wfn.org | General Assembly Approves Extended Roles for Commissioned Lay

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Pastors 09-July-1996 
 
GA96125       General Assembly Approves Extended Roles for 
                        Commissioned Lay Pastors 
 
 
The 208th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved 
July 4 a proposal that would give commissioned lay pastors the authority to 
perform baptisms and weddings among other added roles. 
     If approved by a majority of the denomination's 171 presbyteries, the 
changes to the PC(USA)'s Book of Order will also make it possible for the 
commissioned lay pastors to have voice and vote in their presbyteries, and 
to serve as moderator of their church session.  
     The Assembly upheld a committee amendment which specified that 
commissioned lay pastors must be ordained Presbyterian elders. While 
considering the proposal from the PC(USA)'s National Ministries Division, 
the Assembly Committee on Church Orders and Ministry added the requirement. 
An attempt on the floor of the assembly to allow non-ordained persons to 
perform that role was defeated. 
     However, the commissioners did narrowly approve giving presbyteries 
the power to authorize non elders to perform these functions, as well as 
others already assigned to commissioned lay pastors. Such authorization 
would require a 75 percent majority vote of the presbytery. 
     Limiting the position to ordained elders brings to it 
education/training standards and accountability (through ordination vows). 
The presbyteries -- which will decide which of these powers each 
commissioned lay pastor may possess -- will be responsible for training and 
monitoring their work. 
     As approved the proposal calls for commissioned lay pastors to receive 
training in the Bible, Reformed theology and sacraments, Presbyterian 
polity, preaching, leading worship, pastoral care and teaching. 
     The Assembly's vote to approve the amended proposal w as 386 to 146. 
     Proponents of commissioned lay pastors say they will help the church 
grow in coming years by evangelizing and starting churches among 
fast-growing immigrant communities. They are also promoted as the solution 
to church development and redevelopment among ethnic communities and small 
congregation in rural and urban settings. 
     The proposal's opponents have questioned both the need for 
commissioned lay pastors and expressed concern that the church is creating 
a second category of ministers who will compete with ordained ministers of 
word and sacrament for pastorates.  
     If the presbyteries approve the Book of Order changes and the proposal 
goes into effect in 1997, lay pastors already commissioned by presbyteries 
will not have to meet the elder requirement for the term of their 
commissions. 
     In other business coming from the Church Orders and Ministry 
Committee, the Assembly approved an overture from Baltimore Presbytery to 
allow a presbytery to waive ordination requirements for a candidate for 
ministry under certain conditions without obtaining approval from its 
synod. The committee amended the proposal to require that the presbytery 
have its synod first approve a process for examining such candidates. 
     An overture from Central Florida Presbytery which would have  allowed 
assistant and associate pastors to be called as co-pastors of the churches 
they serve was defeated. 
     An overture from Santa Fe Presbytery was approved as amended by both 
the committee and the Assembly. It would not allow a parish associate to be 
called to be pastor or associate pastor of the church he or she serves 
unless at least six months have elapsed since the end of the parish 
associate relationship. 
 
 
John Sniffen 

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