The Two Synod Solution

Proposed Amendments

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Proposed Amendments
The General Assembly
G-13.0103 Continued:

G-13.0103              t.  to correspond with other churches
Responsibilities
(Continued)            u. to receive under its jurisdiciton
                                with the consent of a majority
                                of the presbyteries of each
                                Primary Synod (Auburn and
                                Westminster), other
                                ecclesiastical bodies whose
                                life is consistent with the
                                faith and order of this
                                church;

                             v. to authorize the two Primary
                                Synods (Auburn and Westminster)
                                to receive ecclesiastical bodies
                                suited to become constituents
                                of those governing bodies.

                             w. to unite with other churches
                                 in accordance with the 
                                 procedures set forth in
                                 the Constitution.

                             x. to review the work of the
                                 Office of the General
                                 Assembly in consultation
                                 with the Stated Clerk
                                 of the General Assembly.
 

G-13.0104              (Unchanged)
Meetings                 


G-13.0105              A quorum of the General
Quorum                  Assembly shall be one
                             hundred and fifty commissioners,
                             seventy five of whom shall be
                             elders and seventy five of whom
                             shall be ministers, representing
                             Presbyteries of at least one
                             fourth of the Sub-Synods of
                             each Primary Synod (Auburn and
                             Wesminster).


G-13.0106              (Unchanged)
Corresponding
Members


G-13.0107             Each Primary Synod's (Auburn
Primary Synods      and Westminster), General
and their               Synod Council shall send 
Sub-Synods           as commissioners to the 
Participation           General Assembly,
                            15 elders and 15 minister
                            commissioners, each.  In
                            addition, each of the 
                            Primary Synod's
                            (Westminster and Auburn)
                            Sub-Synods shall send
                            as commioners to General
                            Assembly, one elder, and
                            one minister commissioner
                            each.


G-13.0108             The General Assembly shall
Committee            establish a permanent
on                        Committee on Representation
Representation      which shall advise the General
                            Assembly Nominating Committee
                            of the need for nominations in
                            particular catagories needing
                            increased representation.
                            The Committee on
                            Representation shall report
                            to each meeting of the 
                            General Assembly (other than
                            special or adjourned meetings)
                            regarding progress toward
                            fair representation.


G-13.0109             Executive or administrative
Staff                     staff positions of the agencies
                            of the General Assembly shall be
                            established and filled in
                            accordance with the churchwide
                            plan for equal employment
                            opportunity.  Provision shall
                            be made for the regular
                            review of each administrative
                            staff member.


G-13.0110             The General Assembly shall keep
Records                 a full and accurate record of
                            its proceedings.


G-13.0111             a. To ensure careful nomination
General                 of members of such boards,
Assembly              agencies, and committees of
Nominating            the General Assembly, the 
Committee            members of the boards, agencies
                            and committees of the General
                            Assembly shall, from time to
                            time be appointed by the 
                            Nominating Committee
                            of each Primary Synod
                            (Auburn and Westminster).
                            They shall propose nominees to
                            the General Assembly for such
                            General Assembly boards,
                            agencies, and committees. 
                            Consideration shall
                            be given to the nomination
                            of equal numbers of ministers
                            (both women and men), laymen,
                            and laywomen.  The General
                            Assembly boards, agencies, and
                            committees shall consist
                            of equal numbers of members
                            from each of the Primary 
                            Synod's Sub-Synods
                            (Westminster and Auburn),
                            with members distributed so
                            that there are one third ministers
                            (both women and men), one third
                            laymen, and one third laywomen.
                            with an equal number of members
                            coming from each of the Primary
                            Synods (Auburn and Westminster).
                            Members shall serve for a term
                            of four years, and the terms shall
                            be arranged as to provide that one
                            half of the members shall complete
                            their service at the conclusion of 
                            each regular meeting of the General
                            Assembly.  Within thirty days prior
                            to the regular meeting of the
                            General Assembly, the Moderator of
                            the preceding General Assembly
                            shall nominate persons for 
                            election by the General Assembly
                            to fill the vacancies occuring at the
                            adjournment of the ensuing General
                            Assembly.  The Moderator shall
                            also appoint persons to fill, until
                            the next General Assembly, 
                            vacancies during the year caused
                            by death, resignation, or
                            inability to act.  These nominations
                            shall be made in consultation with
                            each Primary Synod (Auburn and
                            Westminster) through their
                            regular nominating process.
                            The final selection of
                            nominees by the General
                            Assembly requires 
                            an even selection from
                            each Primary Synod (Auburn
                            and Westminster) based
                            upon each Primary Synods'
                            (Westminster and Auburn)
                            total number of Presbyteries
                            relative to the total number
                            or Presbyteries of the
                            other Primary Synod (Auburn
                            and Westminster).  Such
                            appointments shall not
                            prevent election of the same
                            person to fill the term.

