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Proposed Amendments
Presbyteries

Chapter XI
The Presbytery
G-11.000

G-11.0101   1. General
                   The structure of the PCUSA is first: the General
                   Assembly; next: the two Primary Synods,
                   (Westminster and Auburn); next: are the
                   8 Sub-Synods belonging to the Westminster
                   Primary Synod and the 8 Sub-Synods belonging
                   to the Auburn Primary Synod.  Governing bodies
                   below the Sub-Synods of each Primary Synod
                   (Westminster and Auburn), are the Presbyteries.
                   Each Presbytery is aligned, either with the
                   Auburn Primary Synod or the Westminster
                   Primary Synod.  Each Presbytery consists of the  
                   congregations that have voted to align themselves  
                   with either the Westminster Primary Synod or the 
                   Auburn Primary Synod, in a given region.  Each
                   region shall have two Presbyteries,
                   one Presbytery aligned with the Westminster
                   Primary Synod and one Presbytery aligned
                   with the Auburn Primary Synod.  

 Presbytery   A Presbytery Region consists
 Regions      of the largest geographic Presbytery
                   in a given region.  The Presbytery 
                   aligned with either the Auburn
                   or Westminster Primary Synod,
                   that is geographically larger,
                   and all the Presbyteries of the other 
                   Primary Synod (Westminster or Auburn)
                   in the same geographic region,
                   make up a Presbytery Region.
                   A Presbytery Region must be 
                   determined for puposes of cross-over
                   committees between the Presbyteries
                   representing the two Primary
                   Synods, (Westminster or Auburn).
                .  This will ensure cooperation
                   and fellowship between the
                   Two Primary Synods at the
                   Presbytery level.

                   The Presbytery is a corporate expression
                   of the church consisting of all the churches 
                   and ministers of the Word and
                   Sacrament aligned with one of the
                   Primary Synods (Auburn or
                   Westminster), in a given geographic 
                   region.  When a presbytery meets, 
                   each church shall be represented
                   by an elder commissioned by the
                   session with the following additional
                   provisions:

G-11.0101    1. a.   unchanged

G-11.0101    1  b.   unchanged

G-11.0101    1. c.   unchanged


G-11.0102   In each presbytery the minimum number
Minimum     of ministers shall be 27 and the minimum
                  number of churches with duly constituted
                  sessions shall likewise be 27.

