Amendment H is a rewrite of the entire chapter G-14 of the Book of Order (“Ordination, Certification, and Commissioning” ), which is accompanied by related changes in other parts of the Book of Order. The stated intent is to make G-14 shorter by eliminating procedural details. Instead, procedures will be determined by each presbytery (which may use “advisory handbooks” which will be prepared by General Assembly entities in consultation with the Office of the General Assembly and middle governing bodies).
The concept of a less detailed Book of Order is a popular one. However, in this particular case, the proposal also 1) allows for temporary pastoral relationships to be made permanent, 2) makes significant changes in the status of Certified Christian Educators, 3) moves the “constitutional questions” (“ordination vows”) to the Directory for Worship and requires them for persons who are not necessarily officers, and 4) also opens the door to other significant changes in ordination. The proposed revision should therefore be defeated.
1) The proposed amendment allows any minister serving a church in a temporary pastoral relationship to serve that church in a permanent relationship with the approval by 2/3 of the presbytery. The Association of Stated Clerks writes, “The proposed amendment would permit any minister serving a church in a temporary pastoral relationship (Interim pastor, or associate pastor, organizing pastor, stated supply, or temporary supply) to serve that church in a permanent or designated pastoral relationship with approval by a two-thirds vote of the presbytery…. The amendment also makes the designation of temporary pastoral classifications discretionary on the part of the presbyteries.”
2) Proposed G-14.0704c will give Certified Christian Educators voice and vote (vote only if they are elders) in presbytery. Currently they do not have vote in presbytery. The proposed wording does not even require that these elders have to be employed as a Certified Christian Educator in the presbytery to have a vote there. Our polity specifies (G-11.0101) that a presbytery consists of all the churches and Ministers of the Word and Sacrament within a certain district and that when a presbytery meets, each church shall be represented by one or more elders commissioned by the session.
Giving a vote to elders because they are Certified Christian Educators impacts the number of elders who can be commissioned by their sessions to vote in presbytery through redress of imbalance.
Giving vote to Certified Christian Educator elders also departs from the concept that a presbytery consists of churches (with representatives chosen by their sessions) and Ministers. To give vote in presbytery to these particular elders solely because of the training and certification they have received is not appropriate.
3) “Constitutional questions” (“ordination vows”) for officers will be moved out of the Form of Government G-14 and into the Directory for Worship (proposed W-4.4003) The ordination vows define crucial requirements for ordained office, and affirmative answers to the constitutional questions are mandatory for ordination and installation of Deacons, Elders, and Ministers. Having these questions in the Form of Government (where they are now) emphasizes the role of these questions as defining requirements for ordination and ministry, and makes them an appropriate focus for one contemplating or preparing for ordained office. Moving the questions to the Directory for Worship makes the ordination vows appear to simply function as liturgy in a special worship service. Even though all three sections of the Book of Order are part of our constitution and the questions remain mandatory in this draft, the Form of Government, Directory for Worship, and Rules of Discipline have different roles, and where items are placed does impact how they are understood and interpreted. Constitutional questions for officers belong in G-14.
4) Proposed W-4.4003 gives broader application of “constitutional questions” (“ordination vows”) as “Constitutional Questions to Officers and Commissioned Persons”. Currently affirmative answers to the constitutional questions (“ordination vows”) are required only for officers: Deacons, Elders, and Ministers of the Word and Sacrament. (They also are now required for Commissioned Lay Pastors, but by definition these persons must already be Elders.) The rewrite will mandate the “constitutional questions” for the ceremony recognizing and commissioning someone a Certified Christian Educator (whether or not that person is an elder). Certified Christian Educators don’t have to be elders, so this is the first case in which the “ordination vows” are required by the Book of Order for someone who is not an officer. This begins a blurring of the distinctions between “officer” vs. “non-officer” and between ordination to a lifelong office in the church vs. recognizing someone’s particular accomplishments in meeting requirements for receiving certification as an educator. It is appropriate to recognize those accomplishments, but the ceremony should not appear to be the same as ordination to a lifelong office.
5) Content of ordination exams could be changed without consent of the presbyteries. Currently the Form of Government (G-14.0310d) specifies the content of each ordination exam. The proposed change will leave only the titles of the exams listed in the Form of Government (proposed G-14.0305), thus making it possible to change the content of the exams without the approval of presbyteries.
6) This is not the time to adopt sweeping changes of unknown significance to the Ordination chapter of the Book of Order. Any time wording is changed, the meaning changes (whether intended or not) and potential interpretation by church courts can change. The current chapter G-14 has been amended a number of times and is cumbersome reading in some sections. Nonetheless, the chapter is functional and familiar. Improved clarity and conciseness of some paragraphs is not worth the cost of opening the door to new interpretations of ordination requirements and confusion about the ordination process during this time in which ordination standards are being repeatedly challenged in our church.
This article first appeared in Theology Matters, Vol. 7, No. 6 (Nov/Dec 2001).
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