Giving away your M&N’s?
4/28/2010 9:58:00 AM
Among the list of responsibilities of the Presbyterian Church USA’s General Assembly are responsibilities m. and n.
“m. to organize new synods and to divide, unite, or otherwise combine synods or portions of synods previously existing;
“n. to approve the organization, division, uniting, or combining of presbyteries or portions of presbyteries by synods;” (G-13.0103 m. and n., Form of Government, Book of Order, PCUSA).
GA Resources
Visit the PLC’s General Assembly Index Page by clicking here.
There are several items of business related to these responsibilities that are assigned before Committee #4, Middle Governing Body Issues. They are listed on www.pc-biz.org as:
[04-01] On Amending G-12.0100 and D-5.0101 Regarding Synod Function.
[04-02] On Amending the Book of Order by Deleting Chapter 12 to Eliminate the Middle Governing Body of the Synod.
[04-03] On Amending G-12.0000 Regarding Creation of a “New Synod”
[04-04] On Amending G-11.0000 to Provide Flexibility in Presbytery Membership.
[04-05] On Creating a Special Committee to Explore the Roles and Relationships of Synods and Presbyteries to Each Other, to the Agencies, and to Congregations
[04-06] On Appointing a General Assembly Commission on Middle Governing Bodies.
Item 04-06 is the one that seeks to have the 219th GA to give away its m&n’s to a special commission. Be reminded that a “commission” differs from a “committee” in that a committee makes recommendations, a commission has the full authority to act. The proposal is that the 219th GA give away its m&n’s to 21 people selected by the outgoing and incoming moderators who will:
1. The commission will consult with sessions, presbyteries, synods, and the wider church on the mission and function of middle governing bodies.
2. The commission will develop models that reflect the roles of middle governing bodies in our polity and the changing context of our witness in the United States and their relationships with other governing bodies.
3. The commission will prepare a report to the 220th General Assembly (2012) of its findings and any recommended Book of Order changes.
4. The commission will implement, within the powers granted it, any decisions forwarded from the 219th General Assembly (2010) and approved by presbyteries regarding the form and function of middle governing bodies with a report to the 220th General Assembly (2012).
5. In response to actions of the 219th General Assembly (2010), or upon request of the presbytery and synod, the commission is authorized to act as the General Assembly according to
a. G-13.0103m: “to organize new synods and to divide, unite, or otherwise combine synods or portions of synods previously existing;”
b. G-13.0103n: “to approve the organization, division, uniting, or combining of presbyteries or portions of presbyteries by synods.”
6. The commission will supervise the Special Administrative Review Committee on Puerto Rico and act on any recommendations they may make within the powers given to the commission.
If committee #4 of the 219th GA chooses to recommend item 04-06 to the assembly, it could be done with its work in a matter of minutes. That’s a tempting proposition for a committee that has before it serious business from middle governing bodies from California to Puerto Rico; business that includes the proposition of adding a new “non-geographic” synod and another that would eliminate synods altogether.
That is a lot for GA commissioners to consider in the span of an assembly meeting, but it is their responsibility and should not be delegated away.
I trust that the commissioners to this GA will not give away their m&n’s (even as they’re watching their p’s and q’s!)