Overture Proposal: On Clarifying Titles to Ordered Ministry The Presbytery of Great Rivers respectfully overtures the 222th General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to direct the Stated Clerk to send the following proposed amendments to the presbyteries for their affirmative or negative votes: 1. Amend F-3.0202 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strikethrough; This church shall be governed by presbyters, that is, ruling elders and teaching elders (also called Ministers of the Word and Sacrament). Ruling Elders are so named not because they lord it over the congregation (Matt. 20:25), but because they are chosen by the congregation to discern and guide in its fidelity to the Word of God, and to strengthen and nurture its faith and life. Ministers of the Word and Sacrament teaching elders shall be committed in all their work to teaching the faith in word and in deed and equipping the people of God for their ministry and witness. 2. Amend G-2.0301 follows: Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; G-2.0102 Ordered Ministries The Church s ordered ministries described in the New Testament and maintained by this church are deacons a and presbyters (teaching elders b and ruling elders c ). Ordered ministries are gifts to the church to order its life so that the ministry of the whole people of God may flourish. The existence of these ordered ministries in no way diminishes the importance of the commitment of all members to the total ministry of the church. The government of this church is representative d, and the right of God s people to elect presbyters and deacons is inalienable. Therefore, no person can be placed in any ordered ministry in a congregation or council of the church except by election of that body. Ordination to the ministry of teaching elder, ruling elder, or deacon, ruling elder, or minister of Word and Sacrament (also called teaching elder) is unique to that order of ministry. 1
3. Amend G-2.0301 follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strikethrough; Ruling Elder Defined As there were in Old Testament times elders for the government of the people, so the New Testament church provided persons with particular gifts to share in discernment of God s Spirit and governance of God s people. Accordingly, congregations should elect persons of wisdom and maturity of faith, having demonstrated skills in leadership and being compassionate in spirit. Ruling elders are so named not because they lord it over the congregation (Matt. 20:25), but because they are chosen by the congregation to discern and measure its fidelity to the Word of God, and to strengthen and nurture its faith and life. Ruling elders, together teaching elders with ministers of the Word and Sacrament, exercise leadership, government, spiritual discernment, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of a congregation as well as the whole church, including ecumenical relationships. When elected by the congregation, they shall serve faithfully as members of the session. When elected as commissioners to higher councils, ruling elders participate and vote with the same authority as teaching elders ministers of the Word and Sacrament, and they are eligible for any office. 4. Amend G-2.05 and G-2.0501 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; G-2.05 Teaching Elders Minister of the Word and Sacrament: The Ministry of the Word and Sacrament Teaching and Pastoral Care G-2.0501 Teaching Elder Ministers of the Word and Sacrament Defined Teaching elders (also called ministers of the Word and Sacrament) Ministers of the Word and Sacrament (also called teaching elders and pastors) shall in all things be committed to teaching the faith in word and deed and equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12). They may serve in a variety of ministries as authorized by the presbytery. When they serve as preachers and teachers of the Word, they shall preach and teach the faith of the church, so that the people are shaped by the pattern of the gospel and strengthened for witness and service. When they serve at font and table, they shall interpret and show forth the mysteries of grace and lift in word and action, lifting the people s vision toward the hope of God s new creation. When they serve as pastors they shall support the people in the disciplines of the faith amid the struggles of daily life. When they serve as presbyters, they shall participate in the responsibilities of governance, seeking always to discern the mind of Christ and to build up Christ s body through devotion, debate, and decision. 2
