Presbytery of Beaver

This page contains the text of two overtures to the 2006 GA originating out of Beaver Butler Presbytery in the Pittsburgh region. The purpose of these overtures is to allow flexible membership in presbyteries and synods (churches will be able to choose their presbytery and presbyteries will be able to choose their synods). Moreover, the judiciary process will end at the synod level except for cases involving the GA or its entities.

If you need more information or would like to cooperate in bringing these overtures to GA contact:
Pastor Greg Wiest, Glade Run UP Church, Valencia, Pa - gladerun@gladerunchurch.org

Overture 00-00. On Amending the Book of Order to provide flexibility in presbytery and synod membership.

Make the changes to the Form of Government that will honor the spirit of the Report of the Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church. These changes will accommodate the diverse belief systems, theological positions and mission designs that currently exist within the Presbyterian Church (USA) and will encourage the kind of “flexible equilibrium” to which the Task Force calls the church (lines 918-919, Final Report of the Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church).

Strike: Presbytery is a corporate expression of the church consisting of all the churches and ministers of the Word and Sacrament within a certain district.

Insert: Presbytery is a corporate expression of the church consisting of churches and ministers of the Word and Sacrament who have chosen to affiliate based on geographic, theological, missional or other considerations of importance to those congregations.

Strike: j. to control the location of new churches and of churches desiring to move;

a. Congregations may choose membership in a particular presbytery based on geographic, theological, missional or other considerations of importance to those congregations.

b. A congregation may seek to change presbytery membership by a two-thirds vote at a properly called congregational meeting.

c. The receiving presbytery will accept the congregation’s request for membership by a majority vote at a properly called presbytery meeting.

d. The Minister(s) of Word and Sacrament of the joining congregation become members of the receiving presbytery when it is determined by the Committee on Ministry of the receiving presbytery that their call is in order (G-14.0506-07).

Strike: Synod is the unit of the church’s life and mission which consists of not fewer than three presbyteries within a specific geographic region.

Insert: Synod is the unit of the church’s life which consists of not fewer than three presbyteries who choose to affiliate based on geographic, theological, missional or other considerations of importance to those presbyteries.

Strike: k. To organize new presbyteries and to divide, unite, or otherwise combine presbyteries or portions of presbyteries previously existing, to create non-geographic presbyteries in order to meet the mission needs (G-11.0103a; G-12.0102a) of identified racial or ethnic or immigrant congregations; subject to the approval of the General Assembly;

Insert: k. To vote to receive, by majority vote, existing and new presbyteries that have petitioned for synod membership (G-12.307).

a. A presbytery may seek membership in a particular synod based on geographic, theological, missional or other considerations of importance to that presbytery.

b. A presbytery may seek to change synod membership by a two-thirds vote at a properly called presbytery meeting.

c. The receiving synod will accept the presbytery request for membership by a majority vote at a properly called synod meeting.

d. New presbyteries shall be formed when not fewer than twelve congregations petition a synod for the creation of a presbytery of which they will become member congregations (in compliance with the provisions of G-11.505 of this overture). New presbyteries shall be created by a two-thirds vote of the synod at a properly called meeting.

Strike: m. to organize new synods and to divide, unite, or otherwise combine synods or portions of synods previously existing;

Insert: m. to provide for the creation of new synods. New synods shall be formed when not fewer than three presbyteries petition the General Assembly for the creation of a synod of which they will become member presbyteries. New synods shall be created by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly at a regularly called meeting.

Strike: n. to approve the organization, division, uniting, or combining of presbyteries or portions of presbyteries by synods;

Strike: p. to warn or bear witness against error in doctrine or immorality in practice in or outside the church;

Strike: v. to authorize synods to exercise power in receiving ecclesiastical bodies suited to become constituents of those governing bodies and lying within their geographic bounds;

Insert: v. to authorize synods to exercise similar power in receiving ecclesiastical bodies suited to become constituents of those governing bodies;

Add to G-8.0401 the following new sections:

a. Any presbytery that chooses to withdraw from the denomination shall forfeit all real property to synod.

b. Any synod that chooses to withdraw from the denomination shall forfeit all real property to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The 213th General Assembly (2001) directed the Moderators of the 213th, 212th, and the 211th General Assemblies to appoint a Theological Task Force reflecting the theological and cultural diversity of the church to “lead the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in spiritual discernment of our Christian identity, in and for the 21st century. . . . This discernment shall include but not be limited to issues of Christology, biblical authority and interpretation, ordination standards and power” (Minutes, 2001, Part I, p. 29). One significant outcome from the Task Force involves allowing presbyteries and synods a certain amount of latitude (what the report calls flexible equilibrium [lines 918-919] ) in matters of polity.