Election of              b. The committee shall elect  
Officers                  its own officers at the last
                            meeting prior to the regular
                            meeting of the General
                            Assembly.  


G-13.0112             a. The General Assembly shall
 Advisory               establish an Advisory Committee
Committee            on the Constitution composed
on the                   of nine persons, ministers and
Constitution           elders in numbers as nearly as
                            equal as possible.  The Stated
                            Clerk of the General Assembly
                            shall be a member ex officio
                            without vote.  The nine voting
                            members shall be former members
                            of the prior Permanent Judicial
                            Commission and the current Arbitration
                            Board of the General Assembly,
                            the stated clerks of the
                            two Primary Synods (Westminster
                            and Auburn), the stated clerks 
                            of each the Primary Synod's
                            Sub-Synods, and the
                            stated clerks of all Presbyteries of
                            both Primary Synods, or other
                            qualified persons with knowledge
                            of and experience with the
                            Constitution and polity of the
                            church.  Voting members shall 
                            be nominated by each Primary
                            Synod's (Auburn and Westminster)
                            Nominating Committee and shall be 
                            selected by the General Assembly 
                            to serve terms of four years
                            in two classes.  

Meet at Least         b. The Advisory Committee on
Annually                the Constitution shall meet prior
                            to each session of the General
                            Assembly and shall submit its
                            report and recommendations
                            no later than sixty days prior to
                            the convening of the next session
                            of the General Assembly.

Questions              c. Qustions requiring an interpretation
120 days               by the General Assembly Book of
prior to                  Order arising from the two Primary
General                 Synods (Auburn and Westminster)
Assembly               on issues other than 
                            ordination, marriage, educational
                            materials used, Statements of
                            Faith, and church planting, shall
                            be communicated in writing to
                            the Stated Clerk of the General
                            Assembly no later than 120 days
                            prior to the covening of the next
                            session of the General Assembly.

Pending                d. The Stated Clerk shall refer  
before the             questions of interpretation to 
Arbitration             the Advisory Committee on the
Board                   Constiution, except those  
                           pertaining to matters pending
                           before a judical commission or
                           the General Assembly 
                           Arbitration Board.  The Advisory
                           Committee shall report its
                           findings to the General Assembly
                           along with its recommendations.
                           Such recommendations may 
                           include possible proposals
                           for constitutional changes. 
                           The General Assembly shall
                           vote on the recommendations,
                           and may amend or decline to
                           approve them.

At General            c. At least three members of 
Assembly             the Advisory Committee on the
                          Constitution, appointed by the
                          moderator of the committee, shall
                          be present at the session of the
                          General Assembly.  All items
                          introduced as new business that
                          touch upon constitutional
                          matters, including requesting  
                          rulings by the Moderator on 
                          questions of order involving
                          constitutional matters that
                          do not include the following
                          issues: ordination standards, 
                          Statements of Faith, 
                          Marriage, Educational
                          Materials used, and 
                          church planting, these
                          issues are delegated
                          permanenetly, to the
                          two Primary Synods
                          (Auburn and Westminster).
                          and their repsective 
                          General Synod Councils
                          to determine these issues
                          in a manner that  
                          satisfies the General Synod
                          Council of each Primary
                          Synods (Auburn and
                          Westminster).


G-13.0201            The General Assembly shall
Responsibilities     create an Assembly Council
                           which shall have the following
                           resonsibilities:

                          a. to cultivate and promote the
                          spiritual welfare of the whole
                          church.

                          b. to institute and coordinate
                          a churchwide plan for equal
                          employment opportunity and
                          affirmative action for members
                          of racial ethnic groups, for women,
                          for various age groups, and for 
                          persons with disabilities;

                          c. to engage in churchwide
                          planning to propose, for 
                          General Assembly determination,
                          the mission directions, goals,
                          objectives, and priorities of 
                          the church.

                          d. to coordinate the work of 
                          General Assembly agencies and
                          the two Primary Synods (Auburn
                          and Westminster), in light of
                          these mission directions, goals,
                          objectives, and priorities;

                          e. to review the work of the General
                          Assembly agencies and bodies 
                          in light of General Assembly's 
                          mission directions, goals, 
                          objectives, and priorities;

                          f. to prepare and submit 
                          a comprehensive budget
                          to the General Assembly.
                                                             
                          g. to correspond or consult
                          with the two Primary Synods
                          (Westminster and Auburn)
                          in matters relating to 
                          churchwide planning, budget
                          development and the 
                          coordination of the work of 
                          the church;

                          h. to act in matters of 
                          administrative staff of the
                          General Assembly agencies;

                          i. (deleted)

                          j. (deleted)

                          k. to act in those specific
                          matters assigned to the
                          General Assembly Council
                          by the General Assembly
                          under this constitution, 
                          except  in the areas of
                          ordination standards, marriage,
                          Statements of Faith,
                          Eduactional Materials
                          used, and church planting
                          which are permanently
                          delegated to the two
                          Primary Synods (Auburn
                          and Westminster).  The
                          General Assembly Council
                          shall report fully to each
                          subsequent General
                          Assembly, of its 
                          actions.

