The Two Synod Solution

Proposed Amendments

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Proposed Amendments
Governing Bodies
G-9.0601

G-9.0601
Mediation or      (Unchanged)
Conciliation


G-9.0602          (Unchanged)
Participation


G-9.0701         a. The executives of the Presbyterys'
Executives           and the Sub-Synods and of the
                          Primary Synods shall be the 
                          administrators of those governing
                          bodies, that are accountable
                          to the governing bodies, through
                          their councils, for the implementation
                          of decisions and matters of strategy,
                          programs, and resources.  They shall
                          also provide staff services for the
                          agencies and committees of the
                          governing bodies.  Additional
                          responsibilities, along with the
                          process of calling, method of yearly
                          review of work, and the matter
                          of termination of employment,
                          shall be set forth clearly in the
                          manuals written by each Primary
                          Synod (Auburn and Westminster)
                          as guidance for their respective 
                          Sub-Synods, and their respective  
                          Presbyteries aligned with that
                          respective Primary Synod
                          (Westminster or Auburn).
                          
Election of            Each Presbytery may elect an
Executives            Executive Presbyter in consultation
                          with their Sub-Synod and their
                          Primary Synod (Westminster
                          or Auburn).  Other administrative
                          staff positions in either Primary
                          Synod and their Sub-Synods may
                          be authorized by their respective
                          Primary Synod (Auburn or
                          Westminster) and their Primary
                          Synod's General Synod Council.


G-9.0702             Other administrative staff positions
Other                  may be authorized by the Presbytery
Administrative      in consultation with their Primary
Staff                   Synod (Westminster or Auburn).
                          Staff positions in the 
                          Sub-Synods and Primary
                          Synods (Auburn and
                          Westminster) may be authorized
                          by their respective Primary Synod 
                          (Westminster or Auburn) and
                          their respective Primary Synod's
                          General Synod Council.
                          Primary Synod agencies shall
                          elect, with the concurrence of
                          their Primary Synod's General
                          Synod Council, an executive,
                          or executives.  Administrative
                          positions within each of 
                          the Primary Synods'
                          (Westminster or Auburn)
                          agencies may be authorized
                          by those agencies with the
                          concurrence of the respective
                          Primary Synod's General
                          Synod Council.



G-9.0703              General Assembly agencies
General                 shall elect, with the concurrence
Assembly              of the General Assembly Council,
Agency                  an executive, or executives,
Staff                     subject however to confirmation by
                            the General Assembly.  Other
                            administrative staff positions
                            for General Assembly agencies
                            may be authorized by those agencies
                            with concurrence of the General
                            Assembly Council

                    
G-9.0704               All executive and administrative  
Participation           staff positions in either Primary
and                       Synod (Westminster or Auburn),
Representation       their Sub-Synods, and their respective
                            Presbyteries, shall be filled in
                            accordance with the principles
                            of participation and representation
                            developed by each Primary
                            Synod (Auburn and Westminster).
                            This includes the requirement that
                            a representative search committee
                            for these positions be set forth 
                            in the manuals developed by each
                            Primary Synod (Westminster and
                            Auburn) for executive and staff
                            positions within that Primary
                            Synod.


G-9.0705               The relationship between executives,
Termination           and administrative staff of
of Sub-Synod         Presbyteries and their Sub-Synods
and Presbytery       may be dissolved by majority vote
Staff                      of the electing body on a request 
                            of a staff member or on a
                            recommendation by both their
                            respective Primary Synod,
                            (Westminster or Auburn), 
                            with which the governing
                            body is aligned, and on 
                            recommendation of a committee
                            elected by the governing 
                            body.  Upon this recommendation
                            the person shall be notified in
                            writing, which notice must state the
                            reasons for proposing their
                            termination, and offering to the
                            staff member an opportunity
                            to resign or to request a 
                            hearing before the recommendations
                            are adopted and reported by
                            the committee and sent for
                            approval by their respective 
                            Primary Synod (Westminster 
                            or Auburn), with which they are
                            aligned, The hearing provided
                            shall be one in which the
                            staff person may appear
                            personally with counsel to
                            respond to the findings
                            of their respective Primary
                            Synod and the findings
                            of the committee of the
                            governing body.  The
                            person may respond to
                            the findings and present 
                            reasons and evidence why
                            the relationship should 
                            not be terminated.  The
                            hearing shall afford 
                            safeguards as in cases
                            of process, following the
                            rules of evidence in the
                            Rules of Discipline.  A
                            record shall be made of
                            the hearing, which shall
                            become part of the record
                            in the event of a judicial
                            complaint following the
                            final action of the governing
                            body.


G-9.0706               When a Presbytery, Sub-Synod,
Temporary             or Primary Synod executive or
Staff                     administrative staff position
                            is vacant, or when the incumbant
                            in unable to perform his or her
                            duties, the Presbytery, Sub-Synod,
                            or Primary Synod agency may secure
                            the services of a temporary
                            executive or administrative
                            staff person.  Temporary
                            administrative positions 
                            include acting or interim
                            Presbytery, Sub-Synod,
                            Primary Synod executives
                            and administrative staff. 
                            No one serving
                            in a temporary position may be
                            hired to fulfill that same
                            position on a permanent
                            basis, except by
                            a two-thirds vote of the
                            governing body that they
                            serve.  In the same way,
                            the General Assembly can hire 
                            an individual in a temporary
                            executive or administrative
                            position, based upon the
                            reasons stated in this section. 
                            This individual
                            will not be eligible to
                            fill the full time executive
                            or administrative position,
                            unless there is a two-thirds
                            vote of the General Assembly
                            agency.


