Administrative commissions and original jurisdiction
Members of presbytery: ‘Is this what you had in mind?’
Commentary by Carmen Fowler LaBerge, The Layman, September 20, 2012
The context is a healthy sized congregation in the Presbyterian Church (USA) that is engaged in the gracious dismissal process of their particular presbytery. The presbytery formed an Administrative Commission (AC) with full powers. This process has been going on for a significant length of time and all sides are growing weary.
Stated Clerk offers apologies to AC, presbytery, session and congregation What I share here is a Facebook string that removes all the names of those involved and gives no reference to the specific church or presbytery. My hope is that every presbyter who is in a presbytery where an AC is operating will consider finding out more about how the authority granted them is being exercised and whether or not the Kingdom is actually being advanced.
A ruling elder posts about a session meeting:
Frustrated. We had two RE’s move and second a motion that our pulpit be filled by a neutral pastor … or that at least the right of our pastor to preach would be censored. When the motion was ruled out of order, our AC recessed, called the stated clerk who gave an over the phone opinion that the motion is in order. … Shenanigans. Thanks for your prayers.
Several PCUSA pastors and elders jumped in to the conversation. The first asked, “So, did the motion pass or fail?”
A person in attendance at the meeting reported that “The motion was declared out of order.” Then asked, “does a Session have the authority to bring in someone else to preach instead of the installed pastors without the approval of the installed pastor/moderator/head of staff?”
The answer was offered from the Book of Order, quoting W-2.2007 which reads, “A teaching elder or other person authorized by presbytery may be invited by the pastor with the concurrence of the session or, when there is no pastor, by the session. A person may be sent to preach by the presbytery.”
It was then noted that the final sentence of W-2.2007 “seems open to wide interpretation.”
Another person present at the meeting added, “After reading W-1.4004-5 and W-2.2007 the motion was ruled out of order because the Session does not have the necessary authority.” They then added that the presbytery’s Stated Clerk (who was not present at the meeting) ruled by phone that it was in order. He determined that the Session does have the authority.
So, is the answer yes or no?
The elder continued, “We do know, and have been told repeatedly that the AC can do whatever they want (including claiming original jurisdiction, bring someone else in to preach, etc.). So, does the Session have the authority to remove the installed pastor from the pulpit and have someone else preach without the consent of the pastor?”
Another presbyter weighs in, “The Pastor was called by the local church and approved by the presbytery. The Session cannot unilaterally pull the called Pastor from the pulpit without the Presbytery getting involved.” The comment concluded that this is the kind of thing that is normally handled by a presbytery Committee on Ministry (COM).
Then a group member asked, “OK. So, what is original jurisdiction and how does it work? Is it actually defined anywhere or is it just a vague ‘do as we say or we’ll take over your world’ bullying tactic? Are there constraints on when and how it should be used? Are there any boundaries within original jurisdiction?”
The answer offered was, “Boundaries of an AC are determined when it is formed by presbytery and by presbytery as it sees fit.” And another participant added, “G-11.0103.s gives the presbytery power “to assume original jurisdiction in any case in which it determines that a session cannot exercise its authority. Whenever, after a thorough investigation, and after full opportunity to be heard has been accorded to the session in question, the presbytery of jurisdiction shall determine that the session of a particular church is unable or unwilling to manage wisely the affairs of its church, the presbytery may appoint an administrative commission (G-9.0503) with the full power of a session. This commission shall assume original jurisdiction of the existing session, if any, which shall cease to act until such time as the presbytery shall otherwise direct.”
The emphasis is added by underlining several words and phrases that are open to wide interpretation and widely variant application.
If you’re a member of a presbytery where an AC has approved in a gracious dismissal process, you have to ask yourself, “is this what you had in mind?” Is this a right expression of ecclesiastical collegiality or a right exercise of discipline?
Do you really know what your AC is doing in your name to your fellow presbyters? Does it not raise alarm that an AC has picked up the ax of censorship in terms of the freedom of speech a pastor has in the pulpit? Once in hand, that weapon is likely to swing both ways. That is not a future anyone should welcome.