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Proposed Amendments.
G-14.0306 The duties of
presbytery and session
Duties of shall be as follows:
Presbytery a. (1) The Committee on Preparation
and Session for
Ministry shall seek to instruct
sessions on their role in the inquiry
and candidacy process. Particular
direction shall be given a session
which has endorsed an inquirer or
candidate. This work could best
be
done by the Committee on
Preparation for Ministry.
(2) During the phases of inquiry
and candidacy the individual
continues to be an active member
of his or her particular church and
subject to the concern and
discipline of the session. In
matters relating to preparation
for the ministry, the individual
is
under the oversight of the
Presbytery of the Primary Synod
(Westminster or Auburn) that the
inquirer or candidate has chosen,
but only with the consent of the
Session of the church in which the
Inquirer
or Candidate is a member.
Therefore, if the inquirer or
candidate is seeking to be a
Minister of the Word and Sacrament
in the same Primary Synod that
their session is aligned with
(Auburn or Westminster), they will
be
under the oversight of the
Presbytery that their church is
a member of. If the inquirer or
candidate
choses to be a Minister
of the Word and Sacrament of the
Primary Synod (Westminster
or
Auburn), that their session is
not aligned with, that inquirer or
candidate will be under the oversight
of
the Presbytery aligned with
the
Primary Synod that the
inquirer or candidate has chosen
(Auburn or Westminster), that is
located within their same Presbytery
Region. This can only be done
with the consent and approval
of the Session of the church
where
the Inquirer or Candidate
has
their membership.
The respective Presbytery shall
have
oversight of the inquirer
or candidate through their respective
Committee on Preparation
for the Ministry. It shall be
the duty of the Presbytery
to exercise responsibility
for the spiritual growth
of inquirers and candidates,
to
support them with an
understanding
and
sympathetic interest, and to
give guidance in regard to
courses of study, familiarity
with the Bible and with the
confessions, practical training
and plans for education,
including the choice of
institutions,
field education,
and the inquirer's or candidate's
financial need. The Presbytery
shall also seek to give guidance
and instruction to the inquirer or
candidate in the faith and polity
of
the church.
Support by b. (Unchanged)
Session
G-14.0307 The inquirer or candidate shall be
Service in
encouraged to engage in some form
Covenant of service to the church with
the
Relationship approval and under the guidance
of the inquirer's or candidate's
Committee
on Preparation for the
Ministry. Field education assignments
that are under the supervision of a
theological institution do not
require Presbytery approval;
however, field education
assignments that place an
inquirer or candidate as the
student intern having sole
pastoral responsibility for the
life of a church require that the
counsel and oversight of the
Committee on Ministry having
jurisdiction
over the inquirer
or candidate must be sought
in accordance with the
guidelines of their Primary
Synod (Westminster or
Auburn). An inquirer or
candidate shall not undertake
to serve a church, even as a
temporary supply, without the
approval of the Presbytery
having jurisdiction over the
church as well as the approval
of the inquirer's or candidate's
Presbytery. Under no circumstances
may an inquirer or candidate, who
has not been previously ordained,
as
an elder, serve as a moderator
of a session, administer the
Sacraments, or perform a
marriage ceremony. A previously
commissioned lay pastor who
becomes
an inquirer or candidate
may continue to be authorized
to administer sacraments in
accordance with their Presbytery's
grant of authority.
G-14.0308 (Unchanged)
Annual
Report
G-14.0309 a. (Unchanged)
Consultation
and Guidance
G-14.0309 b. (Unchanged)
Written
Report
G-14.0309 c. The content of those annual
Content consultations
shall include, but
need not be limited to, assessment
of the inquirer's or candidate's
development
in terms of the
outcomes
for the appropriate
phase and the following in the
appropriate years:
Prior to (1) In the
years prior to entering
Theological theological education, discussion
Education of the inquirer's or candidate's
perparation for theological education
and
for personal growth;
First Year (2) For annual consultations
Theological which cover the time period of
Education
the first year of theological
education, a general assessment
of her or his experience and the
implications that has for future
professional ministry. The primary
focus of this consultation(s) shall
not be one of formal examination
but of guidance and counseling
with the inquirer and candidate.
Second Year (3) For annual consultations
Theological
which cover the time period of the
Education second year of theological
education,
as
assessment of the inquirer's or
candidate's
experience similar to that
held in the previous year(s). In addition,
the consultation(s) shall include a
discussion with the individual on
progress in preparation for ordinatiton
including a preliminary statement of
faith, a review of all grades, field
education requirements, and other
appropriate evaluations. The respective
Presbytery also shall satisfy itself of the
individual's knowledge of the Bible. To this
end, the Presbytery shall accept a
certificate of passing grade on the Bible
Content
Examination. The Committee
on Preparation for Ministry and the inquirer
or
candidate shall discuss the means by
which
any deficiencies are to be
removed.
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