The Two Synod Solution

Miscellaneous Conforming Amendments

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Miscellaneous Conforming Amendments
Miscellaneous Conforming Amendments

Proposed Amendments

G-14.0309       d.  In no case shall an inquirer or
Negotiation      candidate be excused from these
for Service       annual consultations.  Prior to the
                      completion of two full years of 
                      theological education or its
                      equivalent, proir to that year's
                      annual consultation, and prior
                      to the successful completion of
                      all ordination exams or the 
                      Presbytery's certification of
                      readiness, in accordance with
                      the guidelines of their Primary
                      Synod (Auburn or Westminster),
                      no inquirer or candidate shall enter
                      into negotiation with a church for his
                      or her ministerial services except by
                      a three-fourths vote of the members
                      of the Presbytery present, in
                      accordance with the guidelines of their
                      Primary Synod (Westminster or
                      Auburn), with the reasons thereof
                      recorded in the minutes of the
                      Presbytery. 

G-14.0310       a.  In the final year of theological
Final               education or when a candidate has
Assessment     satisfied the requirements of their
                      Primary Synod (Auburn or Westminster)
                      and before a candidate may receive
                      a call, the Committee on Preparation
                      for Ministry of the candidate's 
                      Presbytery, aligned with the
                      candidate's Primary Synod
                      (Westminster or Auburn), shall
                      conduct a final assessment of the
                      candidate's readiness to begin
                      ministry.  This consultation shall
                      focus on the outcomes of inquiry
                      and candidacy, and shall include
                      each of the requirements of
                      certification set forth by their
                      Primary Synod (Auburn or
                      Westminster).  A summary of
                      this assessment shall be reported
                      to the respective Presbytery and shall
                      be transmitted to a calling Presbytery
                      when requested.  When, in the
                      opinion of the Committee on
                      Preparation for Ministry, a candidate
                      is ready for examination for 
                      ordination, pending a call, it shall
                      recommend to the respective Presbytery
                      that the Presbytery so certify the 
                      candidate.  It may be given 
                      authority to certify candidates on
                      behalf of the Presbytery, in accordance
                      with the guidelines of the Primary
                      Synod that the Presbytery is aligned
                      with (Westminster or Auburn), with
                      the provision that all such actions
                      shall be reported to the next stated
                      meeting of the respective Presbytery.

Requirements   b. The candidate's respective Presbytery, 
to be Certified   in accordance with the guidelines of
ready for          the Primary Synod that the Presbytery
Examination     is aligned with (Auburn or Westminster)
                      shall require a candidate to fulfill the
                      following requirements to be certified
                      as to be ready for examination for 
                      ordination, pending a call:

                      (1) demonstration of readiness to begin
                      ministry of the Word and Sacrament

                      (2) presentation of a transcript showing
                      satisfactory grades at a regionally
                      accredited college or university,
                      together with a deploma.

Educational      (3) presentation of a transcript
Requirements   from a theological institution
                      accredited by the Association of
                      Theological Schools acceptable
                      to the Primary Synod (Westminster
                      or Auburn) that the Presbytery
                      and candidate are aligned with.
                      The transcript must show satisfactory
                      grades, and presentation, of a plan
                      to complete the theological degree
                      including Hebrew and Greek and
                      exegesis of the Old and New
                      Testaments using Hebrew and
                      Greek texts;

Examination     (4) presentation of satisfactory
Requirements   grades together with the examination
                       papers in the five areas covered by
                       the Presbyteries' Cooperative Committee
                       on Examinations for candidates.  Such
                       exams shall be drafted by their Primary 
                       Synod (Auburn or Westminster)

Bible Content    c.  Inquirers or candidates are encouraged
Examination     to take the Bible Content Examination in
                      their first year of seminary.  The other four
                      examinations may be taken by inquirers
                      or candidates after the completion of two
                      full years of theological education.  These 
                      four examinations shall only be taken upon
                      approval by the Committee on Preparation
                      for Ministry of the inquirer's or candidate's
                      respective Presbytery in accordance with
                      the guidelines of their Primary Synod
                      (Auburn or Westminster).

Areas of          d.  Each of the two Primary Synods,
Examination    (Westminster and Auburn) shall
                     examine their candidates and
                     inquirers in the following five
                     areas, in accordance with
                     guidelines established by
                     each Primary Synod
                     (Auburn or Westminster)
                     using exams drafted by each
                     Primary Synod (Westminster
                     or Auburn), specifically for
                     the inquirers and candidates
                     that are aligned with and 
                     members of that Primary
                     Synod (Auburn or Westminster).
                     The areas of these examinations
                     are:
                     (1) Open Book Bible Exegesis:
                     This examination shall assess
                     the candidate's ability to find
                     and state the meaning of 
                     an assigned passage of
                     Scripture, demonstrating
                     working knowledge of the
                     original language of the
                     text and ability to understand
                     its historical situation.

