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Process and Procedures, Responsibilities
and Relationships
The Advisory Committee on the Constitution
(ACC) does not give final interpretation of The Constitution
apart from the majority vote of the General Assembly. The role
of the ACC, as its title suggests and as its constitutional
mandate clearly establishes, is to advise the General Assembly
(G-13.0112d).
With respect to proposed amendments to the Constitution, the
advisory committee focuses on clarity of proposed language and
consistency of the proposed amendment with the remainder of
The Constitution.
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The advisory committee occasionally finds that the intent of a
proposed amendment is already inherent in other provisions of
The Constitution or that it could be achieved by slight
changes in language, by placing the amendment in a different section,
or by different language entirely. When that occurs, the advisory
committee has recommended such changes to avoid inconsistencies
within the Book of Order, and to make as few changes
as possible in existing paragraphs and section numbering.
According to the provisions of The Constitution, individual
church members or governing bodies of the church may ask for an
interpretation of The Constitution that will be binding
upon the whole church. In many circumstances, the question has
been answered by earlier interpretations and does not require
further action by the General Assembly. In such a case, the inquirer
is notified by the ACC of the standing interpretation. When no
previous interpretation applies, the ACC will recommend an interpretation
to a meeting of the General Assembly. When such interpretations
are approved by a General Assembly, they are called authoritative
interpretations.
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Timeline
All overtures
and reports containing proposed amendments and all requests for
interpretation of the Book of Order by the General Assembly
must be communicated in writing to the Stated Clerk of the General
Assembly no later than 120 days prior to the convening of the
next session of the General Assembly (G-13.0112c). This 120-day
time period allows the advisory committee the time to carefully
consider and research each proposed amendment and request.
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