To the Venerable the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia
in the State of New South Wales:
Whereas
(1) It is necessary to the good order of the denomination that a body, independent of the pressures of parish and presbytery, be empowered to negotiate, mediate and arbitrate pastoral conflicts.
(2) It is necesary for the protection of the reputation of the church that such a body should be seen to be functioning objectively, independently, in the best interests of all parties and for the greater glory of God.
(3) At present these duties are given to a select Commission of this Assembly against whose decisions there is no effective appeal, The 1997 General Assembly of Australia having ruled that such matters are governmental and pertain only to the respective state assemblies.
(4) The decisions of the Pastoral Relations Commission, as at present constituted, have involved the deposition of clergy and their public rebuke under circumstances which render the church at large liable to damages at civil law.
(5) Clergy who have actually committed immorality or contempt are given the benefit of the procedures of the Discipline Code of the General Assembly of Australia before final judgement is made. But clergy disciplined by the Pastoral Relations Commission for trivial matters which would not be sustained in a legitimate Discipline Procedure, are not allowed to be represented or assisted, and have no rights apart from petition to the General Assembly after a fait accompli.
(6) The Pastoral Relations Commission has as one of its members on each case a representative of the Presbytery within whose bounds the dispute exists. This presbytery representative is usually a party to the dispute at some level, and has often been a direct antagonist, thus endangering the objectivity and credibility of the Pastoral Relations Commission.
(7) Because of the relatively small size and close-knit nature of the denomination, there is always a possibility that any member of the Pastoral Relations Commission could have a vested, personal or undisclosed interest in the outcome of a particular case.
Now therefore, we the undersigned, humbly overture the General Assembly to take these premises into consideration and to
(1) Thank and discharge the Pastoral Relations Commission
(2) Constitute a Pastoral Relations Special Committee
(a) with a membership consisting in two ministers and two elders including a convenor, elected annually by the Assembly.
(b) the committee may exercise power to co-opt in consideration of any particular case provided that the principles of objectivity and fair dealing are not infringed.
(c) individual members of the committee may exempt themselves from consideration of any particular case in order to preserve the integrity of the committee's deliberations.
(d) The Committee shall exercise the following functions:
I. Respond to the invitation of any minister, session or presbytery under the jurisdiction of the Assembly, to mediate or adjudicate in conflicts within the church.
II. To report and make recommendations to ministers, sessions and presbyteries under the jurisdiction of the Assembly.
III. To facilitate the translation of any minister who may desire a change of parish and liase with Ministry and Mission Committee where necessary.
IV. To accept donations for its work from presbyteries involved, or otherwise claim expenses incurred in the operation of the Commission from the Assembly Fund.
Or do otherwise as the Assembly in its wisdom may see fit.
Overture
To the Venerable the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia in the State of New South Wales:
Whereas 1. Persons may hold seats in Presbyteries by virtue of office, being paid servants of the Assembly (Code 5.04(d)
2. These two categories of duties potentially bring them into conflict of interest. For example:
(c) Church functionaries adjudicating on the allocations of church funds while having a vested interest in their own administrative structures
.(d) Paid positions being created to employ ejected ministers rather than directing them into productive parochial ministry.
(b) Theological Hall staff adjudicating on candidates for the ministry apart from their teaching duties.
(a) The Ministry and Mission Superintendent dealing with parishes and exit students within his home presbytery.
3. It is inexpedient that a paid employee should be a member of the body which is charged with reviewing his performance, terms and conditions.
4. Such functionaries are servants of the whole church and ought not to be obligated to serve their residential presbytery more than any other.
5. The aforesaid principle is already acknowledged in the case of the General Secretary.
6. A minister or elder in such circumstances may still have "privileges equivalent" to an associate (Code 5.6) extended to them.
7. A paid full-time official of the Assembly with time to serve and attend to a particular presbytery exclusively is either over-worked or in need of having their job description reduced to a part-time appointment.
Now therefore, we the undersigned, humbly overture the General Assembly to takethese premises into consideration and to
Delete Code 5.04(d) and make complimentary adjustments elsewhere in the Code.
;Add a new Code 5.04(d)
"Full-time Chaplains whose work is based within the bounds of the Presbytery and missionaries commissioned by the presbytery who are not holding an equivalent position in the church where they are serving or who are serving in an overseas church not in direct fellowship with this denomination."