5. Amend G-2.0701 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; G-2.07 ORDINATION G-2.0701 Ordination Ordination to the ordered ministry teaching elder of Minister of Word and Sacrament is an act of the whole church carried out by the presbytery, setting apart a person to ordered ministry. Such a person shall have fulfilled the ordination requirements of the presbytery of care and received the call of God to service to a congregation or other work in the mission of the church that is acceptable to the candidate and to the presbytery of call. 6. Amend G-3.0307 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; G-3.0307 Pastor, Counselor, and Advisor to its Teaching Elders Pastors and Congregations Presbyteries shall be open at all times to communication regarding the life and ministry of their congregations. Each presbytery shall develop and maintain mechanisms and processes to serve as pastor and counselor to teaching elders its pastors, both ministers of Word and Sacrament and ruling elders commissioned to pastoral service (also called commissioned lay pastors), as well as the and certified Christian educators of the presbytery; to facilitate the relations between the presbytery and its congregations, teaching elders, ruling elders commissioned to pastoral service, pastors, and certified Christian educators; and to settle difficulties on behalf of the presbytery where possible and expedient. 7. That within the Directory for Worship and The Rules of Discipline the terms the tiles ruling elder commissioned to particular pastoral service or ruling elder commissioned to pastoral service and teaching elder shall be replaced with its former terms Commissioned Lay Pastor or minister or Minister of Word and Sacrament, respectively. 3
8. Amend W-4.4001 as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; W-4.4001 Ordination and Installation Ordination, Installation, and Commissioning a. In ordination the church sets apart with prayer and the laying on of hands those who have been called through election by the church to serve as deacons, ruling elders, and teaching elders. (W-2.1005) In installation the church sets apart with prayer those previously ordained as deacons, ruling elders, and teaching elders ministers of Word and Sacrament (also called teaching elders) (also called ministers of Word and Sacrament), and called anew to service in that ministry. Rationale: In 2012, the PC(USA) adopted a new form of government. Among its many changes designed to help clarify our polity were changes in the titles of ordered ministry: Elder was changed to Ruling Elder, Minister of Word and Sacrament was changed to Teaching Elder, and Commissioned Lay Pastor was changed to Commissioned Ruling Elder. Yet this change has been met by some with resistance, others with confusion, and by many through simply ignoring the changes. In 2012, the Presbytery of Santa Fe with concurrence of the Presbytery of Newton sought to change this language back in its entirety. In response to this overture, the ACC (Advisory Committee on the Constitution) highlighted the historical connection for new terminology as well as desire that the new term might minimize clericalism: The Form of Government as adopted by the church in 2011 understands that the basic form of ministry is the ministry of the whole people of God, from whose midst some are called to ordered ministries, to fulfill particular functions (G-2.01). In establishing this principle, the Form of Government seeks to counteract the tendency abroad in the church toward clericalism. Clericalism is the habit of the religious communities to rely mainly or even exclusively on a limited number of leaders often professional leaders to carry out the work of ministry. There are at least two ways in which clericalism poses a danger for Reformed communities. 4
First, clericalism suggests an unwarranted limitation on the call to ministry. Using the term minister to apply particularly to those ordained as teaching elders suggests that ministry is the work of the minister of the Word and Sacrament rather than the work of the whole people of God and of every baptized person individually. Second, clericalism undermines the basic parity between ruling and teaching elders in the governance of the church. The Form of Government uses the terms Teaching Elder and Ruling Elder to suggest that, while the particular orders of ministry of the two are different, they are united in the shared responsibility as elders to govern and guide the ministry of God s people. It is the unique gift of the Reformed community that there is a basic parity in the governance of the church between ruling and teaching elders. The terms teaching elder and ruling elder point to vital functions that lie at the heart of these orders of ministry. The Form of Government lifts up teaching as the primary function through which the ministry of the Word and Sacrament is exercised. Section G-2.0501 states: Teaching elders (also called ministers of the Word and Sacrament) shall in all things be committed to teaching the faith and equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Eph 4:12). 