Having a Voice in the Presbyterian Church

A recurrent question that comes up from the congregation is "how does the every-day member in the Presbyterian Church have a voice in what's going on?" Not a bad question - after all, the only times the congregation votes is when we call or dismiss a pastor, review the pastor's salary, elect new elders, or purchase or build a new addition.  What about other times when a member has a new idea or an issue that seems important?

Having a voice in the Presbyterian Church starts with Session (the elders).  For example, if John and Jane Doe have something important they would like considered, they can email or snail-mail our Session clerk, David Hinterleiter.    The issue presented by the Does (in writing) will then be brought up at the next Session meeting under "Communications"  Session will consider whether the issue has been previously resolved to their satisfaction.  If not, the issue will go to a committee and debated there.

But suppose the issue presented by the Does is not resolved to their satisfaction within the Church on the local level.  The next step is Grace Presbytery, a regional group that among other things acts as a watchdog for the churches in its jurisdiction.  Presbytery is really not as removed as you might think.  Their office is in Dallas and at least two of our members, Virginia Conner and Annadell Teems, currently have extensive experience with Grace.  If the issue has merit, the right associate can be found to discuss the matter.  Usually, an issue has merit when it affect "the peace, purity, and unity" of the Church - which means that something has the potential for furthering that goal or creating a problem for it.

But suppose John and Jane Doe still are not satisfied with Presbytery's decision.  Sometimes regional decisions have a regional bias.  Their case can then be presented to the next court up - either Synod or all the way to General Assembly on the national level.

So what does having a voice mean in the Presbyterian Church?  First of all, it means that we have a way of keeping a debatable issue from unduly burdening the congregation, by consigning it to an appropriate group.  Second it means that we have a way of "decency and order" that provides a fair procedure for voices to be heard.  It does not mean that we will necessarily get our way, but it does allow for each one of us to have a voice - an important ingredient for a vibrant spiritual community.

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