wfn.org | PCUSA - Form of Government Revision Committee stands behind flexibility of proposed revision

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Form of Government Revision Committee stands behind flexibility of proposed 
revision

Also discussed: pastor-call process, dissolution of pastoral relationship in a 
presbytery

> July 6, 2010

> GA219 Communication Center

> by Duane Sweep

Meeting for a full day Monday, the Form of Government Revision Committee stood 
behind the flexibility within the proposed revision to the Form of Government, 
rejecting those overtures and amendments that would place specific 
organizations and structures within the document.

The committee seemed to hear the call of Pieter Visscher of the Presbytery of 
Northern New York, who testified in support of the revised Form of Government. 
He said the new document would ?give us flexibility ? to do the work God is 
calling us to do.?

The committee left nearly intact a proposed new Foundations of Presbyterian 
Polity that contains the vast majority of the first four chapters of the 
current Book of Order.

The committee rejected an amendment that would have changed the words 
?catholic? to ?universal? in the Marks of the  Church.

And when the committee looked at the section on Unity in Diversity, the 
committee rejected a motion that would have added the phrase
?consistent with reformed tradition? to persons united by God, and also 
rejected an amendment that would have replaced ?governance? with ?decision 
making.?

The committee sought to eliminate two issues that had arisen during its earlier 
sessions. It removed wording from the pastor call process that required a 
pastor nominating committee to obtain approval from the presbytery prior to 
making its report to the congregation. The new wording states the nominating 
committee will ?receive and consider the presbytery?s counsel.?

It also voted to remove the authority of a presbytery to dissolve a pastoral 
relationship without a congregational meeting, removing the phrase, ?unless the 
presbytery expressly finds that the church?s mission under the Word 
imperatively demands dissolution of the relationship without such a  meeting.?

In Chapter 3 of the revised Form of Government, the committee accepted the task 
force language in reference to participation and representation, voting down 
overtures that called for specific committees on representation. While not 
naming a specific committee, the task force language states, ?Councils above 
the session shall establish by their own rule committees or entities? that 
would address diversity issues.

The council also rejected an overture that would have specifically mentioned 
the Organization for Mission manual of the General Assembly Mission Council 
within the new Form of Government?s section dealing with the General Assembly.

Rebecca Blackwell of Cherokee Presbytery said she believes that ?God can handle 
the new Form of Government. The question is, can we??