Overture 04-16. On Amending Standing Rule B.5.e. Regarding the Timeline for Submitting Commissioners’ Resolutions—From the Presbytery of Eastminster.

The Presbytery of Eastminster respectfully overtures the 216th General Assembly (2004) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to amend the second paragraph of Standing Rule B.5.e. as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]

“The Stated Clerk shall determine and announce at the first meeting at which business is conducted the deadline for receipt of commissioners’ resolutions. The deadline shall not be earlier than twenty-four hours after the assembly has convened the close of the last business session on the opening day of the assembly.”

Rationale

The Form of Government in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) allows ideas to be considered by a presbytery/synod and effect changes on a national level through the overture process, and explicitly provides that sessions may bring business to the General Assembly only through its presbytery [G-10.0102p(6)]. The presbytery/synod, by the Spirit’s leading and the community’s discernment, becomes a place for broader ownership and refinement of ideas through the overture process.

The Form of Government also allows for commissioners’ resolutions, making provision for items of interest to a commissioner, but not endorsed by a presbytery/synod. The General Assembly, by the Spirit’s leading and the community’s discernment becomes a place for broader ownership and refinement of ideas through the commissioners’ resolution process.

Commissioners’ resolutions are submitted after the assembly convenes, with the deadline for submission set by the Stated Clerk, not earlier than 24 hours after the assembly convenes. Distribution of the commissioners’ resolutions well after convening the assembly may limit thoughtful, prayerful consideration and discernment by commissioners and delegates. Committee dockets are considered prior to convening the assembly so that the most effective order of business may be planned. With little time to reflect on revision of the docket before committee work starts, committees typically place commissioners’ resolutions after other business has been completed. With the press of completing business in a timely manner, the last items on the committee docket may not be given the prayerful, thoughtful consideration warranted. Advisory and advocacy groups have little time to consider their response to the resolutions.

This overture would require that these resolutions be submitted earlier in the assembly, allowing more time for thought to be given about placement on the committee docket, and more time for commissioners, delegates, advisory and advocacy groups to consider prayerfully and thoughtfully the resolutions and discern the Spirit’s leading.

Since there will be more commissioners, and potentially more business, as we move to biennial assemblies, if this is not approved, the situation will be even more difficult in 2006 and beyond.