wfn.org | Voting Is Virtually Completed on Constitutional Amendments

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5-June-1998 
98194 
 
    Voting Is Virtually Completed 
    on Constitutional Amendments 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Less than a handful of presbytery votes are still 
unrecorded on the 22 amendments to the "Book of Order" proposed by last 
year's General Assembly.  No more than four votes are still outstanding on 
any of the overtures. 
 
    Of the 22 amendments, 17 were ratified by the presbyteries and five 
were defeated.  A simple majority of the 173 presbyteries is needed to 
amend the "Book of Order." 
 
    The amendments and the voting results: 
 
      Amendment A - to replace the "fidelity and chastity" language of 
G-6.0106b with "fidelity and integrity" - failed, 57-114 
      Amendment B.1 - to add to the responsibilities of elders in G-6.0304 
"They should assist in worship" - passed, 138-34 
      Amendment B.2 - to expand the role of deacons in G-6.0402 to include 
ministry to those outside the church and suggest roles the session may 
delegate to them, including leading worship and assisting with the Lord's 
Supper - passed, 129-43 
      Amendment B.3 - to allow congregations to commission deacons 
individually to particular tasks apart from a Board of Deacons (G-6.0403) - 
passed, 105-67 
      Amendment B.4 - to clarify and diversify which specialized ministries 
are necessary for the ordering of the church's life and thus which 
ministers should be continuing members of a presbytery (G-11.0403) - 
passed, 123-49 
      Amendment B.5 - to add questions to candidates for ordination as 
ministers (G-14.0405b), one of which would emphasize the witness to God's 
reign in the world and one of which would emphasize study and preparation 
for preaching and administering the sacraments - failed, 57-115 
      Amendment B.6.a - a companion amendment to Amendment B.3 reaffirming 
term and consecutive years of service limits on Board of Deacons members 
(G-14.0201a) - passed, 105-67 
      Amendment B.6.b - to allow a congregation to have two classes of 
elders and/or deacons serving two-year terms rather than the current three 
classes serving three-year terms (G-14.0201a) - passed, 104-68 
      Amendment C.1 - to require that committees on representation not be 
merged with other committees or submerged as subcommittees of other 
committees (G-9.0105) - passed, 116-55 
      Amendment C.2 - to prohibit any exception to the requirement that 
each governing body above the session elect a committee on representation 
(G-9.0106) - passed, 99-72 
      Amendment C.3 - to require presbytery and synod nominating committees 
to consult annually with either their own committee on representation or 
that of the next higher governing body (G-9.0801c) - passed, 109-61 
      Amendment D - to allow per capita apportionments to cover a greater 
portion of the presbytery, synod or General Assembly budget and to allow 
undesignated mission dollars to be used for ecclesiastical or operating 
expenses (G-9.0404) - failed, 77-91-2 
      Amendment E - to add dealing with issues of domestic violence to the 
responsibilities of presbyteries and synods (G-11.0103 and G-12.0102) - 
failed, 54-114-1 
      Amendment F - to allow a congregation to call a designated pastor as 
pastor after two years rather than the current three years of the 
designated pastor relationship (G-14.0501g) - passed, 158-13 
      Amendment G - to allow a parish associate to remain after the pulpit 
becomes vacant (G-14.0515a and G-14.0515d) - failed, 83-88 
      Amendment H - to require with no exceptions that commissioned lay 
pastors be elders (G-14.0801c) - passed, 126-45 
      Amendment I - to move definitions for "shall," "is to be/are to be," 
"should," "is appropriate" and "may" from the Preface to the "Directory for 
Worship" to the Preface to the "Book of Order" - passed, 155-16 
      Amendment J - to allow both parties in remedial (D-7.0301) and 
disciplinary (D-11.0301) cases to appear before the Permanent Judicial 
Commission and be represented by counsel (currently only the complainant is 
specified in remedial cases and only the accused in disciplinary cases) - 
passed, 169-1 
      Amendment K - to allow charges to be filed in regard to alleged 
sexual abuse offenses occurring before June 10, 1989, the current statute 
of limitations (D-10.0401a) - passed, 132-36-1 
      Amendment L - to add a fourth level of censure - rebuke with 
supervised rehabilitation -  under the Rules of Discipline (D-12) - passed, 
147-22 
      Amendment M - to add language to G-15.0201 and G-15.0302 to enable 
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to be in "full communion" with other 
churches in general - passed, 168-3 
      Amendment N - to adopt "A Formula of Agreement" with the Evangelical 
Lutheran Church in America, the United Church of Christ and the Reformed 
Church in America in accordance with G-15.0302 - passed, 168-3 
 
(The Rev. Bill Lancaster of "The Presbyterian Outlook" contributed to this 
story.) 

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