News from the Executive Presbyter/Stated Clerk

At the December stated meeting, presbytery began the process of voting on the amendments to the Book of Order referred by the 225th General Assembly (2022).  Presbytery voted on the amendments to the Directory for Worship and the Rules of Discipline, including approval for a complete revision of the latter titled Church Discipline.
 
At the Saturday, March 4 stated meeting at the Presbyterian Church of the Lakes in Orlando, Presbytery will vote on the proposed amendments to the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity and the Form of Government.  These amendments can be found in a booklet available on the General Assembly’s web page.  The booklet is available in English, Korean, and Spanish in this location.
 
Each proposed amendment is presented in the same manner within this booklet.  The original overture or resolution that proposed the change is presented first, including any pertinent details from the rationale of the overture.  Next, the action of the Assembly Committee that considered the change, and the full assembly action is presented.  Alterations to the proposed amendment can be made at this point.
 
Next, the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Constitution is presented.  The Book of Order requires the General Assembly to receive the advice of the ACC on all proposed changes to the Book of Order.  Having served on the ACC, I can attest that their advice does not always agree with the Assembly action.  Finally, various entities of the General Assembly can submit what are called advice and consent memorandums on the proposed change.  These entities include the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA), Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA), other entities of GA (Pensions, Foundation, Investment and Loan program), and the Advisory or Advocacy Committees of the GA.
 
Presbyteries are asked to vote in the affirmative or negative on each amendment.  Whereas there was a time when the Office of the General Assembly asked for specific vote totals for each amendment, all that is required now is for the Stated Clerk to attest that the presbytery voted the amendment up or down.  It is possible for the presbytery to take no action on the amendments, but this effectively cedes the issue to the prevailing side on each amendment, and also has the functional effect of a no vote, as it is one less possible “yes” vote towards the required simple majority of presbyteries for approval.
 
Please spend some time reviewing the amendments to the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity and Form of Government that we will be voting upon on March 4.  The votes will take place during an order of the day following lunch.   Previously I wrote about this process and suggested the following issues(not an exhaustive list)  to help assess an amendment:
  • Is it a new power being defined, or does the amendment merely cross-reference an existing section?
  • Is the amendment about process/procedure, which attempt to mandate the same procedures throughout the denomination, instead of giving councils needed flexibility?
  • Is the amendment writing into the Constitution a political or theological position for which there is less than universal agreement?
If you have any questions or concerns about the amendments, please be in touch.
 
Dan Williams
Executive Presbyter / Stated Clerk
 
 
FEBRUARY 2023
Rev. Dr. Dan Williams