G-12.0000
Chapter XII
The Auburn and Westminster Primary
Synods
and their Sub-Synods
G-12.0100 1. General
G-120101
The PCUSA shall consist of a General Assembly
Definition
and Two Primary Synods representing the two primary
theological
schools of thought in the denomination.
The Two Primary Synods shall be: The Westminster
Primary
Synod, which represents more orthodox and
and Biblically based Presbyterians, and the other
Primary Synod shall be The Auburn Primary Synod
which represents more theologically
progressive Presbyterians. The governing bodies
serving and representing each of these two Primary
Synods shall consist of eight Sub-Synods and their
Presbyteries and congregations. The eight
Sub-Synods representing the Presbyterians in the
Westminster Primary Synod and the eight Sub-Synods
representing the Presbyterians in the Auburn Primary
Synod
shall have the same geographical
boundaries. Thus, the Westminster Primary Synod
and the Auburn Primary Synod shall each
have eight Sub-Synods with the same
geographic
boundaries, so as to maximize
cooperation between the governing bodies of the
two Primary Synods. Below each Sub-Synod,
which
is aligned with their respective Primary Synod,
(either the Westminster or the Auburn Primary Synod)
will be their geographically based Presbyteries. The
Presbyteries are made up of the congregations whose
sessions have voted to align themselves with
either
the Auburn Primary Synod or the Westminster
Primary Synod. When a congregation votes to align
themselves with either the Westminster or the Auburn
Primary Synod, they will be enrolled in a Presbytery
aligned with that Primary Synod (either the Auburn
or the Westminster Primary Synod). Thus,
the Presbytery
of membership of each congregation,
shall
be aligned with the same Primary Synod that the
congregation has
selected to be aligned with,
(either
the Westminster or the Auburn Primary
Synod). The Presbytery, in turn, shall be
under the jurisdiction of their geographical
Sub-Synod aligned with their Primary Synod (either
the Westminster or the Auburn Primary Synod),
which covers that geographic area. In the same
manner, the
Sub-Synod, shall be subject to their
Primary
Synod, (either the Westminster or
the
Auburn Primary Synod), that they are
aligned with.
G-12.0102 Each Primary Synod (the Westminster and the
Membership
Auburn Primary Synods) shall hold an
annual general session, of their member
Sub-Synods and Presbyteries. On the dates
that
each of the Primary Synods convene
their own Primary Synod General
Session, the
delegates shall
consist of commissioners that consist of equal
numbers of elders and ministers from each
Presbytery that is aligned with the Primary
Synod
which is convening the General Session
(either the Westminster or the Auburn
Primary Synod). Each Presbytery
shall
elect 7 elders and 7 ministers,
who shall be called commissioners
to their respective Primary Synod's General
Session,
with which they are aligned,
(either the Auburn or the Westminster
Primary
Synod).
These Commissioners will be entitled to
vote on matters brought before their
specific Prmary Synod (Westminster
or Auburn), and be entitled to elect
their Primary Synod's (Westminster
or Auburn) General Council. They
shall also be their Primary Synod's
elected Commissioners sent to their
Primary Synod's geographic Sub-Synod
in
their region.
G-12.0103 The commissioners to each Primary
Election of Synod's General Session, chosen by
each Primary their Presbyteries, and Sessions aligned
Synod's with that Primary Synod (either
General Westminster or Auburn), shall elect
Council nine of their Primary Synod's General
Council's
(Auburn and voting members, one of those nine
Westminster) voting members shall be elected as
the Stated Clerk of their Primary Synod's
General Council, and one of nine voting
members shall be elected Moderator
of their Primary Synod's General
Council.
The elected Stated Clerk
and Moderator of the PCUSA General
Assembly
shall be permanent voting
members of each the Primary Synod's General
Councils, (Both the Westminster and the Auburn
Primary Synod), giving each Primary
Synod,
(the Westminster and
the Auburn Primary Synods), a
General Council of 11 voting
members.
