessions of at least ten percent (10%) of churches in the same Presbytery request the Presbytery of which the church is a member to assume original jurisdiction for a case of process, the Presbytery shall do so. The Presbytery may assess the costs thereof equitably among the parties, including the petitioning Sessions and the Session of the church member.
BCO 34-1. Process against a minister shall be entered before the Presbytery of which he is a member. However, if the Presbytery does not indict in either doctrinal cases or instances of public scandal and at least ten percent (10%) of Presbyteries request the General Assembly to assume original jurisdiction for a case of process, the General Assembly shall do so. The General Assembly may assess the costs thereof equitably among the parties, including the petitioning Presbyteries and the Presbytery of the minister.
Item 7 passed the Assembly by a vote of 1245-521 (70%-30%) and defeated a minority report. Since the Assembly, Overture 8 has struggled to maintain its momentum. So far, 20 presbyteries are for it and 15 presbyteries are against it. This amendment needs to pass in 39 of the remaining 53 presbyteries to be considered at the next General Assembly. While not impossible, this amendment faces a tough road ahead in the Winter and Spring.
The Remaining Items
The rest of the Items before the presbyteries have received little pushback. These Items (2-3; 6; 9-12) have been seemingly uncontroversial. While some presbyteries have voted against some of these amendments, they remain widely affirmed by the presbyteries that have voted thus far. Given the non-controversial nature of these amendments, the 50th General Assembly will likely consider these items for final ratification.
There are 55 presbyteries yet to consider some or all of the Items sent down from the 49th General Assembly. To follow these votes on these amendments this spreadsheet will be regularly updated.
Scott Edburg is a Minister in the PCA and is Assistant Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Tuscumbia, Ala.
Map Credit: Steve O’Brien

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