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Note #8352 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Church Polity
GA04060
June 29, 2004

Church Polity

by Bill Lancaster

RICHMOND, June 29 - The Committee on Church Polity dealt with a long series
of proposed amendments to the Book of Order and the General Assembly standing
rules, considering 19 amendments, one of which had 11 parts.

The 11-part measure was proposed by the Independent Committee of Inquiry
(ICI) that investigated sexual abuse by a former PC(USA) missionary in Congo.
It proposes changes in the church's disciplinary process to ensure that any
such incidents in the future are handled appropriately and with dispatch. Ten
of the 11 proposed changes were approved. The one that was not would have
removed the word "honorably" from "honorably retired" in references to clergy
members convicted of sexual abuse.

The committee added a long comment to one item, an apology for the church's
handling of the Congo cases.

This story and many others may have photos, media, video clips that can be
found at http://www.pcusa.org/ga216/.

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