COGA defers action on two-year moderators By John H. Adams The Layman Online Monday, October 13, 2003 PHILADELPHIA – The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly has deferred action on a proposed revision of the functions and duties of the moderator in the Standing Rules of the General Assembly. The proposed changes mostly address issues that have arisen with the General Assembly's decision to meet every other year, beginning after the 216th General Assembly in 2004. The 217th General Assembly is scheduled to meet in 2006. A writing team for the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) drafted a number of recommendations affecting the work of a moderator with a two-year assignment. But COGA members raised a number of questions about the draft, and action was deferred until the group's February meeting. In the meantime, Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick asked for – and gained – permission to disseminate the draft among candidates for moderator of the 216th General Assembly. He said the document, even without approval, could help candidates understand that changes will be made. Only one person has announced for the first two-year moderator position – the Rev. David McKechnie, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston. Moderator Susan R. Andrews asked for one major change – a formal rite of installation for the next moderator. She concluded that the working paper by the writing team is "so functional. What I'm talking about is spiritual." The draft emphasizes that the moderators of the 216th General Assembly and thereafter are commissioners – with no exalted status. It uses the language of "unity," "community," "mission," "encourage," "listen," and speaking "pastorally and prophetically" to describe the moderator's functions. The list does not include any reference to supporting the constitution or purity of doctrine. One-year moderators are frequent-fliers and have a demanding schedule. The draft recommendations suggest that a two-year moderator should not be required to match that pace. To ease the burden, the COGA writing team proposed a more active role for the vice moderator. Traditionally, the moderator announces the selection of a vice moderator after winning election. Furthermore, the moderator alone decides how often a vice moderator travels. But the draft proposal would give more say to the vice moderator. It says that the moderator and the vice moderator "shall jointly develop a comprehensive plan for the moderator's travel. …" The draft also suggests that the moderator, if a minister, be required to select an elder as vice moderator or visa versa. Andrews suggested that the writing team consider requiring that candidates for moderator announce their vice-moderator selection before the election – with the two running as a team. While COGA appeared to agree by consensus with most of the suggestions made by the writing team, it did scratch one proposal: to have two vice moderators, with "the total representation shall be one minister of the Word and Sacrament, one female elder and one male elder." Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick told COGA members that presbyteries would have to amend the Book of Order to allow for two vice moderators. "Everything here we can do as a Standing Rules change," Kirkpatrick said, "except for the second vice moderator."

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