Responsibilities of Commissioners:
Commissioners should plan to be present at the meeting from beginning to
end. (It is advisable to keep the evening free on the day in which Presbytery
meets).
Elder commissioners, while elected by their session, CANNOT be instructed
as to how they should vote. They vote as members of the Presbytery under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. They cannot be instructed by their pastor,
session or congregation.
Commissioners are requested to be on the floor during the time that
business is being conducted.
Churches should prepare their Commissioner for upcoming business. The
meeting materials are posted at the Presbytery's web page,
www.lakemichiganpresbytery.org.
Click on "Presbytery Packet." It is helpful to have the necessary pages
printed so that you have them in hand for the meeting.
Presbytery of Lake Michigan Facts
- 70 PC(USA) congregations
- 1 new church development
- 18,000+ active members
- 162 ordained ministers, 74 actively serving parishes.
- Geographically the presbytery is 125 miles in width and 190 miles
from north to south. Approximately 10 miles north of Cadillac to the
Indiana border. From Lake Michigan on the west to an irregular boundary
to the east which includes Lansing, Stockbridge, Jackson and Brooklyn.
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Function
The Presbytery is the governing body which discusses and determines the
official business of the Presbytery.
The Presbytery is a policy making body.
The Presbytery serves as a court of the church with regard to matters of
discipline.
Meetings
The Presbytery meets 6 times per year (4 Tuesday meetings and 2 Saturday
meetings). Start times vary.
When in session the Presbytery consists of the minister members and an
equal number of elders from the churches of the Presbytery plus other elders
so designated by Presbytery in order to maintain the parity between ministers
and elders. Both ministers and elders are called "presbyters."
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Churches with membership under 500 shall be represented by
one elder commissioner.
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Membership from 501-1000: 2 elders
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Membership from 1001-1500: 3 elders
Procedure:
A docket (this is the road map of the meeting) is provided along with other
meeting materials at the meeting as well as from our web site,
www.lakemichiganpresbytery.org
(click on Presbytery Packet).
The business of a presbytery meeting is conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order, the 10th edition (newest).
Presbyters desiring to speak are to raise their hands or stand to be
recognized. When recognized by the moderator of the Presbytery, the speaker
should give his or her name and church. The speaker should ALWAYS address the
moderator.
The most common motions are to adopt, amend, substitute and refer. A simple
majority is needed to pass a motion.
To end debate, the proper procedure is to be recognized and to "move the
previous question" or "move to end debate." It is NOT proper to call out "I
call for the question." A two-thirds majority is needed for a motion to pass.
The moderator may properly refuse to acknowledge a motion to end debate if he
or she considers that insufficient time has been allowed for discussion.
A motion to "table" ordinarily is to be used only when there is a matter
that needs to be dealt with immediately by the Presbytery. The proper motion
when a matter is to be taken up later in the meeting or at a subsequent
meeting is the motion to "postpone." The motion to "table" is NOT debatable.
The motion to "postpone" CAN be debated.
A motion to suspend the bylaws requires a two-thirds majority. To change
the bylaws, a simple majority is needed because the proposed changes were
submitted in writing at the previous Presbytery meeting.
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Intentional
Mission
