The Two Synod Solution

Proposed Amendments

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Proposed Amendments.
Governing Bodies
G-9.0407

G-9.0407            a. The congregation of a particular
General                  church and the committees, bodies,
Administrative         and organizations of that church, shall
Review                    report annually all proceedings and
                             actions to the session, which shall
                             review and summarize them and
                             incorporate the summary into its
                             minutes.

Annual                b. The moderator, the stated clerk, the
Reporting                councils, commissions, committees,
                             boards, agencies, and organizations of
                             a respective Presbytery, Sub-Synod, and
                             of each Primary Synod (Auburn and
                             Westminster), shall report annually
                             all the proceedings and actions of 
                             those respective bodies to their 
                             Primary Synod (Westminster
                             and Auburn), which shall review
                             them.

Review of            c.  The moderator, stated clerk, the
Records                  councils, commissions, committees,
                             boards, agencies, and organizations
                             of the General Assembly shall report
                             at least biennially all proceedings
                             and actions of the General Assembly,
                             to the General Assembly Council
                             which shall review them.

                         d. The Primary Synods (Auburn and
                             Westminster) shall review the records
                             of the proceedings of their respective
                             Sub-Synods and Presbyteries.
                               (1) Presbyteries shall review the
                                    records of member sessions, 
                                    aligned with the same Primary  
                                    Synod, which are in the Presbytery's 
                                    geographic area, once each year.   
                                    If a session fails to submit its records 
                                    for that purpose, the presbytery 
                                    shall order them to be produced
                                    at a specific time.
                               (2) The Sub-Synods shall review the
                                    records of Presbyteries, aligned with
                                    the same Primary Synod (Auburn or
                                    Westminster) as the Sub-Synod, 
                                    in their geographic region,
                                    once each year.  If a Presbytery
                                    shall fail to submit its records
                                    for this purpose, the Sub-Synod
                                    shall order them to be produced
                                    at a specific time.
                                (3) The Primary Synods (Westminster
                                     and Auburn) shall review the
                                     records of their respective 
                                     Sub-Synods at least bienially.
                                     If a Sub-Synod fails to submit
                                     its records for this purpose, the
                                     respective Primary Synod
                                     shall order them to be produced
                                     at a specific time.
                                (4) The Primary Synods (Auburn
                                      and Westminster) shall provide
                                      summaries of records and
                                      statistics regarding their
                                      respective Sub-Synods and
                                      Presbyteries, biennially to
                                      the General Assembly.      


G-9.0408            If a Primary Synod (Westminster                               
Special               or Auburn) or one of their
Administrative     respective Sub-Synods,or
Review               Presbyteries learns at any time
                         of any irregularities or delinquency
                         by a lower governing body, it may
                         require the governing body to
                         produce any records and take 
                         any appropriate action required
                         by their Primary Synod
                         (Auburn or Westminster).


G-9.0409            a. When a Primary Synod
Manner of           (Westminster or Auburn)
Review                reviews the proceedings
                         of a lower governing
                         body, the Primary Synod
                         shall determine either from
                         the records of those
                         proceedings or from any
                         other information as may
                         come to its attention,
                         whether:
                           (1) The proceedings have
                                been correctly recorded
                           (2) The proceedings have
                                been regular and in
                                accordance with the
                                Constitution.
                           (3) The proceedings have
                                been prudent and
                                equitable;
                           (4) The proceedings have
                                been faithful to the 
                                mission of the Primary
                                Synod and of the whole
                                church.
                           (5) And that the lawful injunctions  
                                of their respective Primary
                                Synod have been obeyed.

Who May Not         When a Primary Synod (Auburn
Vote                     or Westminster) is reviewing
                            the actions of one of their
                            Sub-Synods or Presbyteries,
                            members of the lower
                            governing bodies who
                            are also members of their
                            Primary Synod's General 
                            Council or are a member
                            of their Sub-Synods General
                            Council, may participate in
                            the discussions, but may not
                            vote.