G.12-0104 The General Council of each
of the two
Responsibilities Primary Synods (Westminster and Auburn)
have the responsibility and and power:
a. to set priorities for the work of the church
in keeping with the church's mission under Christ.
b. to develop their overall objectives for mission
and a comprehensive strategy to guide their
churches at every level of its life
c. to provide the essential programs and functions
that are appropriate for overall balance and fairness
within the mission of the church
d. pursuant to these goals, each Primary
Synod
(Westminster and Auburn) shall establish
their own ordination standards, consistant with
the Biblically required duties, theological
conclusions, and responsiblities of those
ordained positions. This must be consistant
with caring for the Body of Christ and
the
propagation of the Good News, and
consistent
with Christ's call for caring
and seeking justice for the poor, the
outcast, and the dispossessed..
e. pursuant to these goals, each Primary
Synod (Westminster and Auburn) shall
determine the educational materials to
be used by their member congregations,
to further the mission of the Church and
to propagate the Gospel.
f. pursuant to these goals, each Primary
Synod (Auburn and Westminster), shall
establish Statements of Faith, to be followed
and
used by their member congregations,
The Statements
of Faith used by each
Primary Synod (Westminster and Auburn)
shall be
based upon the confessions
found in the Book of Confessions.
g. pursuant to these goals, each Primary
Synod shall provide administrative
services
to their member
Sub-Synods,
Presbyteries, and Sessions,
to fulfill its objectives and programs
h. pursuant to these goals, each Primary
Synod shall establish and maintain an
office for their respective Primary Synod,
(Westminster and Auburn)
i. pursuant to these goals each Primary
Synod shall establish and superintend the
agencies
necessary for the work of each
respective Primary Synod. Each Primary
Synod's General Council
(Auburn and Westminster) shall
provide
for the regular review of the
functional relationship between the
respective Primary Synod, its member Sub-Synods,
its member Presbyteries, and its member
congregations.
j. each Primary Synod General Council
is to establish a comprehensive budget,
a copy of which is to be submitted to the General
Assembly
of the PCUSA.
k.pursuant to these goals each Primary
Synod shall provide communication
within their Primary Synod (Westminster
and
Auburn)
l. pursuant to these goals each Primary
Synod shall oversee the work of their
respective Sub-Synods, aligned with
that Primary Synod (Auburn or
Westminster) and facilitate
their participation in the mission
of the church
m. to review the work of their Sub-Synods and
to take care that they observice the Constitution
of the Church and the standards and guidelines
of their Primary Synod (Westminster or Auburn).
n. to approve the organization, division,
uniting
or combining of Presbyteries
within each Primary Synod (Auburn
or Westminster).
o.
Pursuant to these goals each Primary
Synod shall be a voting member along
with the General Assembly, on the
Joint Committee on Presbytery
Boundaries and Regional
Presbytery Boundaries. Each
entity having one vote. The
General
Assembly shall appoint
7
Committee Members, and
each
Primary Synod (Westminster
and
Auburn). shall appoint 7
Committee Members each, to
represent their Primary
Synod on the Joint Committee
on Presbytery and Regional
Presbytery Boundaries. The
Committee members from
each entity:
i. the General Assembly
ii. the Auburn Primary Synod, and
iii. the Westminster Primary Synod,
can cast one single vote per
entity, one vote for the
General Assembly,
one vote for the Westminster
Primary Synod, and one vote
for the Auburn Primary Synod.
Each
entity's votes shall be based
upon a majority vote
of each entity's committee
members.
p. to
serve in judicial matters in accordance with
the rules of Discipline, each Primary Synod
shall select their own Permanent
Judicial
Commission, as the highest court of each
of
their respective Primary Synods
(Westminster or Auburn).
i. to warn or bear witness against error in doctrine
or immorality in practice within their
Primary Synod
ii. to decide controversies brought before it and
to give advice and instruction in cases submitted
to it, in conformity with the constitution.
r. each Primary Synod shall provide
authoritative interpretation of
the Book of Order which shall only be binding
on their respective Primary Synod (Auburn
or Westminster), or through a
decision of the their Primary Synod's
Permanent Judicial Commission in a
remedial or disciplinary case. The
Primary
Synod's (Auburn or Westminster)
most recent interpretation of a provision
of
the Book or Order shall be binding.
s. to establish and maintain those ecumenical
relationships that will enlarge the life and mission
of each Primary Synod
t. to correspond with other churches
u. to engage in churchwide planning, to propose for
their Primary
Synod's determination, the mission direction,
goals, objectives, and priorities of their respective
Primary Synod
(Westminster or Auburn);
v.
to coordinate and review the work of
each Primary Synod's agencies and bodies
in
light of their Primary Synod's
mission
directions, goals objectives,
and
priorities;
w.