G-11.0103           The presbytery is responsible for
Responsibilities   the mission and government
                          of the church, and of their respective
                  Primary Synod (Westminster or Auburn),
                  with which they are aligned,
                  throughout its geographic district.  It
                  therefore has the responsibility and
                  power
                    a.  to develop strategy for the mission 
                         of the church, consistent with the
                         goals and guidelines of their
                         Primary Synod (Auburn or
                         Westminster)
                    b.  to coordinate the work of its member
                         churches within its Primary Synod
                         (Westminster or Auburn), guiding
                         them and mobilizing their strength
                         for the most effective witness to the
                         broader community, for which it has
                         responsiblity.
                    c . to initiate mission through a variety
                        of forms in light of the larger strategy
                        of their Primary Synod (Auburn or
                        Westminster).
                    d. to implement, consistent with their
                        Primary Synod's policies, the 
                        principles of participation, inclusiveness
                        affirmative action in employing its
                        personnel and in establishing the 
                        membership of its committees,
                        councils, boards, and other policy
                        making and policy recommending
                        bodies, in order to assure fair
                        representation in its decision 
                        making and in the election of
                        commissioners to their respective
                        Sub-Synod, or their respective
                        Primary Synod (Westminster
                        or Auburn) and to the General
                        Assembly.  Each Presbytery's committee
                        on representation shall report directly
                        to the presbytery, and shall be 
                        empowered to make recommendations
                        to correct situations of unbalanced
                        representation.
                   e.  to counsel with a particular church, 
                        aligned with their Primary Synod, 
                        where various constituencies
                        of the congregation are not represented
                        on a session.
                    f.  to provide encouragement, guidance,
                       and resources to member churches
                       aligned with their respective Primary Synod
                       in the areas of leadership, development
                       church officer training, worship, nurture,
                       witness, service, stewardship, equitable
                       compensation, personnel policies, and
                       fair employment practices.
                   g. to provide pastoral care for the churches
                       and members of their Presbytery, 
                       visiting sessions, and ministers,
                       aligned with their respective Primary
                       Synod, on a regular basis.
                   h.  to organize new churches for their
                       respective Primary Synod, and to 
                       receive and unite churches in
                       consultation with members
                       of their respective Presbytery.
                       When two or more churches within
                       the presbytery unite, the pastor or 
                       pastors of the former churches 
                       may continue, or become 
                       pastor or pastors of the uniting
                       church.  The uniting church must agree
                       and specify those relationships in 
                       the plan of union, with the 
                       concurrance of their Primary
                       Synod's respective Presbytery
                       (either Auburn or Westminster),
                       in that region.
                   i.  to divide, dismiss, or dissolve 
                       churches in consultation with
                       their members.  
                   j.  to control the location of new
                       churches aligned with their Primary
                       Synod (either Westminster or
                       Auburn) and of churches desiring
                       to move
                  k.  to take special oversight of churches
                       without pastors, including the 
                       authority to select, train, examine,
                       and commission lay pastors and
                       authorize them to administer
                       the Lord's Supper, in accordance
                       with their Primary Synod's policies
                       and guidelines.
                   l.  to enter into covenant relationship
                       with those preparing to become
                       ministers of the Word and Sacrament
                       by enrolling them as inquirers, to
                       receive inquirers as candidates, and
                       to certify candidates as ready for
                       examination for ordination, in
                       accordance with the guidelines of
                       the Primary Synod with which they
                       are aligned, (Westminster or  
                       Auburn).
                 m.  to elect elder and minister
                       readers of examinations for
                       candidates for ordination at the
                       request of the respective
                       Presbyteries' Cooperative 
                       Committee on Examination
                       for Candidates in accordance
                       with the guidelines
                       of their Primary Synod
                       (Westminster or Auburn).
                  n.  to ordain, receive, dismiss, 
                       install, and discipline ministers,
                       to plan for the integration of new
                       ministers into the life and work
                       of that respective Presbytery 
                       in accordance with the policies
                       and guidelines of their respective 
                       Primary Synod  (Westminster
                       or Auburn), to establish minimum
                       compensation and benefit
                       requirements for all pastoral
                       calls and for all calls for Certified
                       Christian Educators and guidelines
                       for compensation and benefits for
                       Certified Associate Christian 
                       Educators employed by the
                       churches of that respective 
                       Presbytery, to provide services
                       of recognition for Certified
                       Christian Educators and Certified
                       Associate Christian Educators.
                       To place in order, approve, and
                       record in their respective prebytery's
                       minutes the full terms of all calls,
                       and changes of calls approved by 
                       that presbytery.
                  o.  to establish the pastoral relationship
                       and to dissolve it at the request of one
                       or both of the parties, or when it finds
                       that the church's mission under the
                       Word imperatively demands it
                  p.  to designate ministers to work as
                       teachers, evangelists, administrators,
                       chaplains, and in other forms of ministry
                       recognized as appropriate by their
                       respective Presbytery.  Such ministers
                       may administer the Sacraments at times
                       and places approved by their Primary
                       Synod, Sub-Synod, and respective
                       Presbytery.
                  q.  to receive under its care persons
                       preparing for professional service
                       in the church, and to commission
                       them when appropriate.
                   r.  to serve in judicial matters in 
                       accordance with the Rules of
                       Discipline.
                  s.  to assume original jurisdiction in any
                       case in which it determines that a
                       session within their Primary Synod
                       (Westminster or Auburn) cannot 
                       exercise its authority.  After
                       a thorough investigation, and
                       after a full opportunity to be heard
                       has been accorded to the session in
                       question, the respective Presbytery
                       of jurisdiction, aligned with the same 
                       Primary Synod (Auburn or Westminster)
                       as the congregation, shall 
                       determine that the session of
                       a particular church is unable or 
                       unwilling to manage wisely the affairs
                       of its church.  The respective Presbytery
                       may appoint an administrative 
                       committee with the full power of a
                       session.  This commission shall
                       assume original jurisdiction of the
                       existing session, if any, which shall
                       cease to act until such time as 
                       their respective Presbytery, aligned
                       with the same Primary Synod
                       (Westminster or Auburn)
                       as the congregation, may
                       otherwise direct.
                   t.  to maintain regular and continuing 
                       relationships with their Primary
                       Synod (Westminster or Auburn)
                       and their Sub-Synods, and the 
                       General Assembly, including:
                         (1) electing commisioners to their 
                              Primary Synod's (Auburn or
                              Westminster) general session,
                              electing commisioners to their
                              Sub-Synod, and electing 
                              commissioners to the PCUSA
                              General Assembly.
                         (2) seeing that the guidelines of their
                              Primary Synod (Westminster
                              or Auburn) and their
                              Sub-Synod are carried out.
                         (3) proposing to their Primary Synod
                              (Auburn or Westminster), their
                              Sub-Synod, and to the General
                              Assembly such measures 
                              as may be of common 
                              concern to the mission of 
                              the whole church
                u.  to establish and maintain those 
                     ecumenical relationships which will
                     enlarge the life and mission of the 
                     church in its region;
                v.  to establish and superintend the
                    agencies necessary for its work,
                    including a presbytery council,
                    providing for the regular review of
                    the functional relationship between
                    the presbytery's structure and its
                    mission.  The presbytery may, by 
                    its own established rules, assign 
                    to its council responsibility for action
                    between meetings of their respective
                    presbytery on specific areas of its
                    responsibilies as it shall deem
                    approporiate, assign to its committee
                    on ministry those powers specified
                    by their Primary Synod (either
                    Westminster or Auburn), and
                    assign to its committee
                    on preparation on ministry authority
                    to dismiss candidates, enroll inquirers,
                    and certify candidates as ready for 
                    examination for ordination; with the
                    provision that all such actions shall
                    be reported to the next stated 
                    meeting of their respective Presbytery,
                    in accordance with the guidelines of
                    their Primary Synod (either 
                    Westminster or Auburn)
               w.  to establish a nominating committee
                    composed of equal members of 
                    ministers, laymen, and laywomen
               x.  to review session minutes and records
                    at least once each year;
               y.  to consider and act upon requests 
                    from congregations for permission
                    to take actions regarding 
                    real property in accordance with
                    their Primary Synod's guidelines
                    (Westminster or Auburn).                    
                z.  to authorize specific elders for 
                     periods not exceeding one year
                     at a time, to administer or preside
                     at the Lord's Supper in specific
                     circumstances and with proper
                     instruction by their respective
                     Presbytery in the doctrine and 
                     administration of the Lord's
                     Supper, when it deems it necessary
                     to meet the needs for the administration
                     of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
                     that cannot otherwise be met, in
                     accordance with the standards and
                     guidelines of their respective Primary 
                     Synod (Westminster or Auburn).
                aa. to appoint Presbyteers to their 
                     Presbytery Region's Cross-Over
                     Committees. 
                bb. Each Presbytery's
                     Moderator, Stated Clerk, and 
                     Committee Chairpersons shall
                     be members of their Presbytery
                     Region's Coordinating Council 
                     Cross-Over Committee.  

                       
 
               

                    

                              
                   

Proposed Amendments