Committee has lesson on task forces, committees, commissions and theology By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Tuesday, June 12, 2001 LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The General Assembly Committee on Peace, Purity and Unity on Monday learned the difference between task forces, committees and commissions. The lesson came as the committee was beginning to discuss their business, which included several overtures calling for task forces, committees or commissions. Mark Tammin of the Department of Constitutional Services said "what you want it to do will determine what vehicle you use." "You have to formulate what it is you want this group to do, and that will lead you to decide what authority they need to have," he said. A task force has a very specific task, limited focus, limited time and no general powers. There is no constitutional standard for its composition. A committee, according to G-9.0501a in the Book of Order, is to "study or recommend." It has a specific task, normally study and report with or without recommendations and it can carry out decisions already made by the appointing body. The composition of a committee, according to the constitution, must be half laypeople and half ministers. The committee is the most common vehicle utilized to delegate responsibilities or tasks. The work of a commission, according to G-9.0502 in the Book of Order, is to "consider and conclude." G-9.0503a(3) says "visit … inquire into, settle." A commission can, but not need to, act on behalf of the appointing body. It only possesses the powers delegated to it and is appointed when the body wants to "get someone's attention." The composition of a commission must be an equal number of ministers and elders. Theology lesson included Joe Small of the PCUSA's Office of Theology and Worship described to the committee what theology is. He said theology is asking and answering very basic questions: Who is God? What is God like? Who are we? Does God care about us, and how does God care about us? "That is theology, and whether it is done by the highly educated or church Sunday school classes – that is what it should be about," Small said. Theology, he said, is done "first of all and most importantly in congregations, where the faithful gather week in and week out to worship." Small said the most important theological task in any congregation is the shaping of worship. Other theological tasks congregations have include how children learn the faith and what will be done to provide for them to learn the faith. "It is in congregations that the most important theological work in the church takes place," he said. Another place that theological work takes place is in the presbyteries. "More often than not, presbyteries turn into business meetings," he said, adding that presbyteries are called upon to do theological work û an example is the examination of candidates for ordination. Small said General Assemblies rarely do significant theological work because theological work primarily is done in the congregations and presbyteries. The theological work of General Assemblies includes shaping the confessional standards of the church. The PCUSA's Book of Confessions "gives us access to our mothers and fathers of the faith -- those who died for the faith," Small said, calling The Book of Confessions "one of the greatest gifts our church has." "Another way the General Assembly does theological work is to establish task forces or commissions to address some theological issue on our behalf," he said.

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