The Two Synod Solution

Proposed Amendments

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Proposed Amendments
Presbyteries & Sessions:
G-11.0504

G-11.0504                   The Presbytery's Committee on
Primary Synod              Ministry shall look to their
Sub-Synods and           Primary Synod (Auburn or
General Assembly         Westminster) for guidance.
Agencies                      Each Primary Synod (Westminster
                                  or Auburn), shall create the
                                  necessary agency to coordinate
                                  the work of their Presbyteries
                                  and their Committees on Ministry.
                                    


G-11.0505                   The Presbyteries that represent  
Relations between         their Primary Synod (Auburn or
Presbyteries                 Westminster), in each Presbytery Region,
of each Primary            shall consist of all of the congregations
Synod located              of the PCUSA, and shall maintain fellowship
in the same                 with each other through their Presbytery
Presbytery                   Region's Cross-Over Committees.   
Region                        Each individual Presbytery shall
                                  consist of at least 27 congregations.
                                  The Presbyteries, which are formed and   
                                  aligned with their respective Primary Synod
                                  (Westminster or Auburn),
                                  shall be formed based upon each
                                  Presbyterys' original boundaries.
                                  This will be based upon the 2006 
                                  Presbytery Regional Boundary lines.
                                  If there are not 27 congregations
                                  within a Primary Synod's Prebytery's
                                  boundaries, then, Presbyteries within
                                  that Primary Synod shall be merged
                                  until the 27 congregation thresh-hold
                                  is met. The larger 
                                  geographic Presbytery of
                                  the two Primary Synods
                                  (Auburn or Westminster)
                                  shall constitute a Presbytery
                                  Region.  That Presbytery
                                  and all Presbyteries of the
                                  other Primary Synod
                                  (Westminster or Auburn),
                                  shall constitute a Presbytery
                                  Region.  The specific Presbyteries
                                  in that Presbytery Region
                                  shall maintain meaningful
                                  relationships through Cross-
                                  Over Committees consisting
                                  of a meaningful and equal 
                                  number of the Presbyteers, (65%),
                                  from both Primary Synods, 
                                  (Auburn and Westmisnter).
                                  This will ensure that cooperation 
                                  and fellowship is maintained
                                  between the Two Primary
                                  Synods at the Presbytery level.
                                  The Cross-Over Committees
                                  are found in section G-11.0302,
                                  of these amendments.
                                  The Cross-Over Committees
                                  shall have no binding 
                                  authority on any Presbytery
                                  of either Primary Synod
                                  (Auburn or Westminster).
                                  

G-11.0506                   If a congregation, subsequent
Change of Primary        to their initial vote, to chose
Synods                        their Primary Synod
                                  (Westminster or Auburn)
                                  desires to change their
                                  Primary Synod, they can
                                  do so by a 70% vote of
                                  their congregation, and
                                  a 70% vote of their
                                  session, approving
                                  such action.  Their
                                  membership within
                                  their Prebytery Region
                                  would be transferred to 
                                  a Presbytery within
                                  their Presbytery Region
                                  which is aligned with 
                                  the Primary Synod 
                                  (Auburn or Westminster)
                                  that they wish to align
                                  with.
               
                                              
                     
Proposed Amendments
The Session:
G-10.0100:

G-10.0101                         (Unchanged)
Membership

G-10.0102                   a.   (Unchanged)
Responsibilities
                                  b.   (Unchanged)

                                  c.   (Unchanged)

                                  d.  to provide for the worship of the
                                      people of God, including the preaching
                                      of the Word, the sharing of the
                                      Sacraments, and for the music
                                      program, the congregation's
                                      Session, may petition and
                                      apply to their respective
                                      Presbytery for a duly
                                      trained and authorized elder
                                      to fill one of more of those roles,
                                      in accordance with the guidelines
                                      of their Primary Synod (Westminster
                                      or Auburn).  This applies in those
                                      extenuating circumstances
                                      where an ordained minister
                                      of the Word and Sacrament
                                      is not available to meet the
                                      needs for the administration
                                      of the Lord's Supper;

                                  e.  (Unchanged)

                                  f.  (Unchanged)

                                  g.  (Unchanged)

                                  h.  (Unchanged)

                                  i.   (Unchanged)

                                  j.   (Unchanged)

                                  k.  (Unchanged)

                                  l. to instruct, examine, ordain,
                                     install, and welcome into common
                                     ministry elders and deacons on
                                     their election by the congregation
                                     and to inquire into their faithfulness
                                     in fulfilling their responsibilities
                                     in accordance with the guidelines
                                     of their Primary Synod,
                                     (Auburn or Westminster)

                                  m. (Unchanged)

                                  n.  (Unchanged)

                                  o.  (Unchanged)

