Coalition Board Advises Further Study
of the Proposed New Form of Government

Press Release: November 09, 2007

The Presbyterian Coalition's board of directors is recommending that the church is best served by delay in a decision about the proposed new Form of Government.

A General Assembly task force of nine people will be bringing a completely new Form of Government (FOG) to the 2008 General Assembly. Members of the Coalition have studied the various drafts of the document as they have been released over the past several months. Our study has raised a number of serious questions about the proposed rewrite.
The FOG task force will meet again at the end of November to consider further changes. Their final report will be submitted in February at the same time that overtures related to constitutional changes are due.

In a meeting this week of the board of directors, the Coalition adopted recommendations that it is sending to the task force and releasing publicly.

The Presbyterian Coalition board of directors recommends:

That due to our own and others' concerns regarding both the time frame and the content of the proposed new Form of Government (nFOG), and in recognition that adopting a new Form of Government is a major decision of the body, delay beyond 2008 in a decision by the General Assembly on the nFOG will serve the whole church well;

That the task force should be dismissed with thanks upon delivery of their report to the General Assembly and the delivery of a final version of their report to the General Assembly of 2008 should begin at least a two year period of reading and deliberation by churches and presbyteries with at least that period of time to permit response;

That should the General Assembly show intent to proceed to a vote on adopting the nFOG rather than acting to delay a decision, we oppose that action; and further

That the Coalition should continue to engage in study and analysis of the report, offering guidance to the church consistent with these recommendations, that points out both the strengths and weaknesses of the documents and their implications.

Terry Schlossberg
The Presbyterian Coalition

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