Overture 38
On Maintenance and Reporting for Session Membership
Rolls and Registers—From the Presbytery of San Gabriel.
The Presbytery of San Gabriel overtures the
217th General Assembly (2006) to instruct the Stated Clerk to
develop a process that will consider the feasibility of and
standards for the alternate maintenance and reporting by a session
of its membership rolls and registers.
Rationale
1. Current Situation
The Book of Order (G-10.0302) stipulates and narrowly
defines how a local church is to maintain its rolls and registers
of members. It is recognized, in our Reformed tradition, that
keeping accurate records of our congregations
is vitally important to preserve the peace, unity, and purity
of the church. However, these record-keeping activities are
tedious and time consuming because they are done manually. This
is especially true for large and growing congregations, where
they result in wasting the time and talent of our human resources.
2. Keeping Up with the Latest Available Information
Technology
It is well known that the information age
has made it possible to free up (human) resources formerly used
for manual bookkeeping and records administration. Freeing up
resources for congregations that choose alternate reporting
standards will enable a congregation to utilize its personnel,
both paid and unpaid, in many circumstances, for other ministry
activities and efforts. Moreover, it will help eliminate the
practice of maintaining two sets of books, a practice that is
very questionable in our society where the highest standards
of record keeping are expected.
This will also be more welcoming to those
who are technologically savvy and will help us avoid the appearance
of irrelevancy.
3. Possible Benefits
Allowing our sessions to take advantage of
the latest computer technologies in maintaining its membership
rolls and registers will require a review and reevaluation of
what is currently stipulated under G-10.0302 covering “Rolls
and Registers” and it is not unreasonable to expect the
following benefits:
- An improved storage and safety feature
for congregation’s records, including safe storage at
more than one site so that in a catastrophic event, such as
a fire or a flood, that information is not lost.
- A time/talent ecology factor that enables
us to use all our resources more wisely thereby providing
our denomination with more timely, instant, and specific membership,
attendance, and giving statistics. This additional possibility
would allow us to identify trends and regionally unique conditions
far sooner and more effectively in planning our ministry efforts
for the Lord’s Kingdom.
This overture was approved by the Presbytery
of San Gabriel at its January 10, 2006, stated presbytery meeting.
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