The Two Synod Solution

Miscellaneous Conforming Amendments

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Miscellaneous Conforming Amendments

Proposed Amendments.

G-14.0406                (Unchanged)
Ordination
Recorded

G-14.0501        a.     (Unchanged) 
Pastors, Co-
Pastors, and
Associate
Pastors


Pastor or           b. A pastor or associate shall 
Associate           be elected by the vote of the
Pastor               congregation and the relationship
                        between them shall be established
                        by their respective Presbytery,
                        aligned with the same Primary
                        Synod (Auburn or Westminster)
                        as the congregation.  The call
                        extended to a pastor or
                        associate pastor shall be
                        approved by their respective
                        Presbytery and cannot be
                        changed except by consent
                        of their respective Presbytery
                        at the request of the pastor or
                        associate pastor, or at the request
                        of the church by action of the
                        congregation.

Co-Pastors        c. Co-pastors are ministers who are
                       called and installed with equal
                       responsibility for pastoral ministry.
                       Each shall be considered a pastor
                       and they may share duties within
                       the congregation as agreed upon
                       by the session and approved by
                       their respective Presbytery, aligned
                       with the same Primary Synod
                       (Westminster or Auburn), as
                       the congregation.  When a particular
                       church has two pastors serving as
                       co-pastors and the relationship
                       of one of them is dissolved, the
                       other remains as pastor of the
                       church.

Cannot             d.   (Unchanged)
immediately
succeed the
Pastor

Designated       e.  A designated pastor, associate 
Pastor              pastor, or co-pastor(s) is a minister
                       of the Word and Sacrament approved
                       by the Committee on Ministry to be
                       elected for a term of not less than two 
                       years nor more than four years by the
                       vote of the congregation.  The
                       relationship shall be established 
                       by their respective Presbytery
                       aligned with the same Primary
                       Synod (Auburn or Westminster) as
                       the congregation.  Such a pastor,
                       associate pastor, or co-pastor(s)
                       shall be nominated by the
                       congregation's pastor Nominating
                       Committee only form among those
                       designated by the Committee on
                       Ministry, of their respective Presbytery
                       which is aligned with the same Primary
                       Synod (Westminster or Auburn)
                       as the congregation.  The congregation
                       and the minister both must volunteer
                       to be considered for a designated
                       term relationship.  Such a call may
                       be established only with the prior
                       concurrance of the Committee on
                       Ministry of their respective Presbytery,
                       aligned with the same Primary
                       Synod (Auburn or Westminster) as
                       the congregation.  The terms of the
                       call shall be approved by their 
                       respective Presbytery.  The minister
                       shall be installed by their respective
                       Presbytery.  When the minister is
                       pastor, he or she shall be moderator
                       of the session.  If there has been an
                       open search process conducted by the
                       Committee on Ministry and after two
                       years of the designated pastor
                       relationship, upon the concurrance
                       of the Committee on Ministry, the
                       designated pastor, and the session,
                       acting in place of the Pastor
                       Nominating Committee for the 
                       single purpose of calling the designated
                       pastor as pastor, a congregational 
                       meeting may be held to call the designated
                       pastor as pastor.  The session, with the
                       concurrance of the Committee on
                       Ministry, may call a congregational
                       meeting to elect a pastor  Nominating
                       Committee to conduct a full pastoral
                       search or to prosecute the call to the
                       designated pastor to become pastor.
                       The action of the congregation shall
                       be reported to their respective Presbytery
                       if the congregation action is affirmative
                       their respective Presbytery after voting
                       to approve the new pastoral relationship,
                       shall install the designated pastor as
                       pastor.

G-14.0502        a.  (Unchanged)
Election of a
Pastor                                                 
                      
Work of the      b.  (Unchanged)
Committee

Report of         c.  When the committee is ready to
the                 report, it shall notify the session, which
Committee      shall call a congregational meeting,
                     giving public notice as required, for the
                     purpose of acting on the report of the
                     nominating committee.  The same
                     procedure shall be followed in the
                     selection of an associate pastor.
                     The action of the congregation, if
                     favorable, shall be presented to their
                     respective Presbytery aligned with
                     the same Primary Synod (Auburn or
                     Westminster) for its concurrence.  If
                     their respective Presbytery concurs, 
                     it shall make arrangements for the
                     minister's installation.  A call to the
                     permanent pastoral relationship shall
                     not be issued until it has been
                     approved by their respective
                     Presbytery, aligned with the
                     same Primary Synod (Westminster
                     or Auburn), as the congregation.


G-14.0503      a.   (Unchanged)
Congregational
Meeting
 
Vote by          b.  (Unchanged)
Ballot



G-14.0504      When two or more churches, aligned
Larger            with the same Primary Synod
Parish            (Auburn or Westminster) that were
                     established by their respective
                     Presbytery (Westminster or Auburn)
                     as a larger parish, unit in calling
                     a pastor, the call must specify
                     the support promised by each
                     church.  With the approval of
                     their respective Presbytery,
                     aligned with the same Primary
                     Synod as the congregations
                     (Auburn or Westminster), such
                     a call may be issued by a larger
                     parish council providing for the
                     approval of the churches given in
                     properly called meetings of the
                     congregations, for payment of
                     a total salary from a common
                     parish treasury along with an
                     explanation of the financial
                     agreement between the
                     churches of the parish, and for
                     the annual review of the pastor's
                     salary by the parish by the parish
                     council with provision for a vote 
                     thereon by each congregation.  When
                     such a call has been issued by a
                     parish council, and approved by the
                     Presbytery, each participating church
                     shall be obligated to continue its
                     financial support of the parish for the
                     duration of the pastorate, unless
                     excused by the other participating
                     churches with the approval of their
                     respective Presbytery.  The call must
                     specify the minister is called to be
                     pastor (associate pastor) of the
                     churches constituting the parish.


