Overture 77

On Limiting Staff Participation in Elected Bodies—From the Presbytery of San Joaquin.

The Presbytery of San Joaquin respectfully overtures the 217th General Assembly (2006) to direct that at all meetings of the PC(USA) elected bodies related to the General Assembly Council, staff, liaisons and other resource persons shall be clearly identified by nametags that include their title and shall be seated separately from but in proximity to the elected committee so that they can be called upon for comment at the committee’s discretion, but they shall not enter freely into the deliberations of the elected body. In addition, the number of staff, liaisons from other bodies, and other resource persons present at meetings of such General Assembly entities shall not exceed 25 percent of the elected membership of the entity present at the meeting.

Our form of government is based on a representative process of elected leadership carefully balanced to include women and men, clergy and lay persons, as well as a number of other considerations (Book of Order, G-9.0104; G-4.0403). The objective is to hear from a wide spectrum of voices in the deliberative processes of the church.

Staff are invited or assigned to meetings of elected bodies in order to provide resources and information that may be critical to the effective work of the body. This is appropriately conveyed to the committee in written reports distributed well in advance of the meeting. Only minimal numbers of staff should need to be present at the meeting to answer questions from elected members. Larger numbers of staff can have undue influence over the outcomes of the meetings and interfere with proper functioning of the committees; in addition to increasing the cost of a meeting.

Currently, staff, liaisons, and other resource persons often equal or exceed the number of elected members at meetings of General Assembly Council committees and other General Assembly entities and enter freely into deliberations. Staff, liaisons, and other resource persons sometimes sit at the table with elected committee members, blurring the distinctions between the proper roles of the persons present.

Clear and reasonable limitations on staff participation in meetings of elected bodies are necessary to assure that it is the elected representatives who are making the decisions charged to the committee on which they serve.