Overture 04-42. On Amending G-9.0503 Regarding Recognizing Leaders of Immigrant Fellowships as Elders—From the Presbytery of Des Moines.

The Presbytery of Des Moines overtures the 216th General Assembly (2004) to direct the Stated Clerk to send the following proposed amendment to the presbyteries for their affirmative or negative votes:

Shall G-9.0503a(2) be amended by adding a new paragraph“(b)” to read as follows:

“(b) For immigrant fellowships with roots in the Reformed tradition, if the presbytery determines (1) that its strategy for mission with that constituency requires it and (2) that the chosen lay leadership of the immigrant fellowship is equivalent to elders and session, then the presbytery or its administrative commission may recognize that status as equivalent and proceed to ordain those leaders as elders. In making this determination the presbytery shall be guided by written criteria developed by the presbytery. These criteria shall be based upon the description of the nature of ordained office found in G-6.0100 and G-6.0300.”

Rationale

The Presbytery of Des Moines and the Presbytery of Missouri River Valley, in partnership with the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and the General Assembly, have jointly shared in a ministry to Sudanese immigrants for five years.

The Presbytery of Des Moines and the Presbytery of Missouri River Valley both support the General Assembly’s strategy for racial ethnic evangelism.

The Sudanese members of the new immigrant fellowships that have been formed have a long history of being Presbyterian.

The Sudanese fellowships and the presbyteries both desire fuller inclusion of the fellowships in the life of their respective presbyteries, but have been impeded by the current requirement for forming congregations and ordaining elders.

Section G-11.0404f grants special circumstances for recognizing the ordination of and enrolling new immigrant ministers.

The 170th General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (1958, 445) declared that ruling elders from Reformed churches, received as members of Presbyterian congregations, did not need to be reordained.

Concurrences to Overture 04-42 from the Presbyteries of Missouri River and Santa Fe.