The Two Synod Solution

Proposed Amendments

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Proposed Amendments:
Primary Synods
Permanent
Judicial Commissions
and the General
Assembly Arbitration
Board


D-5.0101  a. Each Primary Synod (Auburn
Election        and Westminster), each Sub-
                   Synod, and each Presbytery
                   shall elect their own Permanent
                   Judicial Commission from
                   the ministers, and elders
                   subject to their jurisdiction.
                   Each commission shall be
                   composed of ministers 
                   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 a
                   minister or an elder.

               b. The members of the
                   General Assembly
                   Arbitration Board shall
                   be composed of one
                   member from each
                   Sub-Synod of each of
                   the Primary Synods (Auburn
                   and Westminster).  The
                   Primary Synod Councils
                   of the Westminster
                   Primary Synod and the
                   Auburn Primary Synod
                   shall select one member
                   from each of their Sub-Synods
                   to be the members, and to
                   constitute the membership of
                   the General Assembly 
                   Arbitration Board.
                   

               c.  The Permanent Judcial
                   Commission of each of
                   the Primary Synods
                   (Westminster and
                   Auburn), shall be
                   composed of no fewer
                   than eleven members
                   distributed equally,
                   insofar as possible,
                   among the constituent
                   Sub-Synods aligned
                   with the Primary
                   Synod (Auburn or 
                   Westminster), electing
                   the Permanent Judicial
                   Commission.

               d. The Sub-Synods of
                   each Primary Synod
                   shall elect a
                   Permanent Judicial
                   Commission which
                   shall be composed of 
                   no fewer than eleven
                   members distributed
                   equally, insofar as
                   possible, among 
                   the constituent
                   Presbyteries aligned
                   with the same Primary
                   Synod (Auburn or
                   Westminster) as the
                   Sub-Synod.
 
              e.  Each Presbytery's Permanent
                   Judicial Commission  
                   shall be composed of no
                   fewer than seven members,
                   with no more than one of 
                   its elder members coming from
                   any one of the churches
                   aligned with that Presbytery.
                   Two of the members of the
                   Presbytery Permanent Judicial
                   Commission shall be
                   designated to review
                   any petition of original
                   jurisdiction.  The two
                   members will review
                   the procedures of the 
                   investigating committee
                   while the investigation
                   in a disciplinary case is in
                   process, and review the
                   petition and the evidence to  
                   determine whether to file charges.
                   These two members shall not
                   take part in any subsequent
                   trial.   
                   

D-5.0102      The term of each member of
Term            each Primary Synods' 
                   Permanent Judicial Commission
                   shall be six years.  In each
                   even numbered year, each
                   Primary Synod (Auburn and
                   Westminster) shall elect members
                   for a term of six years to
                   fill vacancies then occurring,
                   within that Primary Synod.
                   Their terms of office shall begin
                   after their Primary Synod's
                   Synod General Session,
                   at which the members of
                   the Permanent Judicial
                   Commission, were elected.
                   They will then commence
                   serving as members of
                   the Permanent Judicial
                   Commission of their
                   respective Primary Synod
                   (either Westminster or
                   Auburn), The jurisdiction
                   of the Permanent Judicial
                   Commission of each Primary
                   Synod, is limited to their Primary
                   Synod (Auburn or Westminster) 
                   with which they are aligned, and
                   the lower governing bodies aligned
                   with that Primary Synod (Auburn
                   or Westminster).
                   
                   The term of each member
                   of the General Assembly
                   Arbitration Board shall be
                   six years.  In each even-
                   numbered year, each
                   Primary Synod (Westminster
                   and Auburn) shall elect 
                   members for a term of
                   six years to fill the vacancies
                   then occurring.  Their
                   term of office shall begin with
                   the adjournment of each Primary
                   Synod's General Synod
                   Session, at which the members
                   of the General Assembly Arbitration
                   Board were elected.


D-5.0103     In Sub-Synods and
Classes       Presbyteries, commissioners
                  shall be elected to their
                  respective Permanent Judicial
                  Commission, in two classes,
                  with no more than one half
                  of the members to be elected
                  in one class.  In the first
                  year, one class shall serve
                  for four years, and one
                  class shall serve
                  for six years.


D-5.0104     Any vacancy due to resignation,
Vacancy       death, or any other cause may
                  be filled by the electing governing
                  body, which elected that commissioner,
                  who caused such vacancy.  That 
                  governing body shall elect a person
                  to fill the unexpired term at any
                  meeting thereof.