                     The candidate shall have access
                     to any or all of the following:
                     
                     Hebrew and Greek texts,
                     translations, commentaries,
                     and other exegetical tools,
                     including those which
                     presuppose knowledge
                     of the biblical languages.
                     Using these, he or she
                     shall be asked to state
                     the meaning of the 
                     passage, show how he
                     or she arrived at this
                     interpretation, and suggest
                     how this passage might be
                     used in the contemporary
                     life of the church.
                     (2) Bible Content.  This
                     examination shall assess the
                     candidate's knowledge of the
                     form and content of the Bible.
                     (3) Theological Competence.
                     This examination shall assess
                     the candidate's capacity to make
                     effective use of the classical
                     theological disciplines and of the
                     confessional documents of the
                     church in relating the gospel to
                     the faith of the church in the
                     contemporary world.
                     (4) Worship and Sacraments.
                     This examination shall assess
                     the candidate's understanding
                     of the meaning and purpose
                     of corporate worship and the
                     Sacraments, familiarity with the
                     Directory for Worship and The
                     Book of Confessions and their
                     application to the life of
                     worshipping communities.
                     (5) Church Polity.  This examination
                     shall assess the candidate's working
                     knowledge of the constitutional
                     structure of the Presbyterian
                     Church (U.S.A.) and the method by
                     which differences are properly
                     resolved and programs to
                     fulfill the mission of the church
                     are determined.

How Graded    e. The examinations required
                     by each Primary Synod (Auburn
                     and Westminster) and administered
                     to the inquirers and candidates
                     aligned with and members of
                     that particular Primary Synod
                     (Westminster or Auburn), in
                     the five areas, shall be graded
                     by representatives of the
                     respective Presbyteries, grading the
                     exams of the inquirers and
                     candidates aligned with that particular
                     Primary Synod (Auburn or
                     Westminster), under the supervision
                     of each Primary Synod's, (Westminster
                     or Auburn) Cooperative Committee
                     on Examinations for Candidates.

G-14.0311      An Inquirer or Candidate who
Transfer of     wishes to change Primary
Covenant       Synods, to a Primary Synod, 
Relationship   (Auburn or Westminster)
                    with which their church, where
                    they have their membership,
                    in not aligned with, may only
                    do so with the consent and 
                    approval of their church's
                    session.  Upon approval,
                    the jurisdiction over that
                    inquirer or candidate shall
                    pass to the Presbytery of 
                    the other Primary Synod
                    (Westminster or Auburn) in
                    the same Presbytery Region.
                    If an inquirer or candidate
                    wishes to transfer their 
                    covenant relationship to
                    another Presbytery within
                    the same Primary Synod
                    (Auburn or Westminster)
                    they can do so only with 
                    the approval of the receiving
                    Presbytery and the approval
                    of the inquirer or candidate.
                    An inquirer or candidate shall
                    not transfer his or her 
                    membership to a particular
                    church under the jurisdiction
                    of another Presbytery, in the
                    the same Primary Synod
                    (Westminster or Auburn)
                    without the approval of the
                    Presbytery responsible for the
                    person's preparation for 
                    ministry.  Whenever a Presbytery
                    approves such a transfer, it shall
                    send to the other Presbytery a
                    certificate of its approval, its
                    records concerning the individual,
                    and the reasons for the request
                    for transfer.  Failure of an inquirer
                    or candidate to follow this 
                    procedure shall result in the forfeiture
                    of standing as an inquirer or
                    candidate, in accordance with
                    the guidelines of each Primary
                    Synod (Westminster or Auburn).

G-14.0312     (Unchanged)
Removal from
Covenant 
Relationship.


G-14.0313         (Unchanged)
Extraordinary
Circumstances

Educational        (Unchanged)
Requirements

Examination       (Unchanged)
Requirements

Time                 (Unchanged)
Requirements

Confirmation      (Unchanged)
of Action                    


G-14.0314         (Unchanged)
Location of
Ordination

Other Reformed   (Unchanged)
Bodies
                    

G-14.0401           (Unchanged)
Ordination of
Candidates


G-14.0402           (Unchanged)
Examination
for Ordination

Vote to                (Unchanged)
Proceed


G-14.0403           (Unchanged)
Extraordinary
Circumstances


G-14.0404           (Unchanged)
Place of
Ordination

Place of               (Unchanged)
Installation


G-14.0405           (Unchanged)
Ordination
Service

Constitutional       (Unchanged)
Questions

Prayer and           (Unchanged)
Laying on
of Hands

Welcome             (Unchanged)


G-14.0406           (Unchanged)
Ordination
Recorded

Proposed Amendments