The Two Synod Solution

Enabling Amendments

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Enabling Amendments

A.  Within 140 days after the General
     Assembly Stated Clerk has certified
     that the last Presbytery
     required to ratify these Proposed
     Amendments has approved them,
     each congregation shall,
     upon a 60% affirmative vote of
     their Congregation and their Session
     vote to align themselves with either the
     Auburn Primary Synod or the 
     Westminster Primary Synod.  The
     Stated Clerk of each congregation's
     Session shall certify the vote and send
     a copy of their certification to their
     Presbytery, the General Assembly,
     and to the address of the
     Primary Synod that the congregation
     and Session have voted to align
     themselves with, either the
     Westminster Primary Synod or the
     Auburn Primary Synod.  If the above
     stated voting thresh-holds are not
     satisfied, then the congregation
     shall default to the Auburn Primary
     Synod.  The Stated Clerk of the Session
     shall certify the vote and send
     a copy of the certification to
     their Presbytery, the General
     Assembly, and to the address
     of the Primary Synod that they
     have voted to align themselves with.
     
B.  Presbyteries shall be formed
     along 2008 Presbytery boundary lines
     and consist of 2 Presbyteries, 
     one Presbytery being created using the original
     Presbytery boundaries, for
     congregations aligned with the Westminster
     Primary Synod and one Presbytery being
     created using the original Presbytery
     boundaries for congregations aligned
     with the Auburn Primary Synod,
     within the same original
     Presbytery boundary lines.  These new
     Presbyteries within the original Presbytery
     boundary lines, one Presbytery for
     the Westminster Pimary Synod aligned
     congregations, and one Presbytery for the
     Auburn Primary Synod aligned congregations,
     within each of the original Presbytery's old boundaries
     would replace all of the original
     original Prebyteries.
C.  Within 180 days after the General Assembly
     Stated Clerk has certified that the last Presbytery
     required to approve these Proposed
     Amendments has voted to approve
     them, the congregations that have
     voted to align themselves with the
     Westminster Primary Synod shall
     send their Ministers of the Word
     and Sacrament and elders in
     accordance with section G-11.0101,
     of the Book of Order (2008)
     to form a new Presbytery within
     their old Presbytery boundaries.
     This would include the election of
     a Stated Clerk and Moderator of
     the Presbytery aligned with the
     Westminster Primary Synod.  Such
     results shall be certified by the
     Stated Clerk of the newly
     formed Presbytery aligned
     with the Westminster
     Primary Synod, and a copy
     of the certified results is to be
     be sent to the General Assembly
     and to the address for their
     Primary Synod.
D.  Within 180 days after the General
     Assembly Stated Clerk has certified
     that the last Presbytery required
     to approve these Proposed
     Amendments has voted to approve
     them, the congregations that have
     voted to align themselves with the
     Auburn Primary Synod shall send
     Ministers of the Word and Sacrament
     and elders, in accordance with
     Section G-11.0101, of the
     Book of Order (2008), to form a
     new Presbytery within their old
     Presbytery boundaries.  This would
     include the election of a Stated
     Clerk and Moderator of the
     Presbytery aligned with the
     Auburn Primary Synod.  Such
     results shall be certified by
     the Stated Clerk of the newly
     formed Presbytery 
     aligned with the Auburn Primary
     Synod, and a copy of the certified
     results is to be sent
     to the General Assembly and to
     the address of their Primary
     Synod.

 
E.   Within 180 days after the General
      Assembly Stated Clerk has certified
      that the last Presbytery required to
      approve these Proposed Amendments has
      approved them, the governing authority of
      the original Presbytery and its
      Permanent Judicial Commission shall 
      cease.  
     
F.  The property of the local Presbytery
    governing body, buildings, offices
    etc., shall be used equally by
    both Primary Synod's Presbyteries
    in that geographic area.
    The Presbytery aligned
    with the Westminster Primary
    Synod and the Presbytery
    aligned with the Auburn Primary
    Synod shall share the property
    of the Presbytery within
    their geographic area, equally.
    The two Presbyteries,
    the Presbytery aligned with
    the Auburn Primary Synod and
    the Presbytery aligned with the
    Westminster Primary Synod may
    share expenses for shared staff
    at the Presbytery office.  All expenses
    accruing to maintain the office or
    buildings shall be shared by the
    two new Presbyteries in the region
    based upon the number of members
    of each new Presbytery, e.g. the Presbytery
    aligned with the Auburn Primary
    Synod and the Presbytery aligned
    with the Westminster Primary
    Synod in the same geographic
    area.  Both Presbyteries may
    also sell the Presbytery property
    and share the proceeds equally.
G.  The Premanent Judicial Commission
     of each Regional Synod shall cease
     to have any authority 40 days after
     the General Assembly Stated Clerk
     has certified that the last Presbytery
     required to pass these Proposed
     Amendments has voted to adopt
     these Proposed Amendments. 
     The basic governing
     body of each Regional Synod shall
     cease to have authority 110 days
     after the General Assembly Stated
     Clerk has certified that the last
     Presbytery required
     to pass these Proposed Amendments
     has voted to adopt these
     Proposed Amendments.  Synods shall
     be folded into the new Sub-Synods
     described in section G-12-0113 of
     the Proposed Amendments.  All
     property within the boundaries of
     each Sub-Synod shall be shared
     equally by the Presbteries aligned
     with the Westminster Primary Synod
     and the Presbyteries aligned with
     the Auburn Primary Synod within
     the regional boundaries of that
     Sub-Synod.
H.  The Permanent Judicial Commission
     of the General Assembly shall cease
     to have authority 40 days after the
     General Assembly Stated Clerk has
     certified that the last Presbytery
     required to adopt these
     Proposed Amendments has
     adopted them.  The Permanent
     Judicial Commission at the General
     Assembly level shall be replaced
     by the General Assembly Arbitration
     Board as defined in G-13-0103 (o)
     of these Proposed Amendments.
     