G-14.0505      On the election of a pastor (associate
Dissent           pastor), if it appears that a substantial
                     minority of the voters are averse to the
                     nominee who has received a majority of
                     the votes, and that they cannot be
                     persuaded to concur in the call, the
                     moderator shall recommend to the
                     majority that they not prosecute the
                     call.  If the congregation is nearly
                     unanimous, or if the majority insists
                     upon their right to call a pastor 
                     (assocaite pastor), the moderator shall
                     forward the call to the their respective
                     Presbytery aligned with the same
                     Primary Synod (Westminster or
                     Auburn), certifying the number of 
                     those who do not concur in the
                     call, and any other facts of
                     importance.  The moderator
                     shall also inform the person being
                     called of the nature and circumstances
                     of the decision.


G-14.0506      a.  Persons shall be elected by the
The Call         vote of the congregation to sign
                     the call and to present and prosecute
                     the call before their respective
                     Presbytery, aligned with the same
                     Primary Synod (Auburn or
                     Westminster), as the congregation,
                     The moderator of the meeting 
                     shall certify to the respective
                     Presbytery that those signing 
                     the call were properly elected
                     and that the call was in all 
                     respects prepared as constitutionally
                     required. 


G-14.0506      b.  (Unchanged)
The Call


G-14.0506      c.  The call shall specify all and
Allowances      only those allowances and amounts
and Amounts  which are undertaken as part of the
                     call.  If the minister is obligated
                     to fulfull ministry commitments
                     during a period of pastoral service,
                     an agreement between the minister
                     and the calling agency may be added
                     to the terms of the call for that
                     obligation and potential mobilization
                     of the minister, and become an
                     element in the terms of call when
                     approved by their respective Presbytery
                     If the call is for less than full time,
                     the precise terms of the contract shall
                     be indicated.


G-14.0506      d.  The certification by the moderator 
Certification    shall be as follows:

                          Having moderated the congregational
                     meeting which extended a call to
                     (Name) _____________ for ministerial
                     services, I do certify that the call has
                     been made in all respects according
                     to the rules laid down by their
                     Primary Synod (Westminster or
                     Auburn) and that persons who
                     signed the foregoing call were
                     authorized to do so by vote of 
                     the _________________________
                     Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

                     (signed)________________________
                                 Moderator of the Meeting



G-14.0506      e.  The terms of the call shall always 
Minimum        provide for compensation that meets
Requirements   or exceeds any minimum requriements
                     of their respective Presbytery in effect
                     when the call is made and shall thereafter
                     be adjusted annually as required to conform
                     to such requirement.  Their respective
                     Presbytery may prepare a standard form
                     for terms of call or adopt a model form
                     provided by an agency of their Primary
                     Synod (Auburn or Westminster)


14.0506          f.  Every call to a candidate shall
Integration      be accompanied by a description
                     of their respective Presbytery's plan
                     for integration of new ministers into
                     the life and work of their respective
                     Presbytery.


14.0507          a.  If their respective Presbytery,
Call Presented  aligned with the same Primary
and Received    Synod as the congregation
                      (Westminster or Auburn),
                      finds the call in order and
                      determines that it is for the
                      good of the whole church, it shall
                      inform the person being called
                      of its decision and shall proceed
                      to present the call through 
                      their respective Presbytery
                      aligned with the same Primary
                      Synod (Auburn or Westminster)
                      having jurisdiction over the minister
                      or candidate.
 

14.0507          b. No minister or candidate shall
Call through    receive a call except through the
own Presbytery  hands of his or her own respective                     
                     Presbytery.  When a church, aligned
                     with the same Primary Synod in one
                     Presbytery extends a call to a minister
                     or candidate of another Presbytery,
                     within the same Primary Synod, the Stated 
                     Clerk of the other Presbytery, shall 
                     certify that the call has been found
                     in order by the Presbytery.  The Stated
                     Clerk of the minister's or candidate's
                     Presbytery shall deliver the call to the
                     Committee on Ministry which shall
                     inform the Presbytery of the 
                     receipt of the call and shall recommend
                     to Presbytery what action shall be taken
                     with respect to it.  If the Presbytery thinks
                     it wise to release the minister from the 
                     present charge, it may present the call
                     to her or him with permission to transfer
                     to the Presbytery having jurisdiction over
                     the church, there to be examined and 
                     received.  If the Presbytery thinks it wise
                     for the candidate to accept the call, it may
                     present the call to her or him with the
                     permission to be examined by the
                     Presbytery having jurisdiction over
                     the church.  If the examination is
                     not sustained , the minister or 
                     candidate remains under the
                     jurisdiction of his or her own
                     Presbytery.  The Presbyteries
                     shall deal directly with each other
                     through their stated clerks in 
                     certifying both the call of the church
                     and the credentials of the minister
                     or candidate.

Proposed Amendments