G-9.0410               It is ordinarily sufficient for the
                            Primary Synods to record their
                            own proceedings, and with regard 
                            to those proceedings record its approval, 
                            disapproval, or correction.
                            If necessary, the Primary
                            Synod may direct a lower
                            governing body, within the
                            same Primary Synod, to 
                            reconsider and correct
                            an irregularity or cure a
                            delinquency.

G-9.0411               In addition to administrative
Review and            review by a Primary
Correction by          Synod (Westminster 
Judicial                  or Auburn) of their lower 
Process                 governing bodies actions, 
                            one or more persons who
                            filed a complaint may obtain
                            judicial process by filing a
                            complaint with their Primary
                            Synod's Permanent Judicial
                            Commission, with which the
                            complainants are aligned.


G-9.0501               a.  (Unchanged)
Committee


Membership           b.  (Unchanged)
    

G-9-0502                 (Unchanged)
Commission


G-9.0503              a.  Commissions appointed by 
Administrative            sessions, Presbyteries,
and Judicial                Sub-Synods, or by
                                one of the two Primary
                                Synods (Auburn or
                                Westminster), may be
                                either Administrative or 
                                Judicial, except in the case of
                                sessions, which may only
                                appoint Administrative
                                commissions.  The functions
                                ordinarily entrusted to an
                                administrative commission
                                are:
                                  (1) to ordain ministers of the
                                       Word and Sacrament and
                                       to install them in permanent
                                       pastoral relations;
                                  (2) to organize churches.  When
                                       such commissions are appointed
                                       by a Presbytery to
                                       organize new congregations,
                                       in accordance with their Primary
                                       Primary Synod's guidelines,
                                       the respective Presbytery
                                       may authorize that commission
                                       to assume any and all powers
                                       and responsibilities of a session
                                       for the benefit and ministry of
                                       the new congregation.  The
                                       respective Presbytery may
                                       authorize their commission to
                                       delegate such powers and
                                       responsibilities to a committee
                                       of the new congregation.
                                       
                                       (a) For immigrant fellowships with
                                       roots in the Reformed Tradition,
                                       after they choose a Primary Synod
                                       (Auburn or Westminster) may
                                       join that Primary Synod's local
                                       geographic Presbytery if the
                                       Presbytery determines: (1)
                                       that its strategy for mission with
                                       that constituency is similar, and
                                       (2) that the chosen lay leadership
                                       of the immigrant fellowship has
                                       an adequate number of elders 
                                       and session members; then
                                       the Presbytery or its 
                                       Administrative Commission may
                                       recognize their status and
                                       proceed to recognize 
                                       those leaders as elders.
                                       In making this determination the
                                       Presbytery shall be guided by
                                       written guidelines developed by
                                       their Primary Synod (Auburn
                                       or Westminster)

                                       (b)  (Unchanged)

                                  (3)       (Unchanged)

                                  (4)       (Unchanged)

                                  (5)       (Unchanged)

                                  (6)       (Unchanged)

                                  (7)       (Unchanged)


G-9.0503.0505           b.  The function of a Judicial
Judicial                           Commission is to consider
                                     and decide cases brought
                                     before the Presbytery,  
                                     Sub-Synod or the Primary Synod
                                     by litigants or moving parties
                                     aligned with the same Primary
                                     Synod (Westminster or
                                     Auburn), as the governing
                                     body, before which the case
                                     is being heard, according to the
                                     Rules of Discipline.


Additional                  c.   (Unchanged) 
Duties


G-9.0504                   a. An administrative commission 
Membership                   of a session shall consist of at
                                    least two elders and the moderator
                                    of the session or other minister
                                    of the Word and Sacrament 
                                    installed in a permanent 
                                    position or relationship within
                                    the particular congregation.
                                    which is governed by the session.

