Overture 04-23. On Amending Standing Rule A.2. Regarding Advisory Delegates—From the Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys.

The Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys overtures the 216th General Assembly (2004) to amend the Standing Rules of the General Assembly as follows:

1. Youth Advisory Delegates

Amend Standing Rule A.2.c. as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]

“c. Each presbytery shall appoint an active member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), who shall be between the ages of seventeen and twenty three years of age on the date the General Assembly convenes, to be a youth advisory delegate. When the General Assembly meets biennially, presbyteries with membership of more than 24,000 members shall appoint one additional youth advisory delegate.”

2. Theological Student Advisory Delegates

Amend the first paragraph of Standing Rule A.2.d. as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]

“d. There shall be a delegation of theological student advisory delegates each year: two from each of the theological institutions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); one from each of the theological institutions in a covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); and one each from three selected other theological seminaries. When the General Assembly meets biennially, theological institutions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall appoint one more theological student advisory delegate (in addition to the other two). The selection process for these delegates is as follows:”

3. Missionary Advisory Delegates

Amend Standing Rule A.2.e. as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]

“e. There shall be eight missionary advisory delegates who shall be chosen by the Worldwide Ministries Division from persons who are members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and mission personnel assigned by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in another country in which this church is engaged in mission. To the degree possible, the selection shall provide a global geographical representation with no two delegates representing the same country or geographical area and rotating the geographical representation. When the General Assembly meets biennially, the Worldwide Ministries Division shall appoint two additional missionary advisory delegates. The division shall notify the Stated Clerk at the time these persons are named. The expenses to the General Assembly of each missionary advisory delegate shall include transportation only from the point of entry or domicile of the delegate in the United States and return.”

4. Ecumenical Advisory Delegates

Amend Standing Rule A.2.f. as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]

“f. There shall be up to fifteen ecumenical advisory delegates. Ten of these delegates shall be from churches outside of the United States. No more than five shall be from member churches of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. When the General Assembly meets biennially, there shall be twelve ecumenical advisory delegates appointed from churches of the United States, and six appointed from member churches of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches; totaling eighteen ecumenical advisory delegates. Ecumenical advisory delegates shall be selected by the highest ecclesiastical authorities of their churches, in response to the invitation of a previous General Assembly. The assembly shall extend such invitations at the recommendation of the General Assembly Council upon nomination by the Committee on Ecumenical Relations (see Standing Rule E.8.).”

Rationale

The 214th General Assembly (2002) approved biennial meetings starting in 2006. The 215th General Assembly (2003) reaffirmed the biennial meetings as well as approved around a 50 percent increase in both pastor and elder commissioners, moving from 548 commissioners to 816. However, the last General Assembly did not approve any increase in the number of advisory delegates. Advisory delegates include youth, theological students, ecumenical representatives, and missionaries.

By keeping the number of advisory delegates the same in biennial meetings as in annual meetings, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is losing the knowledge gained of potential future leaders of the church that did not have the opportunity to attend General Assembly. Advisory delegates gain tremendous knowledge about the governing bodies of the church. Many times they even learn parliamentarian procedures!

With biennial General Assembly meetings, the total advisory delegates decreased from 39.6 percent to 26.5 percent while pastor and elder commissioners gained 50 percent. But numbers are not the sole consideration. The immense knowledge gained by advisory delegates on how a General Assembly operates is shared with the individual’s local church, presbytery, and synod. If we are truly a connectional church, we need to offer opportunities for our future leaders to be a part of the governing body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

These amendments would allow 2 more missionaries, 10 theological, 3 ecumenical representatives, and an estimated 12 to 20 additional youth advisory delegates to attend the biennial General Assembly.