G-9.0707                (Unchanged)                
Emeritus/
Emeritia


G-9.0801               a. Each Presbytery and Sub-Synod, 
Nominating                and their respective Primary Synod
Committee                (Auburn or Westminster) shall elect
                                a nominating committee
                                broadly representative of
                                their members, that are aligned
                                with the same Primary Synod
                                (Westminster or Auburn).
                                It shall consist of a membership 
                                of one third ministers of the
                                Word and Sacrament, one
                                third laywomen, and one
                                third laymen.  The
                                nominating committee
                                shall consist of three
                                classes, each serving for
                                a three year term except
                                where initial classes of
                                one and two year terms are
                                necessary to establish
                                regular rotation.

Responsibility         b. The nominating committee
                                shall nominate persons to
                                fill all vacancies on continuing
                                committees (except the 
                                nominating committee),
                                councils, boards, and other
                                bodies that require election
                                by their Presbytery or Sub-Synod
                                or their respective Primary
                                Synod (Westminster or
                                Auburn).  Consideration
                                shall be given to the 
                                nomination of equal 
                                numbers of ministers
                                of the Word and Sacrament,
                                laymen, and laywomen 
                                (i.e. one third each).

                            c.  The nominating committee
                                shall consult, at least annually,
                                with the Committee on 
                                Representation which is aligned 
                                with that governing body.  if the
                                Committee on Representation,
                                of that governing body, has
                                been permitted to participate
                                by their Primary Synod
                                (Auburn or Westminster),
                                the Committee on 
                                Representation shall be
                                invited to participate in
                                that consultation.

Relevant               d. In nominating persons
Provisions                 to particular responsiblities  
                               the nominating committee
                               shall follow the guidelines
                               set forth by their Primary
                               Synod (Auburn or
                               Westminster)


G-9.0901             This Constitution, assumes
Councils,              that the governing bodies 
Commissions,       above the session will
Committees          delegate particular       
                           aspects of their responsiblities
                           to councils, commissions,
                           and committees, within their
                           Primary Synod (Westminster
                           or Auburn).  The references
                           made to such agencies are for
                           clarification, of organizing
                           for mission, to establish offices
                           for the  administering of
                           programs of the church.
                           Reference is made to these
                           commissions and agencies
                           without formally naming them, so
                           that governing bodies may have
                           freedom in structuring
                           themselves and in naming
                           their agencies.  


G.9.0902              Structures specified within this
Structures             Constitution are:
Listed

Presbytery            a. In the Presbytery
(Each Presbytery                            
in both Primary         A council for coordination
Synods)                   of mission and programs

                              Committee on Representation
 
                              Committee on Ministry
 
                              Committee on Preparation
                              for Ministry

                              Nominating Committee

                              Permanent Judicial
                              Commission, (consisting of
                              Commissioners' aligned
                              with the same Primary
                              Synod).



Presbytery               b In Each Presbytery Region:
Regions:                    Cross-Over Committees:
(Cross-Over             
Committees             Presbytery Region Coordinating Council
between the             
Presbyteries             Committee on Evangelism and Outreach
of both                    
Primary Synods        Committee on the Elderly
in each Presbytery     
Region)                   Committee on Homeless
                              Families and Homeless
                              Women.

                              Committee on Regional Healthcare



Each Sub-Synod:      c. Each of the Primary 
of their respective      Synod's respective
Primary Synod           Sub-Synods shall have
(Westminster            the following committees,
or Auburn)                councils, and commissions

                              Committee for the coordination of
                              mission and program.

                              Committee on Representation

                              Nominating Committee
 
                              Permanent Judicial Commission
                              (Consisting of Commissioners'
                              aligned with the same Primary
                              Synod that the Sub-Synod is
                              aligned with).


Cross-Over              d. The Sub-Synods of each of
Committees              the Primary Synods, that are in the
between the              same geographic region, shall have
Sub-Synods              the following Cross-Over
of each Primary         Committees:
Synod in the
same Region             Committee for the administration
                                of properties within the Sub-Synods
                               
                                Committee to address critical
                                needs of the poor in the region
                                with an emphasis on healthcare
                                and homelessness



Primary Synods        e.  Each respective Primary
(Westminster            Synod (Auburn and
and Auburn)             Westminster) shall    
                               have the following
                               committees, commissions,
                               and councils.

                               Each Primary Synod (Westminster
                               and Auburn) shall each, have a
                               Primary Synod Council of 11,
                               9 elected by the Presbyteries'
                               commissioners that are aligned with
                               that respective Primary Synod
                               (Auburn or Westminster) and
                               2 permanent voting members
                               being the General Assembly's
                               elected Stated Clerk and the
                               General Assembly's elected
                               Moderator.  Each Primary Synod
                               shall have the following committees:


                               The Committee on Representation

                               The Nominating Committee
 
                               Advisory Committee on the
                               Constitution

                               Permanent Judicial Commission
                               (consisting of Commissioners'
                               aligned with the same Primary
                               Synod (Auburn or Westminster),
                               as the Primary Synod they serve).

                               Joint Committee on
                               Presbytery Boundaries
                               and Presbytery Region
                               Boundaries



General Assembly     f. The committees of the General
                               Assembly

                               General Assembly Council
 
                               Nominating Committee

                               Advisory Committee on the
                               Constitution

                               Board Responsible for
                               Pensions.

                               General Assembly
                               Arbitration Board 
                               
                               Joint Committee on
                               Presbytery Boundaries
                               and Presbytery 
                               Region Boundaries
                         

Proposed Amendments