Overture proposal
would allow
congregations to change presbyteries
By John H.
Adams
The Layman
Online
Wednesday, November
18, 2005
A new grist mill for
recommendations to the General Assembly has ground out two proposed
overtures that are intended to keep congregations from bolting from the
Presbyterian Church (USA).
Highlights of proposed overture
to allow congregations to choose
their presbyteries and presbyteries
to choose their synods
- With a two-thirds vote, congregations and their ministers
could seek to affiliate with another presbytery for theological
or missional reasons.
- With a majority vote, presbyteries could accept the transfer
of congregations and their ministers.
- The transfer of ministers would have to be approved by the
Committee on Ministry of the receiving presbytery.
- With a two-thirds vote, presbyteries could seek to affiliate
with a non-geographical synod.
- With a majority vote, synods could receive those
presbyteries.
- To continue its existence, a synod would have to have three
presbyteries.
- Upon the request of no fewer than 12 congregations, the synod
could create a new presbytery. A two-thirds vote by the synod
would be necessary.
- The General Assembly could create a new synod upon the
petition of no fewer than three presbyteries. A two-thirds vote
by the General Assembly would be necessary.
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One is titled "On
Amending the Book of Order to provide flexibility in
presbytery and synod membership." It would allow
congregations to vote by a two-thirds majority to join presbyteries of
their choosing – if the presbyteries and synods vote by a simple
majority to accept them. It would also allow presbyteries, by two-thirds
vote, to switch synods if a receiving synod approves the change by a
simple majority. The regional presbyteries and synods are now
geographical.
The second is titled
"On
Amending the Book of Order to reflect the structures of
discipline within presbyteries and synods under a system of 'local
option.'" It would restructure the denomination's judicial
system that rules on remedial and disciplinary cases. Currently,
complaints are handled by four levels of courts: the local session and
the permanent judicial commissions of the presbyteries, synods and the
General Assembly, with the General Assembly Permanent Judicial
Commission being the highest court in the denomination.
The second proposal would limit the GAPJC's jurisdiction to complaints
about the General Assembly, the General Assembly Council and General
Assembly entities. The seven synod Permanent Judicial Commissions would
become the courts of last resort for all other remedial and disciplinary
complaints. Even if synods ruled different ways on similar cases, the
General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission wouldn't be allowed to
resolve the differences.
Both overtures have been submitted to the Beaver-Butler Presbytery for
discussion. They are expected to get to the floor of the presbytery
sometime early next year. With timely approval, the overtures would make
the agenda of the 217th General Assembly when it meets in Birmingham in
June.
Because both proposals would require extensive changes to the Book
of Order, the General Assembly would have to call for a national
referendum among the PCUSA's 173 presbyteries. A majority of the
presbyteries would have to approve the proposed amendments before they
could be made to the Book of Order.
The proposed overtures were the brainstorm of a group that calls itself
eLink Overtures. The high-tech sounding name is actually an acronym:
Emerging, Logical, Innovative, Nongeographical, Kairos. But eLink
Overtures does use high-tech tools, including an interactive
Web
blog site.
Highlights of proposed overture
to change PCUSA's judicial system,
making synods the courts of last
resortfor most disciplinary
and remedial cases
- Proposed changes "will accommodate the
diverse belief systems, theological positions and mission
designs that currently exist within the Presbyterian Church
(USA) and will encourage the kind of 'flexible equilibrium' to
which the Task Force calls the church."
- The General Assembly Permanent Judicial
Commission would conduct trials and hearings only in cases
involving the General Assembly, the General Assembly Council or
an entity of the General Assembly.
- All other disciplinary and remedial cases
would be adjudicated by local sessions or the permanent judicial
commissions of the presbyteries and synods.
- The ruling of the Permanent Judicial
Commission of the synod, including appeals from cases that
originated in local congregations and the presbyteries, could
not be appealed.
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Three pastors in the Beaver-Butler Presbytery – Jeffrey
Arnold of First Presbyterian Church in Beaver, Pa.; Greg Wiest of Glade
Run United Presbyterian Church in Valencia, Pa.; and William A. Teague
of Park Presbyterian Church in Beaver, Pa. – are the prime movers.
They are the tri-writers of a column that explains their mission, to
wit:
- "Overture #1 allows congregations and presbyteries to freely
associate as they discern the leading of God. This overture will
encourage, among other possibilities, congregations languishing in
presbyteries that do not share their values to move to other nearby
presbyteries that may."
- "Overture #2 makes each Synod's Permanent Judicial
Commission the highest judicatory for appeals in the varied cases
that begin in lower judicatories (congregation, presbytery, synod).
This overture is necessary because as presbyteries and synods
gravitate toward their own unique practices and interpretations of
the Book of Order, they will need to find those values that
are most necessary."
"Our current denominational answer to the question is a
one-size-fits-all structure, much like a one-room schoolhouse,"
Arnold, Wiest & Teague say. They cite an "increasingly
rancorous (one-room) environment" where leaders "feel intense
pressure to hold widely disparate belief systems."
They note that the PCUSA's Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity "acknowledges
these dynamics and begs for reason and deference to replace rancor …
Is there a structure that will accommodate diversity and still allow
ministry under one roof? The answer is that by setting aside our
obsession with a one-room structure, we may create a number of rooms and
allow different groups to practice ministry and mission in their own
unique ways." |