Preparing Overtures

Authoritative advice on preparing overtures

In a note dated September 3, 1999, the Constitutional Services Department of the Office of the General Assembly offered this advice (which does not "constitute rulings or authoritative interpretations") for anyone interested in preparing and presenting an overture to the General Assembly.

Our thanks to Fred Jenkins, who prepared this note, and to Mary Ruth Phares, who manages the PCUSA POLITY REFLECTIONS meeting on PresbyNet. It is presented here with their permission.

SUBJECT: OVERTURES TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
REFERENCE: G-11.0103t(3), G-13.0112c, G-18.0301

PRESENTATION OF OVERTURES:

The ground rules for presenting overtures are found in the Manual of the General Assembly, Standing Rules B.5.c. (Page 5 in 1999 Manual of the General Assembly). The key provisions are that:

Overtures must be submitted by vote of a presbytery or a synod. A session may start the process by presenting a proposed overture to the presbytery. Anyone with standing to make a motion may initiate an overture, subject to the local rules for submitting new business.

Overtures shall request the General Assembly to take a particular action or approve or endorse a particular statement or resolution.

An overture proposing an amendment to the Constitution must be submitted to the Stated Clerk 120 days before the General Assembly convenes .

Deadlines for overtures on any another subject:

60 days before GA: overtures having financial implications for current or future budgets. (SRB.5.c.(2))

60 days before GA: overtures to be published in the RGAs (Reports to the General Assembly) mailed to commissioners.

45 days before GA: Final deadline for the current GA, postmark determines.

Overtures not received within the time limits shall be returned to the sender.

Presbytery shall appoint someone to be available to provide information on the overture. See the paper on Overture Advocacy.

ASSISTANCE IN PREPARATION:

Most overtures can be strengthened by reviewing prior actions and policy statements of the Assembly. Those who are drafting overtures concerning the Church's social witness can consult the Advice and Counsel Group of the Committee on Social Witness Policy.

Overtures and commissioner resolutions on social issues are reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, the Advocacy Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns, and the Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns prior to and during assemblies. Each has access to commissioners through Advice and Counsel Memos. Authors of overtures and overture advocates will find it helpful to consult these offices before and during the Assembly.

The Department of Constitutional Services in the Office of the General Assembly is prepared to help those who are drafting overtures to amend the Constitution.

WRITING AN OVERTURE:

There is no rule that says an overture will be rejected for being in bad form. Carefully following the standard form has several advantages: The drafters are reminded to include certain necessary information; The reader will know the paper is an Overture and not something else; It saves time for the editors in the Office of the General Assembly who must convert it to a standard form so that General Assembly commissioners receive action items and background materials organized for clarity and convenience. The standard outline, {with comments on the parts}:

TITLE: O V E R T U R E

{If you submit by photocopying something from a session or a committee, please mask out extraneous material and tell us boldly this is an Overture.}

CAPTION:

{OGA will give the overture a number in order of receipt. The caption is a brief description. If the sender does not include it, a caption will be supplied by OGA.}

ACTION DESIRED:

The Presbytery [or Synod] ...respectfully overtures the nnn General Assembly (yyy) to:

{Be specific. For amendments to the Book of Order indicate the paragraph, section number and the words to be added or stricken from the text. Sometimes presbyteries send the Stated Clerk a draft for comment as part of the preparation. Mask out words that may leave the reader in doubt whether the governing body is finished with it and intends the General Assembly to take it seriously.}

RATIONALE:

{Overtures are generally written in short paragraphs, often telegraphic and expressing one thought. A simple outline would be, to begin by stating the problem and move toward the solution. Tell the reader what is the problem, what is the harm, why is the current rule/program not adequate, what is needed.}

SIGNATURE:

{The stated clerk should sign and date the Overture to certify its authenticity as an action of the governing body.}
{NOTE: This format was adopted in 1999.}

SUBMITTING THE OVERTURE

The OGA needs a hard copy of the overture, signed and dated by the stated clerk, or a cover letter certifying the overture.

A change in presbytery boundaries, or moving a church from one presbytery to another requires action by both presbyteries and the synod, or both synods. This may be submitted as three separate overtures or in a single overture that recites the dates when each governing body voted to approve. Treat a change in boundaries as you would an amendment to a paragraph. Repeat the entire description of the boundaries of the presbytery as amended.

If possible, please accompany the hard copy with a copy on disk. WordPerfect is the preferred software, but others may be accepted. Address email to kaym@ctr.pcusa.org.

RESPONSES TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

If the presbytery agrees with the rationale and the action of an overture adopted by another presbytery, OGA encourages concurrence to save time and paper. It also saves time, when similar overtures are received, comparing the like overtures, and having to contact presbytery to see if presbytery is willing to concur with a similar overture.
The deadline for concurring with an overture is the same as that for submitting an overture.
A presbytery that concurs with the overture of another presbytery still has the right to send an overture advocate to assist in presenting the matter.
"Communications" mentioned in the Standing Rules are not a means for a session or individual to present a proposal that might otherwise be an overture from a presbytery. These are received only from entities of the General Assembly or from "organizations which have no regular access to the General Assembly through established procedures."

DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSION:

214th GA (2002): June 15-22, 2002
120 days February 15;60 days April 16; 45 days May 1