Equal Number             b. Administrative and Judicial Commissioners     
of Ministers                    of a Presbytery, Sub-Synod, and
and Elders                      of the Primary Synods (Auburn and
                                    Westminster) shall be composed
                                    of ministers of the Word and
                                    Sacrament and elders in numbers
                                    as nearly equal as possible. When
                                    the commission consists of an
                                    odd number of members, the
                                    additional member may be either
                                    an elder or a minister of the Word
                                    and Sacrament.  The Elders and
                                    Ministers of the Word and 
                                    Sacrament are required to be
                                    aligned with the same Primary
                                    Synod as the governing
                                    body before which they are
                                    adjudicating the case.  

Administrative               (1) When an Administrative Commission 
Commisions                  or Judicial Commission is impaneled, 
Judicial Commisions       by one of the Primary Synod's 
and the                         (Auburn or Westminster), to hear
Primary Synods              a matter before that specific
                                    Primary Synod (Westminster or Auburn);
                                    then, not fewer than fifteen members
                                    will comprise the Administrative
                                    Commission or Judicial Commission
                                    of that Primary Synod (Auburn or
                                    Westminster).  At least one member
                                    of the Administrative Commission or
                                    Judicial Commission shall come
                                    from each of that specific Primary
                                    Synod's constituent Sub-Synods.
                                    This shall be the minimum
                                    number of members of the Administrative
                                    and/or Judicial Commission.  The decisions
                                    of an Administrative and Judicial 
                                    Commission of one of the Primary Synod's
                                    (Auburn or Westminster)
                                    shall not be binding on the other Primary
                                    Synod, (Westminster or Auburn),
                                    neither will it be binding on
                                    any of the governing bodies of 
                                    the other Primary Synod.  The
                                    decisions or findings of the
                                    Permanent Judicial Commission
                                    or Administrative Commission
                                    will only be binding on the 
                                    governing bodies aligned with
                                    the same Primary Synod,
                                    (Auburn or Westminster), that
                                    the Permanent Judicial 
                                    Commission or Administrative
                                    Commission, that rendered
                                    the findings or decision, is
                                    aligned with, (Westminster or
                                    Auburn).
                 
Sub-Synods                   (2) A Sub-Synod, that impanels
                                    a Permanent Judicial Commission
                                    or forms an Administrative
                                    Commission will provide that
                                    not fewer than eleven numbers
                                    shall be appointed
                                    to the Administrative or Judicial
                                    Commissions, with, not more than one
                                    member from any of of its constituent
                                    Presbyteries, aligned with the same
                                    Primary Synod (Auburn or Westminster)
                                    as the Sub-Synod.  The decisions
                                    of the Sub-Synod's Permanent
                                    Judicial Commission and
                                    Administrative Commissions
                                    are only binding on the
                                    Presbyteries within its
                                    jurisdiction that are aligned 
                                    with the same Primary Synod
                                   (Westminster or Auburn),
                                    as the Sub-Synod.
                                   

Presbytery                    (3) for each Presbytery,
                                  that impanels a Permanent
                                  Judicial Commission or
                                  Administrative Commission, not
                                  fewer than seven members, shall
                                  comprise an Administrative
                                  or Judicial Commission and
                                  they shall come from the
                                  constituent congregations
                                  that are aligned with
                                  the same Primary Synod 
                                  (Westminster or Auburn),
                                  as the Presbytery.  A Presbytery
                                  may reduce the number to five
                                  members, with not more than 
                                  one of the members being from 
                                  any one church.  The decisions
                                  and findings of the Permanent
                                  Judicial Commission or
                                  Administrative Commission
                                  under the jurisdiction of
                                  a Presbytery, are only
                                  binding on the member
                                  congregations aligned with
                                  the same Primary Synod
                                  (Auburn or Westminster)
                                  as the Presbytery, whose
                                  Permanent Judicial
                                  Commission or 
                                  Administrative 
                                  Commission rendered
                                  the decision or findings


Quorum                    c.  (Unchanged)


G-9.0505                  a.  (Unchanged)
Decisions


Hearings and             b.  (Unchanged)
Fair Procedures  


Additional                 c.  (Unchanged)
Procedural
Process                    d.  (Unchanged)

                             

Proposed Amendments