I.  Each Presbytery, aligned with
     their respective Primary Synod,
     shall elect Commissioners to
     their Primary Synod's General
     Session in accordance with
     G-12.0102, of the Proposed
     Amendments.

J.  The General Synod Session
     for the Westminster Primary
     Synod shall be held August 1st
     of each year.

K.   The General Synod Session
      for the Auburn Primary
      Synod shall be September 1st
      of each year.  

L.    At the first Primary Synod
      General Session, of each
      Primary Synod, a temporary
      moderator and a temporary 
      stated clerk shall be elected
      by voice vote, based
      upon names submitted
      for each office by each Presbytery.
      Each Presbytery can submit one name 
      each.  The temporary Stated Clerk and
      the temporary Moderator shall oversee
      the following:
        1.  The election of the nine General
             Synod Council members by
             their respective Primary
             Synod's commissioners,
             (Westminster or Auburn).  
             The General Synod Council
             members elected shall be the
             candidates, with the top nine
             vote totals.  Each Commissioner
             can vote for nine General Synod
             Council Member candidates,
             aligned with their Primary
             Synod.
        2.  Of the nine elected General
             Synod Council Members, a
             Stated Clerk and Moderator
             shall be elected for a 2 year
             term, by the Commissioners
             elected to attend their Primary
             Synod's General Session.  
        3.  The General Assembly
             Moderator and General
             Assembly Stated Clerk
             shall constitute the
             other 2 voting members
             of the 11 member
             Primary Synod 
             General Synod Council,
             for each Primary Synod
             (Auburn and Westminster).

M.   Adoption of Ordination Standards,
      Statements of faith, appointment 
      of Committee Members, the
      appointment of each Primary
      Synod's respective Permanent
      Judicial Council. etc.
      shall take place at each of the 
      Primary Synod's General 
      Synod Session, (The Westminster
      Primary Synod and the Auburn
      Primary Synod).

N.  On December 1, the Sub-Synods
     shall meet.  The commissioners
     from the Presbyteries aligned
     with the same Primary Synod
     (Auburn or Westminster), as
     the Sub-Synod, shall, 
     send their commissioners to
     elect their Sub-Synod council,
     in that region.
   
O.   On October 1, the Joint Committee
     on Presbytery Boundaries and
     Regional Presbytery Boundaries
     shall meet and vote to approve
     final boundaries of each Primary
     Synod's Presbyterys' and Presbytery
     Regions' boundary lines.  Each Primary
     Synod (Westminster and Auburn)
     shall have one vote each, and the
     General Assembly Committee
     members shall have one single vote.
     Each entity shall appoint 7 committee
     members, with each entity
     entitled to only one vote.  An
     affirmative vote of all 3 entities is
     required.  This is based upon a majority
     vote of the seven committee members
     that represent each entity, required
     to approve the final Presbytery
     boundaries for each of the Primary Synods'
     Presbyteries, as well as the 
     final Presbytery Region Boundary
     lines, containing one or
     more of those Presbyteries from
     each Primary Synod.

P.   The Second Primary Synod General
     Session, of the Westminster
     Primary Synod shall convene
     August 1st.  During that 
     session the Primary
     Synod must vote
     to approve the final boundaries of
     their Presbyteries and the
     the final boundaries of the
     Presbytery Regions

Q.  The Second Primary Synod General
     Session, of the Auburn Primary
     Synod shall meet September 1st.
     During that session the Primary
     Synod must vote to
     approve the final
     boundaries of their 
     Presbyteries and the final
     boundaries of the Presbytery
     Regions.

R.   Sub-Synod's of each of the
      Primary Synods will meet
      December 1st
      every year to elect their board
      and conduct the business of the
      Sub-Synod and business on
      behalf of their Primary Synod
      with which they are aligned.

S.   The Westminster
      Primary Synod General Session
      will convene every August 1st
      to conduct the Westminster
      Primary Synod's business

T.   The Auburn
      Primary Synod General Session
      will convene every September 1st
      to conduct the Auburn Primary
      Synod's business.

u.   Each Primary Synod General
      Council (Auburn and
      Westminster) will each lease,
      at market rates, one (1)
      floor at the PCUSA
      headquarters building in
      Louisville, Kentucky,
      for a total of 2 leased
      floors, one floor leased 
      by each Primary Synod.
      This leased space shall
      be used for executive
      offices, meeting and
      conference rooms, and for
      support staff.  If more
      space is needed, the
      Primary Synod needing
      the additional space
      shall lease additional
      space in the PCUSA
      headquarters building,
      at market rates.
      Each Primary Synod
      (Westminster and Auburn)
      may also maintain a second
      main office, located
      in a city of their choice.

v.   Congregations that have
      voted, with their sessions,
      to leave the PCUSA, within
      the last 72 months, may retake
      a vote of their congregation
      and session to rejoin the
      PCUSA, and align with the Primary
      Synod of their choice
      (Westminster or Auburn).
      Any court proceedings 
      and/or administrative
      commissions authorized
      by their Presbytery shall
      be dissmissed with no
      punitive action permitted
      against the congregation 
      or its pastoral staff.
     
     

Proposed Amendments