As a church that is reformed, and is always being reformed according to Word of God and the call of the Spirit (G-2.0200; 18.0101), Presbyterians pray and work to make standards of government, worship, and polity more consistent with the will of God in Jesus Christ.
Changing Theological, Ethical, or Political Policies
Another equally important area of reform in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is through the presentation of overtures designed to change the official position of the church in the areas of theology, ethics, or political stance in order to introduce new policies that can have a wide ranging impact on Presbyterian churches throughout the nation and ecumenical partners and interfaith bodies worldwide.
In 2004, for example, the listing of only a few overtures and the response of the General Assembly (GA) to them demonstrates how variable the concerns for change can be in the church.
– On calling for an end of abortion–disapproved
– Expressing the desire that the Patriot Act be repealed– disapproved
– Supporting the Geneva Accord. Urging Palestine and Israel to Implement– approved
– Urging peace in Colombia– approved with amendment.
(For full details about these actions see the 2004 GA Minutes, Part I, Journal.)
Over the years, Presbyterians have taken strong stands on issues involving the Vietnam War, segregation, apartheid, reduction of nuclear weapons, and eco-justice and members may be proud that national and international debates and actions have been influenced in powerful ways by the votes and actions of our denomination.
In the October 3, 2005 issue of The Presbyterian Outlook, the question “How Do We Change the Book of Order?“ was answered by reviewing steps and deadlines that must be followed to change our constitution. As a church that is reformed, and is always being reformed according to Word of God and the call of the Spirit (G-2.0200; 18.0101), Presbyterians pray and work to make standards of government, worship, and polity more consistent with the will of God in Jesus Christ.
Changing Theological, Ethical, or Political Policies
Another equally important area of reform in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is through the presentation of overtures designed to change the official position of the church in the areas of theology, ethics, or political stance in order to introduce new policies that can have a wide ranging impact on Presbyterian churches throughout the nation and ecumenical partners and interfaith bodies worldwide.
In 2004, for example, the listing of only a few overtures and the response of the General Assembly (GA) to them demonstrates how variable the concerns for change can be in the church.
– On calling for an end of abortion–disapproved
– Expressing the desire that the Patriot Act be repealed– disapproved
– Supporting the Geneva Accord. Urging Palestine and Israel to Implement– approved
– Urging peace in Colombia– approved with amendment.
(For full details about these actions see the 2004 GA Minutes, Part I, Journal.)
Over the years, Presbyterians have taken strong stands on issues involving the Vietnam War, segregation, apartheid, reduction of nuclear weapons, and eco-justice and members may be proud that national and international debates and actions have been influenced in powerful ways by the votes and actions of our denomination.
The Process for the Session
Although the process of submitting an overture may seem somewhat complex and time consuming at first, information about the correct steps to take are easy to follow and there still is enough time to implement them prior to the next meeting of the GA in Birmingham, June 15-22, 2006. It can start wherever a member of the church has a deep concern and has the ability to encourage or lead the session, presbytery, or synod to act. Commissioners Resolutions may also be submitted by commissioners to the Assembly itself.
How is it done? The process is clearly outlined in “The Manual of the GA”, Standing Rules B.5.C. and is summarized online 1, “How to Submit an Overture”. The duties and organization of the GA is described in G-13.000 in the Book of Order.
One session in Virginia that wanted to submit an overture concerning the issue of divestment found the following steps to be crucial.
1. Start out with a resolution in your church and get a sense of the session. Make sure that the rationale is clear and represents the majority point of view. Look at other examples in the 2004 GA Minutes, Part I, Journal (most congregations have a copy) to see how overtures are normally written. Determine whether or not a similar resolution has been previously proposed.
2. After the overture is approved by your session circulate it to other congregations that might want to join you. Having the support of several sessions increases its credibility.
3. Consult with the stated clerk of your presbytery to make sure that the language is legally viable and acceptable in terms of Presbyterian polity.
4. Send it to your presbytery with ample time to get in on the next docket. Ask the appropriate committee of presbytery, the stated clerk, and the executive presbyter to provide feedback. One presbytery, for example, requires that overtures be reviewed by an administrative committee that meets 30 days prior to the next stated meeting. To be docketed it must be in the stated clerk’s office seven days before the administrative committee meeting. Occasionally it is possible that a commissioner’s resolution presented on the floor may be approved by presbytery.
5. Find a member of your session who is willing to speak to the overture before the presbytery (possibly your elected commissioner), someone who is articulate, forceful, and can make a reasonable and convincing presentation.
6. After it is approved by presbytery (perhaps with amendments or changes), work with the officers to help find someone who is able to attend the GA meeting to present it to appropriate committees and the Assembly itself.
When an overture has been passed by the presbytery, the stated clerk has a number of other steps to take to insure that the overture will be considered: making sure that a similar overture has not been passed in earlier years; consulting with the office of the GA to determine whether or not the same concept or action was voted on by the previous Assembly; asking whether any other presbytery or synod has already proposed a similar action (in such a case you may be asked to concur with one submitted). Your stated clerk also needs to be sure to consult with GA entities (committees) whose work or budget might be affected by the overture.
Deadlines
The deadlines for submission of overtures to change a theological, ethical, or political position in the PC(USA), not amendments to the Book of Order itself, must reach the Office of the GA 60 days 2 in advance of the meeting of the next Assembly if it has financial implications; 45 days for all other overtures.
In regard to the 2006 meeting of the GA in June the following deadlines apply:
60 days – April 17, 2006
45 days – May 1, 2006
30 days – May 16, 2006
If they are missed, overtures will not be considered until the next meeting of the biennial Assembly in 2008.
When an overture finally reaches the floor of the GA it must remembered that it is open to amendment; language and concepts may be changed by committees considering it, and the GA itself must approve it with wording it finally makes its own. At this point it no longer belongs to one commissioner, session, presbytery, or synod, but through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to the whole church.3
[1]https://www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/publications/submitovt.html .
[2]To 502-569-8642 (fax), or Kay Moore, Office of the General Assembly, 100 Witherspoon Street, Room 4415, Louisville, KY 40202.
[3]Thanks are expressed to Chandlee S. Gill, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Albany and Mark Tammen, Director, Department of Constitutional Services, Louisville, for their suggestions and corrections.
EARL S. JOHNSON JR. is the pastor of First Church, Johnstown, N.Y. and adjunct professor of religious studies at Siena College.
