| What
is the General Assembly Nomination Process? Application
for Nomination Packets are available from every GANC
member, each presbytery and synod office, and from the Louisville
office.
Persons may self-nominate (make application
personally) or be nominated by a session, presbytery, synod,
or by a committee or agency at any church level.
The Nomination form
is to be completed and sent to the Louisville office as directed.
For brevity's sake in this paper, the person whose name is on
the form will be referred to as the "applicant" (as opposed
to "potential nominee").
A. Initiation of the Process
1. When the form is received in Louisville,
it is coded for:
- Synod of origin,
- General Assembly year of receipt,
- GA committee on which nominee wishes to serve,
- Applicant's status (synod/presbytery proposed slot or at-large).
2. Coded information is entered into the
database of nominees.
3. The Louisville office sends a copy of
the Nomination Form to:
- All GANC members,
- the GA committee on which nominee wishes to serve,
- the GA Committee on Representation (GACOR), if nominee is
under 26 years of age, disabled or a person of color.
4. The GANC office sends an Appraisal Form
with cover letter to the nominee's governing body of membership.
The appraisal is sent to the GA Nominations office and a copy
is sent to the GANC member from the applicant's synod. All
GANC members have access to this confidential appraisal materials;
all confidential materials are for the exclusive use of the
GANC and will be reviewed and used in closed session deliberations
and dealt with confidentially. (Note: Each presbytery will
determine its own process for completion of the appraisal
form; sessions will likewise determine their own process.)
5. Each applicant is asked to send an appraisal
form to three references. Those appraisals are returned to
the GA Nominations office; a copy is sent to the GANC member
from the applicant's synod. All GANC members have access to
these appraisal materials; all confidential materials are
for the exclusive use of the GANC and will be reviewed and
used in closed session deliberations and dealt with confidentially.
6. When the GANC has received appraisals
from at least 2 of the 3 referenced persons and the governing
body of membership, any GANC member may present the nominee
for consideration by the entire GANC as committee slates are
filled.
7. The GA Committee on Representation (GACOR)
is notified of entity vacancies. After the GANC takes actions
on persons eligible for renominations, the GACOR is informed
of renomination decisions and will/may provide additional
appropriate advice prior to the GANC Spring meeting.
B. At A GANC Meeting
1. As each entity and its vacancies are
considered by the GANC, the liaison to that entity gives a
report regarding specific skills needed; and, second, any
recommendation from GACOR is read.
2. A GANC member may propose persons from
his/her synod or any other synod, informed by:
- Governing body and personal appraisals,
- an understanding of the skills, expertise and particular
needs as identified by each entity and liaison,
- advice and counsel from the GACOR,
- diversity needs of the particular entity, and entities in
the aggregate.
3. Each proposed nominee's qualifications
are thoroughly discussed, and by elimination vote, a nominee
is selected to fill each vacancy.
4. The GACOR is informed of the full slate
of nominees before the report is submitted, through the Reports
to the General Assembly, to the General Assembly for election.
C. At the General Assembly
1. The GANC report, with process explanations,
is made to the assembly.
2. Nominations may be made from the floor
to replace a specifically named GANC nominee. This is done
according to a completely different and particular process.
D. After the General Assembly
1. The Stated Clerk sends a welcome letter
to all persons elected by the General Assembly.
2. The Stated Clerk sends a letter of appreciation
to all persons who have completed service.
3. Each GANC member sends a courtesy notice
to each eligible nominee in his/her file, regarding the status
of their papers, "unable to nominate", etc., and how much,
if any time remains before they're outdated. (Papers are good
for two Assemblies).
4. Middle governing body personnel are informed
of:
- all persons within their presbytery/synod who were elected
to serve, and the entity of service,
- all persons within their jurisdiction whose nomination papers
remain on file.
5. GANC members are provided with a list
of all persons whose names are in the active file.
Ordinarily about one-fourth of an entity's
membership is chosen each year. Some incumbents may be renominated
for an additional term, some nominations are for those proposed
by synods and presbyteres for designated positions, and that
diversity is a major criterion for selection.
In 2006—2008, 75 of approximately 290
elected were new nominations from a file of approximately 300
nomination forms. |
to the GANC office.