1 And later: The Form of Government lifts up this teaching function because it is central to the ministry of the Word and Sacrament. In so doing, it follows the tradition established early in the history of the Kirk of Scotland. In Chapter 4 of the Second Book of Discipline (1621), the Kirk of Scotland describes as a central function of the minister the teaching of the word of God... publickly and privately, always trauelling [travailing] to edifie, and discharge his [sic] conscience, as God s word prescribes him. That same section notes the minister s responsibility for the administration of the Sacraments, for both are appointed by God, as meanes to teach us, one by the ear and the other by the eyes, and other senses, that by both knowledge may be transferred to the minde. By virtue of the educational requirements of those ordained to this ministry, the teaching elder is nearly always the best prepared, and in many communities uniquely prepared, to serve as the teacher of the faith. 2 The ACC shares some important rationale which speaks to challenges within the contemporary church, while at the same time points us to our proud Scottish heritage. The rationale offered by the Presbytery of Santa Fe (2012) in their motion to change there terms was to address the underlying confusion and possible limitations created when these terms were changed, including the following: 1 ACC response to Overture 07-04 (2012) On Amending the Book of Order Concerning the Titles Used for Those in Ordered Ministries From the Presbytery of Santa Fe. 2 Ibid. 5
Vocational ministry encompasses many functions. There is, of course, a teaching aspect, but even there the current terminology of spiritual formation may better convey the reality of what is intended for teachers of the gospel. A primary focus on the teaching role can too easily direct us toward old tendencies of focusing on the intellect at the expense of the heart and habits of life. It also raises the question of how the designation teaching elder encompasses the pastoral aspect of the vocational minister s function. Another, presumably unintended, consequence of the change to teaching elder from minister of the Word and Sacrament is that the emphasis on teaching may too easily focus on the Word at the expense of Sacrament. Presbyterians assert a balance of Word and Sacrament but in practice we have often emphasized the Word to the neglect of Sacrament. The former designation of minister of the Word and Sacrament constantly reminds us of the intended balance, and hopefully of the importance of experiencing the sacred mysteries of the faith in conjunction with our study and reasoning. The role of a vocational minister is to minister the Word and the Sacraments to and with the people of God. The minister does this not, primarily, as a social worker, or psychologist, or administrator, or (even) teacher. The minister s primary function is to bring the Word and the Sacraments to the community of faith truly and rightly so that they may be used by the Holy Spirit to do God s work within and among us. Thus, the title minister of Word and Sacrament conveys not only to those who bear the office, but to members of the community of faith, and even to those with no church affiliation a clearer descriptive summary of what the role and function is. 3 These are also legitimate concerns raised by the changes in terminology. Additionally, from an ecumenical perspective, the nomenclature of the office of Teaching Elder vs. Ruling Elder are somewhat confusing as many denominations ordain their clergy to the a ministerial office, such as: minister, pastor, priest whereas the title Teaching Elder often needs qualifiers or explanations. After observing the changes to these terms for a few couple of years, it has been noted that there is still much confusion. As a result, the local church and many churches and pastors have simply ignored the change to the nomenclature: pastors are still pastors, elder are still elders, and mid-councils and GA seem to be the only bodies who tend to use the terms Ruling Elder and Teaching Elder with any regularity or appreciation for the historical and pragmatic rationale. 3 Rationale for Overture 07-04 (2012) On Amending the Book of Order Concerning the Titles Used for Those in Ordered Ministries From the Presbytery of Santa Fe. 6
Furthermore, in speaking to younger clergy regarding this change, some have reported feeling disempowered in the formation of their sense of pastoral authority and professional development by no longer being ordained to the office of Minister of Word and Sacrament. Some feel this title has been particularly disempowering to female clergy. Lastly, the title Commissioned Ruling Elder greatly minimizes the broad and important pastoral role and responsibility that is played by our CRE s whereas the title Commissioned Lay Pastor was far more apropos title. In summary, this overture seeks to honor the historical and pragmatic rationale given by the Advisory Council to the Constitution in 2012, address the primary concerns raised by the Presbytery of Santa Fe, provide greater clarity to the local church, offer more empowerment our younger clergy, and better reflect the important pastoral ministry of our Commissioned Ruling Elders. 7