Overture would limit staff role in GAC, other meetings
The Layman Online, February 7, 2006
The Presbytery of San Joaquin in California wants the denomination’s staff to sit on the sidelines and speak only when asked during the meetings of the General Assembly Council and other elected bodies of the denomination.
The overture, which is written in the form of a resolution to the 217th General Assembly, was approved by the presbytery Feb. 4. The overture asks the General Assembly to have its provisions ratified by the presbyteries in a constitutional referendum.
The overture was submitted to the presbytery by the session of First Presbyterian Church in Bakersfield.
If approved by the General Assembly and the presbyteries, the resolution would require that during “all meetings of the PCUSA elected bodies related to the General Assembly Council, staff, liaisons and other resource persons shall be clearly identified by nametags, which include their title, and shall be seated separately from but in proximity to the elected committee so that they can be called upon for comment at the committee’s discretion, but they shall not enter freely into the deliberations of the elected body.”
The resolution would also limit “the number of staff, liaisons from other bodies, and other resource persons present at meetings of such GA entities” to not more than “25 percent of the elected membership of the entity present at the meeting.”
“Only minimal numbers of staff should need to be present at the meeting to answer questions from elected members,” the overture says. “Larger numbers of staff can have undue influence over the outcomes of the meetings and interfere with proper functioning of the committees; in addition to increasing the cost of a meeting.”
The full text of the overture:
The Presbytery of San Joaquin respectfully overtures the 217th General Assembly (2006) to direct the Stated Clerk to send the following proposed amendment to the presbyteries for their affirmative or negative votes:
Resolved, that the 217th G.A. direct that at all meetings of the PCUSA elected bodies related to the General Assembly Council, staff, liaisons and other resource persons shall be clearly identified by nametags which include their title and shall be seated separately from but in proximity to the elected committee so that they can be called upon for comment at the committee’s discretion, but they shall not enter freely into the deliberations of the elected body. In addition, the number of staff, liaisons from other bodies, and other resource persons present at meetings of such GA entities shall not exceed 25% of the elected membership of the entity present at the meeting.
Rationale
Our form of government is based on a representative process of elected leadership carefully balanced to include women and men, clergy and lay persons, as well as a number of other considerations (G-9.0104; G-4.0403). The objective is to hear from a wide spectrum of voices in the deliberative processes of the church.
Staff are be invited or assigned to meetings of elected bodies in order to provide resources and information that may be critical to the effective work of the body. This is appropriately conveyed to the committee in written reports distributed well in advance of the meeting. Only minimal numbers of staff should need to be present at the meeting to answer questions from elected members. Larger numbers of staff can have undue influence over the outcomes of the meetings and interfere with proper functioning of the committees; in addition to increasing the cost of a meeting.
Currently, staff, liaisons, and other resource persons often equal or exceed the number of elected members at meetings of GAC committees and other GA entities and enter freely into deliberations. Staff, liaisons, and other resource persons sometimes sit at the table with elected committee members, blurring the distinctions between the proper roles of the persons present.
Clear and reasonable limitations on staff participation in meetings of elected bodies are necessary to assure that it is the elected representatives who are making the decisions charged to the committee on which they serve.