to prepare and submit a comprehensive budget
for
their Primary Synod (Westminster and
Aubrun) to be submitted for approval by
their
respective Primary Synod's General
Session.
x. to correspond with presbyteries, and Sub-Synods
within each respective Primary Synod
(Auburn or Westminster), and their councils
and committees in matters related to their
respective Primary Synod's, Synod-wide planning,
budget
development and the coordination of the
work of the Primary Synod;
y. to act, in matters of administrative staff, with
Sub-Synod councils and agencies aligned with
the
respective Primary Synod (Westminster
or Auburn)
z. to consult with Sub-Synods with regard to
to
equitable compensation, personnel
policies,
and fair employment practices;
G-12.0105 A
quorum of each Primary Synod's General Session
Quorum
shall be one hundred commissioners, fifty of whom
shall be elders and fifty of whom shall be ministers,
representing Presbyteries of at least one half of
the respective Primary Synod's, Sub-Synods
G-12.0106 Each
Primary Synod shall keep a full and
Records
accurate record of its proceedings
G-12.0107 All
questions requiring an interpretation by the
Questions
Primary Synod's General Council of the Book of Order
120 days Prior arising
from governing bodies of that respective Primary
to Primary
Synod, or from individuals shall be communicated
Synod
in writing to the Stated Clerk of that respective
General Primary Synod
no later than 120 days prior to
Session the
convening of the next respective Primary
Pending before Synod's General Session,
(Auburn or Westminster)
Judicial
The Stated Clerk of each respective Primary Synod
Commissions
(Westminster or Auburn) shall refer all such questions
of interpretation to the Advisory Committee on the
constitution, of that respective Primary Synod (Auburn or
Westminster), except those pertaining to matters
pending
before the Primary Synod's
Permanent Judicial Commission. The Advisory
Committee shall report its findings to their Primary
Synod (Westminster or Auburn) along
with recommendations. Constitutional proposals,
OTHER
THAN: Ordination Standards, Statements
of Faith, Marriage Requirements,
Educational Materials used,
evangelism
methods used, the Primary
Synod
structure and alignment of
congregations, Presbyteries, and
Sub-Synods within their Primary Synod
(Westminster or Auburn), may be
submitted
by the Primary Synod
(Auburn or Westminster), to
the
PCUSA General Assembly for
consideration.
At the Synod's At least nine members of the Advisory
Committee
General Session on the Constitution, appointed by the moderator of
of
that respective Primary Synod, shall be
present
at the general session of their
Primary Synod.
All items introduced and
new business that touch upon constitutional matters,
including requesting rulings by the moderator on
questions of order involving constitutional matters,
shall be referred in writing to these persons. They
shall act as the full committee and shall consider each
matter referred to them and make recommendations
directly to the Primary Synod's General Session
through the moderator.
G-12.0108 PCUSA Seminaries and Colleges
wishing to affiliate
PCUSA and
partner with one of the two Primary Synods
Seminary
(Westminster or Auburn), may do so, providing
and
that they affiliate with a PCUSA seminary or
Colleges
college that has affiliated and partnered with
affiliated the
other Primary Synod (Westminster or Auburn).
with one Affilation
with a PCUSA seminary or college
of the of
the other Primary Synod consists of exchaning
Primary faculty
for one week of each year , such that
Synods
the students are given an overview of the
(Auburn or
stands and theological positions of the other
Westminster) Primary
Synod (Westminster or Auburn)
G-12.0109 The General Council of each
of the two Primary Synods
Church (Auburn
and Westminster) shall develop a
Planting
comprehensive plan of new church planting
in conjunction with their Sub-Synods and
Presbyteries, aligned with their Primary
Synod, (Auburn or Westminster).
G-12.0110
If a church congregation, whose denomination is in
Church
full communion with the PCUSA, wishes to transfer
Transfers
their affiliation to the PCUSA and to a specific
Primary Synod within the PCUSA, (Auburn or
Westminster), they can only do so with approval
of the denomination from which they are departing,
and approval of the receiving Primary Synod
(Westminster or Auburn), and a payment of at least
20% of the fair market value of their property that
they are taking from their former denomination,
payable
to the denomination that they are departing.
G-12.0111 Each Primary
Synod's General Council shall develop, in
Manual of consultation
with their Sub-Synods, a manual of
Operations
operations that shall include design for administrative
staff
and provisions for size, and for specific
representation of Sub-Synod council membership
that provides for inclusiveness and fairness.