“Our faith is in the God of Israel who raised Jesus Christ bodily from the dead. This is the one faith confessed by the people of God: ‘one Lord, one faith, on god and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.’ (Ephesians 4:5-6)” (Task Force Report, lines 55-57)

“It is by following Jesus Christ, as attested for us in Scripture, that the unity of our faith will be made visible today as it has in the past.” (Task Force Report, lines 62-63)

Jesus Christ alone is head of the church. Jesus alone is the source of the church’s unity.

G-1.000 c affirms that: “Christ gives to his Church its faith and life, its unity and mission, its officers and ordinances.” The Task Force Report reminds us that our unity is rooted in Christ and that the church’s purity does not spring from “technical or legal means,” but from Jesus Christ. Attempting to keep the Church unified and pure without providing freedom for Christ’s Spirit to move is not helpful.

G-1.0301 (1) (a) affirms that: “‘God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship.’” Flexibility in presbytery and synod membership provides options for theological and missional partnerships not possible under the rigid geographical criteria that worked well in other times.

G-3.0401 d affirms that God is calling us “…to a new openness to God’s continuing reformation of the Church ecumenical, that it might be a more effective instrument of mission in the world.” The Task Force points out that “there are many signs that, on a changing cultural landscape, old models are breaking down and new forms of denominationalism in the United States are developing at local, regional, and national levels” (lines 1022-1024). These new forms cannot emerge from strict adherence to existing structures; they must be permitted and nurtured by a denomination willing to seek flexibility and equilibrium.

The intended purpose of flexible equilibrium in presbytery and synod membership is to provide safe opportunity for congregations and judicatories to express shared, deeply held convictions. To seek flexibility regarding essential belief, as the Task Force does, without providing a corresponding freedom of association based on those very convictions is contradictory and ultimately self-defeating.

Under a more flexible system of presbytery and synod membership the power of the upper judicatories is diminished (for example, in discipline and enforcement) and that of lower judicatories (congregations and presbyteries) increases.

A flexible plan of presbytery and synod membership provides an affirmation of the Missional Church's understanding of non-hierarchal structures and ministries. It affirms the congregation as the primary agent of mission and ministry and the presbytery as secondary agent for the support, encouragement, and accountability of congregations and pastors. Any other judicatories are tertiary agents for the support, encouragement and accountability of the presbytery.

Allowing congregations flexibility in their presbytery membership, and presbyteries in their synods membership, provides the basis for mission and ministry under a generous and broad orthodox creedal Reformed Christianity. Membership flexibility acknowledges the current era of diverse styles and forms while maintaining the historic unity of the church.

Competing factions within the Presbyterian Church (USA) appeal to “Historic Presbyterianism.” Flexible equilibrium is, by contrast, future-oriented while at the same time providing an affirmation of “Presbyterianism” in its connectional-accountable sense. It acknowledges the need for one another while rejecting both institutional coercion and radical ecclesiastical autonomy.

A flexible plan for presbytery and synod membership allows congregations and judicatories to work for reformation and renewal in local congregations and in presbyteries only as they serve the local congregation. This flexibility allows the denomination to focus on positive change rather than defensive battles.

For these reasons, we urge the 217th General Assembly (2006) to approve this overture.

eLink acronym defined

Included in this blogg are the text for two overtures to the 2006 General assembly of the PCUSA. The word eLink stands for the following:
Emerging	These overtures will allow the PCUSA to emerge into the church that it was meant to be
Logical - Little changes that make a big difference	These changes to the book of order will substantially alter how the PCUSA operates as a denomination.
Innovative	Creativity will be at the forefront in how the PCUSA emerges into the 21st century. While being faithful to our Biblical roots, creativity and imagination in mission will be encouraged.
Non-Geographical	Our connectionalism will be based on theology and ideology rather than geography.
Kairos	This is the Greek word for "appointed time". It is time for us to make a break from business as usual and forge ahead to be the church that God intended for us to be.