Voting by presbyteries remains close on proposed amendments to change Chapter XIV of the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — an indication that what some consider to be a flexible streamlining of the rules, others are finding problematic.
Overall, the Chapter 14 revisions being proposed are intended to reword and simplify the document (the revised version is about one-fourth shorter than the current chapter) and to give presbyteries more flexibility in calling pastors.
But clearly Presbyterians have differing views on the wisdom of the proposal.
So far, the closest voting involves Amendment 06-A.1 — the proposed new version of Chapter 14 — (75 in favor and 71 against) and also Amendment 06-B.2 (70 in favor and 75 against), which would add a provision for licensing a candidate for ministry of Word and Sacrament who had not yet passed the standardized ordination examinations.
The revision would allow such a candidate to serve an internship with a license that would allow that candidate to preach and to administer the sacraments on a limited basis. Some say that would give small churches having difficulty hiring a full-time pastor someone to preach regularly, and would provide that candidate valuable training.
But others say the PC(USA) should not change the rules to create another level of ministry, and perhaps to allow someone who’s having trouble passing the ordination exams to practice ministry without completing them.
While the voting is tight on those measures, some other pieces of the proposal do not seem particularly controversial — for example, allowing commissioned lay pastors to have access to a presbytery’s Committee on Ministry.
The Office of the General Assembly is tracking the voting on the proposed Chapter 14 amendment and related issues. For the latest totals, check its Web site: https://www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/vote.htm. The Outlook also published an analysis https://www.pres-outlook.org/tabid/1272/Article/3731/Default.aspx of proposed constitutional amendments in January 2007 (Outlook issue 189-01 dated January 1/8.)
