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07797 December 6, 2007
Form of Government Task Force revises documents based on denomination-wide comments
Separate recommendations will address Chapters 1-4 and the rest of The Book of Order
by Toya Richards Hill Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE - Based largely on denomination-wide feedback, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s Form of Government Task Force (FOGTF) has voted to present the two key parts of its work to the 218th General Assembly (GA) in separate recommendations.
The nine-member task force, charged by the 217th General Assembly (2006) with reorganizing the denomination's Form of Government, voted during a meeting here Nov. 29-Dec.1 to recommend that the Book of Order:
be amended by striking the text of Chapters I-IV of the current "Form of Government" and inserting a new section entitled, "Foundations of Presbyterian Polity," and
be amended by striking the text of Chapters V-XVIII of the current "Form of Government" and inserting a new "Form of Government."
The "Foundations of Presbyterian Polity" document "incorporates the vast majority of the text of the first four chapters of the current Form of Government, while improving the organization, logic, and flow of our foundational polity," the task force said in the cover letter that will accompany its work.
The new Form of Government document "seeks to return the Form of Government to its original intent - a Constitution for our church that sets out the overarching standards that govern us as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), rather than a manual of operations that imposes a 'one size fits all' set of procedures and rules," the letter goes on to say.
The task force's decision to present the two sections to the GA in separate recommendations came following a period of denomination-wide review of the group's work. Individuals, sessions, presbyteries, synods, committees, and other groups weighed in, resulting in the final revisions agreed upon during the task force's meeting.
"We're officially done. We're releasing this," said Cynthia J. Bolbach, FOGTF co-moderator.
Yet concerns were raised by task force member Rev. James H.Y. Kim, who along the way has continually been the voice of the more conservative evangelical side of the denomination. He said that wing will take issue with changes to the Book of Order, particularly Chapters I-IV.
"I've been hearing from people saying, 'leave them alone,'" he said of Chapters I-IV.
Kim unsuccessfully advocated for including wording in the task force's recommendation on the "Foundations" document that said if the recommendation failed, the current first four chapters would remain in place - a move he said would have provided opponents a choice.
The task force did agree, however, to include in its rationale acknowledgement that it received considerable comments on the "depth of affection" for the current Chapters I-IV.
The FOGTF will also submit to the GA a recommendation to "commend to the councils of the church an 'Advisory Handbook for Councils for the Development of Policies and Procedures Required by the Form of Government'."
Creation of such a handbook was included in the FOGTF's charge. The handbook is to include a checklist of policies and procedure that synods, presbyteries and sessions need to have in place to do their work.
And, in another recommendation, the task force dealt with other issues the GA might want to consider as possible amendments if the Book of Order is changed to substitute the new Form of Government as proposed (striking the current text of Chapters V-XVIII and inserting new language).
Included in those was the dropping of a proposal contained in the revised Form of Government that would have allowed an associate pastor to become the next installed pastor of a congregation with a three-fourths affirmative vote by the presbytery.
A printed version of the task force's work is in development, with the hopes of having a copy in every congregation by the first week of January. The documents also will be available on the Web.
Whatever proposed amendments to the Book of Order the GA agrees on during its summer 2008 meeting in San Jose, CA, will ultimately be sent on via the stated clerk to the denomination's presbyteries for votes. A majority of the 173 presbyteries must ratify proposed changes to the Book of Order.
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