A
Resource for Presbytery Voting
on
the Chapter 14 Rewrite
January 29, 2007
Presbyteries are voting right now on proposed amendments to the Book of Order sent down to them by the last General Assembly. One of the proposed amendments is a complete rewrite of Chapter 14 on “Ordination, Certification, and Commissioning.”
Discussions about the proposed rewrite of Chapter 14 of the Form of Government in the Book of Order prompt me to write to you about this again. At least one of the difficulties of the rewrite is its length and the complexity of grasping what is added, what is omitted, and what is changed.
The
Location of the Vows
Take,
for example, the proposal to move the ordination vows out of the Form
of Government and into the Directory for Worship (proposed Amendment 06-B.1.).
Ostensibly, the reasoning is to put the vows in the liturgical context
where they are used. But, take a look at G-6.0108’s requirement
for candidates and officers: they “shall adhere to the essentials
of the Reformed faith and polity as expressed in The Book of Confessions
and the Form of Government (emphasis mine).”
In this section, Form of Government is singled out as the polity location
for what is essential. We must ask if moving the vows changes what is
required to that which is merely advisory or ceremonial. Wisdom and prudence
suggest that we keep the vows in the Form of Government
and vote “no” on this proposed amendment.
Presbyteries’ Pre-Emptive Authority in Dissolving Pastoral Relationships
A second concern is the material in the proposed Chapter 14 on dissolution
of pastoral relationships by presbyteries (06-A.1.). The change is not
limited to repeating twice more in Chapter 14 the wording (and the power)
that is already present in Chapter 11: “to establish
the pastoral relationship and to dissolve it at the request of one or
both of the parties, or when it [the presbytery] finds that the
church’s mission under the Word imperatively demands it.”
Two new appearances of the vague wording, that I have emphasized
from the paragraph, should make us wonder why the rewrite didn’t
seek to clarify the conditions under which a presbytery is permitted to
take pre-emptive action in dissolving a relationship, instead of simply
repeating the power.
But there is more. The Form of Government, in both current (G-14.0601) and proposed (G-14.0610) versions, states clearly that the power to dissolve a pastoral relationship resides with the presbytery. The proposed G-14.0610 says that “there shall always be a meeting of the congregation to consider the matter and to request, or consent, or decline to consent to dissolution, as provided in G-7.0304a(3).”
A new paragraph—G-14.0613, titled “Presbytery Action”—proposes this wording: “The presbytery, through its committee on ministry or an administrative commission, may inquire into reported difficulties in a congregation and may dissolve the pastoral relationship if, after consultation with the minister, the session, and the congregation (G- 7.0304a(3), it finds the church’s mission under the Word imperatively demands it.”
This paragraph introduces new wording and more ambiguity. Could “reported difficulties” be a phone call from some one person not related to the congregation, or from an unhappy member? Under this provision, what level of “reported difficulty” would be sufficient to establish an administrative commission or prompt investigation by a COM? What comprises “consultation”? The rewrite doesn’t tell us.
These amendments to Chapter 14 are not new. They are almost exactly the same as amendments proposed in 2001 and rejected by an overwhelming number of our presbyteries. Furthermore, they come at the same time that a General Assembly committee is busy rewriting the entire Form of Government, scheduled to be before the General Assembly in 2008.
We urge you to defeat these amendments related to Chapter 14: the “A” and the “B” amendments.
You will find our full critique at http://www.presbycoalition.org/chapter14.htm The link to the booklet containing the proposed amendments is http://www.pcusa.org/generalasse mbly/amend/proposed-amendments.pdf
I hope you’ll give serious study to the amendments and the potential ramifications of the changes they propose. Please let me know when your presbytery votes and let me know the results. May the Lord guide you in this.
Terry
P.S. In response to my last email to you, I’ve been advised of two additional presbyteries’ and several more churches’ statements of intent to uphold the Book of Order requirement for ordination and installation. The revised list is at http:/ /www.presbycoalition.org/comply.htm
If you know of others who should be receiving these emails, please send us their address.
Terry Schlossberg
The Presbyterian Coalition
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email:
terry@presbycoalition.org
phone: 703-680-4571
web: http://www.presbycoalition.org