SYNOD SENDS OVERTURES TO 224TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

BY NANCY TALBOT, STATED CLERK

 

The Synod has sent two overtures to General Assembly for consideration at its June meeting.   The first, On Amending G-2.0301 to Allow Congregations to Elect Members as Ruling Elders for Service to the Larger Church, would enable many people who are currently shut out of being able to serve on session the ability to still become a ruling elder for specific service.  This would include clergy spouses; church members who are employees; young adults at college who are geographically closer to their presbytery or synod than they are to their local church; leaders of new worshipping communities or immigrant fellowships; mission workers; or a person elected to serve as a clerk of session when the session has no vacancies.  This idea is not new.  The 204th General Assembly (1992) encouraged a study of a number of reforms to ordained service.  The report that was issued included this idea.   

The Synod Mission and Ministries Commission is committed to bringing this overture forward again to General Assembly because they believe that in the 21st century the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) needs to find ways to include people at the decision tables who have historically been left out. A synod discernment group spent significant time reviewing concerns of GA committees and delegates of the last two General Assemblies and have addressed them in this newly written overture.  This group includes: Elder Samantha Brewer, Synod Mission and Ministries Commission Representative from Albany; Rev. Jeremy Campbell, Stated Clerk for Elizabeth and Newton Presbyteries; Elder Crystal Garcia, Synod Mission and Ministries Commission Representative from Monmouth Presbytery; Elder Warren McNeill, Stated Clerk for New York and Newark presbyteries; Rev. Jeanne Radak, Presbytery Leader of Newton; Rev. Amir Tawadrous, Synod COR member and member of Western New York Presbytery; Rev. Carl Wilton, Pastor, former stated clerk and author of this overture; and Nancy Talbot, Synod Stated Clerk.  You will find a lot of information in the rationale that may be helpful in understanding why this overture is so important.  

Although there is no requirement for a synod to have concurrence on an overture, we hope that many presbyteries within this synod and beyond will endorse this overture by concurring.  Obviously, more concurrences will show greater support for this idea. 

The second overture, On Establishing a General Assembly Administrative Commission on Mid-Councils, will provide a mechanism for the General Assembly to approve mid-council business between its meetings in 2020 and 2022.  This is particularly important to New Jersey presbyteries that are considering the possibility of creating four presbyteries where there are now seven.  We know that there are other presbyteries also considering a variety of changes.  Rather than having to wait until the 225th General Assembly in 2022, this overture would enable these changes to be brought to a GA commission for approval at any time that the work has been completed.