Amendments A and H are two of eight proposed amendments to the Book of Order this year. Commissioners to presbyteries will vote to approve or disapprove all eight.

Amendment H, like Amendment A, deals with ordination. Amendment H is a rewrite of Chapter 14 of the Book of Order on ordination. Amendment H proposes sweeping changes to our ordination standards in a time of already overwhelming challenge to those standards. The wisest course of action is to maintain Chapter 14 until and unless we are quite certain that any proposed changes will not have a negative impact on the church.

• Amendment H will give Certified Christian Educators vote in presbytery meetings if they are elders. They currently do not have voting privilege unless they are elders and represent their churches in that capacity. The change will give them vote based on the category of Christian educator. The effect will be to reduce the number of session representatives allowed to balance Specialized Clergy.
• "Constitutional questions" (ordination vows) will be moved from Form of Government to Directory for Worship in the Book of Order. Current language requires an affirmative response from candidates. Their location in Chapter 14 emphasizes their role as requirements for ordination and ministry. The move to the Directory for Worship gives the vows the appearance of serving merely as liturgy in a special worship service.
• Changes to the content of ordination exams will be made without consent of the presbyteries. Currently Chapter 14 specifies the content of each ordination exam. The change will leave only the titles. That means that changes in the exams would not require a vote of presbyteries.

You can find the wording of the proposed amendments at www.pcusa.org/oga/list_amendments2001.htm

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