Overture 04-37. On Amending D-10.0202h to Allow Dissemination of Findings—From the Presbytery of North Puget Sound.

The Presbytery of North Puget Sound overtures the 216th General Assembly (2004) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to direct the Stated Clerk to send the following proposed amendment to the presbyteries for their affirmative or negative votes:

Shall D-10.0202h be amended to read as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]

“h. report to the governing body having jurisdiction over the accused only whether or not it will file charges; and if it will file no charges, the stated clerk shall disseminate its findings as the investigating committee may direct; and”

Rationale

Sometimes when there is a written statement of alleged offense and it is referred to an investigating committee, the situation becomes painfully obvious to a congregation and session. If there are allegations against a pastor, and the investigating committee decides that no charges will be filed, there may be a cloud over the accused. Currently, the investigating committee is prevented from disseminating any information about its investigation, allowing that cloud to remain. This overture would grant similar powers of information dissemination to that of a judicial commission, so that if the investigating committee deems it is in the best interest of the church, the accused, the accuser, or the respective governing body, it can instruct the stated clerk to disseminate its findings as it sees fit.