Committee endorses plan to amend minister terminology in Book of Order By Craig M. Kibler The Layman Online Tuesday, June 18, 2002 214th General Assembly Columbus, Ohio June 15-22, 2002 The Committee on Church Orders and Ministry overwhelmingly voted to recommend to the 214th General Assembly not to amend phraseology regarding ministers in Chapter 14 of the Book of Order. Overture 02-9 from the Presbytery of Grace sought to amend sections G-14.0209b, G-14.0207, and W-4.4003 of the Book of Order to change the word "Moderator" to "Minister Presiding" so that those sections "would be consistent with G-14.0206." The proposed changes, defeated by a show of hands by commissioners June 17, were as follows: a. To amend G-14.0207 : "The minister presiding shall ask those preparing to be ordained or installed to stand before the congregation and to answer the following questions:" b. To amend G-14.0209b: "The moderator minister presiding shall say to those who have thus been ordained and installed:" c. To amend W-4.4003: "In the service of ordination and installation, the moderator minister presiding shall state the nature and purpose of the occasion and ask the constitutional questions of the candidates(s). (G-14.0207 and G-14.0405) . . . Following the prayer, the moderator minister presiding shall make a declaration of the ordination or installation, and the one(s) ordained and installed shall receive welcome to office. (W-4.2007) . . . [The rest of the paragraph remains the same.]" Saying that the overture "suggests alternative language if the General Assembly wishes consistency of language regarding the ordination and installation of elders and deacons by session," the Advisory Committee on the Constitution advised that the overture be disapproved. "It is unnecessary to amend G-14.0207 to achieve the intent of the overture because it names 'the minister,' which refers to 'the minister presiding' in G-14.0206," the committee said, adding that, "It is unwise to amend W-4.4003 as requested … [because the term] 'the moderator' also applies to the ordination and installation of ministers of Word and Sacrament by the presbytery [who] may be an elder or minister (G-9.0202b). Section G-14.0209d names 'the moderator.' Because the ordination of elders and deacons is an act of the session, the minister presiding is either the moderator or acting moderator of session. A commissioned lay pastor may also preside under certain circumstances."

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