                  If there is a vacancy on the
                  General Assembly Arbitration
                  Board, it may only be filled
                  by the Primary Synod, (Auburn
                  or Westminster), whose
                  member has resigned, died,
                  or for any other cause is unable
                  to assume or continue their
                  duties on the General Assembly
                  Arbitration Board.


D-5.0105     No person who has served on a
Eligibility      Permanent Judicial Commission
                  for a full term of six years shall
                  be eligible for reelection until 
                  four years have elapsed after the
                  expired six year term.  No person
                  shall serve on more than one
                  Permanent Judicial Commission at
                  the same time.  No person shall
                  serve on a Permanent Judicial
                  Commission of a Primary
                  Synod (Auburn or Westminster)
                  who is a member of the 
                  other Primary Synod
                  (Westminster or Auburn)
                  until that person shall have 
                  resigned such membership.
                  The Moderator, Stated Clerk,
                  or any member of the staff
                  of a governing body or the
                  staff of any of its entities or
                  councils shall not serve on its
                  Permanent Judicial Commission.


D-5.0106       All necessay expenses of a
Commission   Permanent Judicial Commission
Expenses       shall be paid by the electing
                    governing body.


D-5.0201     Each Permanent Judicial Commission
Officers        shall meet and elect from its members
                  a moderator and a stated clerk.

                  The General Assembly Arbitration
                  Board shall meet and elect from
                  its members a moderator and
                  a stated clerk.


D-5.0202    
Bases of     A Permanent Judicial Commission
Power         shall have only the powers prescribed
                 by, and conduct its proceedings,
                 according to Chapter D of the
                 Book of Order, as modified 
                 by these Proposed Amendments

                 The General Assembly Arbitration
                 Board shall only have the powers
                 prescribed by, and conduct its
                 meetings, in accordance with
                 Chapter D of the Book
                 of Order, as modified by
                 these Proposed Amendments


D-5.0203    The meetings of the Permanent 
Meetings     Judicial Commission shall be held
                 at such times and places as the
                 elected governing body shall
                 direct, or if no directions are given,
                 at such time and place as the
                 Commission shall determine.

                 The meetings of the General
                 Assembly Arbitration Board
                 shall be held at such times
                 and places as the Arbitration
                 Board shall determine.


D-5.0204    The Quorum of a Permanent 
Quorum      Judicial Commission shall be a
                 majority of its members, except
                 that the Quorum of a Presbytery
                 Permanent Judicial Commission
                 for a disciplinary case 
                 shall be a majority of the membership,
                 other than the two members assigned
                 the responsibilities relating to the
                 cause of action.  The quorum of a
                 Session for Judicial Process shall be
                 the moderator of the session and a 
                 majority of the elder members.

                 A Quorum for the General Assembly
                 Arbitration Board shall be a majority
                 of its members. 


D-5.0205    When a church or lower governing 
Who shall   body is a party to a case, members
not            of the Permanent Judicial Commission
participate  who are also members of that church, or 
                 are also members of that 
                 lower governing body, shall not
                 participate in the trail or appeal of
                 that case.


D-5.0206    If, through absence, disqualification,
Lack of       or disability, a sufficient number of
Quorum      the members of a Permanent Judicial
                 Commission are not present to
                 constitute a quorum, the Permanent
                 Judicial Commission shall recess until
                 a quorum can be obtained.


Inability        a. The Permanent Judicial Commission
to reach            shall report its inability to reach a
a Quorum         Quorum to the Stated Clerk of the
                       governing body that elected the
                       Permanent Judicial Commission.


Roster of       b. The Stated Clerk of the governing
Former              body shall keep a current roster of
Members           those members of the Permanent
                        Judicial Commission whose terms
                        have expired within the past six
                        years.  The names shall be arranged
                        alphabetically within classes beginning
                        with the most recent class.  Whenever
                        a Permanent Judicial Commission
                        reports its inability to obtain a quorum,
                        the Stated Clerk shall immediately 
                        select, by rotation, from the roster,
                        a sufficient number of former members
                        of the Permanent Judicial Commission
                        to constitute a quorum.  The Stated 
                        Clerk shall report the roster annually
                        to the governing body.

                        If the General Assembly Arbitration
                        Board fails to assemble a quorum.
                        All matters shall be continued until
                        such time as a quorum can be
                        obtained.  The General Assembly
                        shall reimburse the expenses
                        reasonably incurred by those
                        persons required to be
                        present.


Participant     c.  If a Permanent Judicial Commission  
Expenses          is unable to try a case for lack of a
                       quorum, the governing body shall
                       reimburse the expenses reasonably
                       incurred by those persons required 
                       to be present.
                                              

Proposed Amendments