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The following is not currently an overture
to the General Assembly. The following contains the elements of a proposed Two Synod Structure.
A Two Synod Structure would consist of the two primary wings of the PCUSA, the Auburn Primary Synod (Progressives)
and the Westminster Primary Synod (Evangelicals). Each of these two Primary Synods would consist of an elected Board
of Nine, in addition to the PCUSA General Assembly Stated Clerk and the PCUSA General Assembly Moderator, who
would be permanent voting members, creating a total board membership of 11. The PCUSA General Assembly would have
jurisdication over Missions, Pensions, and other Administrative matters. Each Primary Synod (Auburn and Westminster)
would, independently from the other Primary Synod, determine their own ordination standards, statements of
faith, and educational materials to be used. Each Primary Synod (Westminster and Auburn) would also,
independently from the other Primary Synod, determine their method of church growth, their church planting programs, and
their methods of evangelism.
The Permanent Judicial Commission would be reorganized. Each Primary Synod
would have their own Permanent Judicial Commission at the Presbytery level, the Sub-Synod level, with final authority
residing at the Primary Synod level.
The Permanent Judicial Commission at the General Assembly level
would be replaced with a General Assembly Arbitration Board, which would be an ecclesiastical court of limited jurisdiction.
The General Assembly Arbitration Board would have no jurisdiction to decide cases involving ordination standards, definitions
of marriage, proper statements of faith, etc.. These issues could only be appealed to the highest Permanent Judicial
Commission within the respective Primary Synod (Auburn or Westminster), where the petition was filed.
The
existing Synods would be reorganized into sub-Synods, aligned with their respective Primary Synod, (e.g. either
the Auburn Primary Synod or the Westminster Primary Synod). There would be two Sub-Synods in each
geographic region, each representing their respective Primary Synod (Auburn or Westminster). The two Sub-Synods, which
represent their respective Primary Synod (Westminster or Auburn), would have the same geographical boundaries, so
that the Sub-Synods can work together on various projects, administer camps and retreat sites, etc..
The existing Presbyteries would be split into two, one Auburn, and one Westminster. Each congregation, by
a 60% vote, would choose their Primary Synod (Auburn or Westminster), with which they wish to affliliate. If a congregation's vote
is less than 60%, to affiliate with either Primary Synod, the congregation would default to the Auburn Primary Synod.
"Cross-Over Committees" would be created uniting the Presbyteries located within the same geographic boundaries,
(Presbytery Region). The function of the "Cross-Over Committees" is to maintain a good working relationship
between the Presbyteries of both Primary Synods, within a given Presbytery Region. Prebyteries, of each Primary Synod, with
less than 27 congregations, would be merged with other Presbyteries of the same Primary Synod. The geographic boundaries
of the new Presbytery would be redrawn to include both of the merged Presbyteries. All of the Presbyteries
of the other Primary Synod, in the same geographic region, would be included within those boundaries,
to create a Presbytery Region. "Cross-Over Committees" in the same geographical area (Presbytery Region)
would be formed, and members of both Primary Synods would then perform meaningful work together. The
final result would be that the congregations of both Primary Synods would work closely together,
at the Presbytery Region level, on areas of mutual concern and mission.
The Trust Clause and the Property Clause of the PCUSA Book of Order would remain unaltered. (Note:
There is one recommendation: that the Primary Synod General Councils' (Westminster and Auburn), would each consist of
12 voting members as follows, (3 permanent voting members: the current elected General Assembly Moderator, the current elected General
Assembly Stated Clerk, the current Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council), and the 9 elected members,
who are elected by their respective Primary Synod's commissioners, during their Primary Synod's General Session.
The Moderator and Stated Clerk of the Primary Synod General Council would still be selected from the 9 members elected by
their respective Primary Synod.)
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