                          l. to perform such additional
                          responsiblities and duties
                          as may be assigned by the 
                          General Assembly, other
                          than in the areas of
                          Ordination Standards, Marriage,
                          Statements of Faith,
                          Educational Materials
                          used, and church
                          planting, which are
                          permanently delegated
                          to the two Primary
                          Synods (Westminster
                          and Auburn).  


G-13.0202           The membership, terms
Membership         of office of the General
                          Assembly Council shall
                          be governed by the following
                          provisions that shall take
                          effect automatically, in
                          stages or phases consistent
                          with the provisions of
                          this Article:

                          a.  The General Assembly
                          Council shall consist of the
                          following voting members,
                          each of whom shall be an
                          active member of a 
                          congregation, or a 
                          continuing member of 
                          a Presbytery of the Presbyterian
                          Church (U.S.A.):

                          (1) The Moderator of the General
                          Assembly and the Moderator's
                          two most recent living 
                          predecessors.

                          (2) (14) members, Seven (7)
                          members will be submitted
                          for membership on the
                          General Assembly Council,
                          by each of the Primary
                          Synod's General Synod Councils, 
                          (Auburn and Westminster), for
                          a total of Fourteen (14) 
                          members.  Of these
                          Fourteen Members (14)
                          each will be deemed
                          elected by the General
                          Assembly for a four-year
                          term and eligible for one
                          additional term.  No 
                          member may serve more
                          than two terms, full or partial,

                          (3) Twenty (20) members
                          will be submitted,
                          Ten (10) from each Primary Synod,
                          (Auburn and Westminster),
                          for membership, drawn from one quarter
                          of the Presbyteries of each of
                          the two Primary Synods (Auburn
                          and Westminster), in consultation
                          with each of the two Primary
                          Synods (Westminster and
                          Auburn), which will determine
                          the Presbyteries on a rotating
                          basis.  They shall be deemed 
                          elected by the General Assembly 
                          for a four year term and eligible
                          for one additional term.  No
                          member may serve more than
                          two terms, full or partial.  

                          (4) (8) members (4) from each
                          Primary Synod, e.g. the number of 
                          members-at-large constituting the 
                          members-at large nominated
                          by each Primary Synod (Auburn
                          and Westminster), (4) from each
                          Primary Synod, shall be
                          submitted to the General
                          Assembly Nominating
                          Committee by each Primary Synod,
                          (Westminster and Auburn),
                          they shall be deemed elected by the
                          General Assembly for a four
                          year term and eligible for 
                          one additional term.  No
                          member may serve more than
                          two terms, full or partial.  

                          (5) Two (2) youth/young 
                          adult members, younger
                          than twenty-six years of 
                          age when elected, 
                          nominated by the General
                          Assembly Nominating
                          Committee for a four-
                          year term and eligible for
                          an additional term.  No
                          member may serve more 
                          than two terms, full or
                          partial.

                          (6) the moderator of 
                          Presbyterian Women.



Advisory               b.   (Unchanged)
Members
                          

Corresponding      c.    (Unchanged)
Members


Nominating           d. In the nominating
Committee           process, the General
of General            Assembly Nominating
Assembly             Committee shall
                           consult with the General
                           Assembly Council to
                           identify needs, skills,
                           and shall provide 
                           for diversity.  It will
                           maintain a goal of at 
                           least twenty percent
                           racial ethnic membership
                           for the General Assembly
                           Council.  It will ensure
                           that, exclusive of the 
                           Moderator and predecessor
                           Moderators, one third of the
                           members are ministers of
                           the Word and Sacrament
                           (both women and men), one
                           third laymen, and one third
                           laywomen.  The committee
                           will also provide that members
                           be nominated in such a manner
                           as to provide two classes
                           of approximately equal size.
                           Any vacancy occuring during
                           a term shall be filled 
                           pursuant to General Assembly
                           policies.


Chair, Vice-Chair    e.  (Unchanged)
Recording
Secretary  


G-13.0203             The council shall develop,
Manual of              in consultation with the Two
Operations             Primary Synods (Auburn and
                            Westminster), a manual of
                            operations that shall include a
                            design for administrative
                            staff and provisions for size,
                            and for specific representations
                            of council membership, providing
                            for diversity.  The manual shall
                            be approved by the General
                            Assembly, and shall only
                            apply to the General Assembly.

Proposed Amendments