                                  p.  to maintain regular and continuing
                                       relationship to the higher governing
                                       bodies in their Primary Synod
                                       (Westminster or Auburn) and the
                                       church as a whole, including:
                                        (1) electing commissioners to 
                                        their respective Presbytery
                                        which is aligned with their
                                        Primary Synod (Auburn or 
                                        Westminster); sessions are 
                                        encouraged to elect commissioners
                                        to their respective Presbytery
                                        for a term of at least one year.
                                        (2) nomination of Presbytery
                                        elders who may be considered
                                        for election as commissioners 
                                        to their Primary Synod's
                                        Sub-Synod in their region, and  
                                        to their Primary Synod's
                                        (Westminster or Auburn)
                                        General Sessions, and to the
                                        General Assembly, or to be
                                        considered for the Boards and
                                        Commissions of each of
                                        those governing bodies
                                        (3) electing commissioners
                                        and appointing board members
                                        based on of the principles of 
                                        participation and inclusiveness
                                        to ensure fair representation to the
                                        decision making of the church
                                        should be observed;
                                        (4) observing and carrying out the 
                                        instructions of their higher governing
                                        bodies, e.g. their Primary Synod (Auburn
                                        or Westminster), and Sub-Synods,
                                        aligned with their Primary Synod,
                                        consistent with the Constitution of
                                        the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
                                        (5) welcoming representatives of
                                        their respective Presbytery on the
                                        occassions of their visits.
                                        (6) proposing to their respective
                                        Presbytery such measures as may
                                        be of common concerns to the
                                        mission of the whole church;
                                        (7) sending annually to the stated 
                                        clerk of their respective Presbytery
                                        statistical and other information 
                                        according to the requirements of
                                        their respective Presbytery and
                                        Primary Synod (Auburn or 
                                        Wesminster)
                                       
                                  q.  (Unchanged)

                                  r.   (Unchanged)

                                  s.  (Unchanged)

                                  t.  After the Presbyteries have
                                      voted on these amendments
                                      and the results of the vote have 
                                      been certified by the General Assembly
                                      Stated Clerk, each
                                      congregation and Session
                                      shall, within 140 days, 
                                      vote to chose the Primary Synod
                                      (either the Auburn Primary Synod
                                      or the Westminster Primary Synod),
                                      with which they wish to be aligned.
                                      This shall be accomplished
                                      by a 60% affirmative vote of 
                                      both the congregation and the
                                      session, to chose their Primary
                                      Synod, (Westminster or Auburn).  
                                      Failure to reach the 60% affirmative 
                                      vote threshhold will cause the
                                      congregation to default to the Auburn
                                      Primary Synod.
              
                     
G-10.0103                   a. The pastor of the church shall be the
                                  moderator of the session and the session
                                  shall not meet without the pastor except as
                                  hereunder provided.  In congregations
                                  where there are co-pastors, they shall,
                                  when present, alternatively preside in 
                                  the session.  If it appears
                                  advisable for prudential reasons that
                                  some minister other than the pastor
                                  should preside , the pastor may, with
                                  the concurrence of the session, invite
                                  a minister of their respective Presbytery
                                  (aligned with their Primary Synod),
                                  to do so.  A Presbytery
                                  may appoint a lay pastor as moderator
                                  of the session if it is the church to which 
                                  he or she is commissioned.  The person
                                  assigned to the commissioned lay pastor
                                  as mentor and supervisor shall also
                                  supervise his or her work as moderator.
                                  In addition, the moderator of the session 
                                  of a church with a vacant pulpit may request
                                  an elder, who is a member of their
                                  respective Presbytery's committee on
                                  ministry, the stated clerk, executive
                                  Presbyter, or associate executive Presbyter,
                                  to preside; such elder may not moderate
                                  the session of the church of which the elder
                                  is a member.  In the case of the sickness or
                                  absence of the pastor, the same expedient
                                  may be adopted; or the session, after having
                                  obtained the approval of the pastor, may
                                  convene and elect another of its own
                                  members to preside

When Without              b.  When a church is without a pastor, the
a Pastor                      moderator of their session may be the
Moderator                   minister appointed for that purpose by
                                 their respective Presbytery, or a
                                 minister of their respective Presbytery
                                 aligned with their Primary Synod (Auburn or
                                 Westminster), who is invited by the session
                                 to preside.  When it is not possible for
                                 such a minister to attend, the session 
                                 may elect one of its own members
                                 to preside.

Judicial Cases              c. In all judicial cases, the moderator
                                  of the session, shall be a minister of
                                  their Presbytery, which is aligned 
                                  with the same Primary Synod
                                  (Auburn or Westminster), as the
                                  congregation.


G-10.0201                   The session shall hold stated meetings
Meetings                     at least quarterly.  The moderator of the
                                  session may call a special meeting of
                                  the session when he or she judges
                                  it necessary and shall do so when
                                  requested in writing by any two
                                  members of the session.  The Session
                                  shall also meet when directed to do
                                  so by their respective Presbytery,
                                  aligned with the same Primary
                                  Synod (Westminster or Auburn)
                                  as the congregation. 
                                  Reasonable notice of all
                                  special meetings must be given
                                  when other than routine business
                                  is to be transacted.  The session may
                                  invite members of the congregation 
                                  to attend and observe its meetings
                                  if it so-desires, without restricting its
                                  right to meet in closed session
                                  whenever circumstances indicate the
                                  wisdom of doing so.