Dear Session Elders and Friends,

The letter forwarded from Frank Marshall, Stated Clerk
of the Presbytery of  the Pacific is certainly a cause
for alarm. While none of us are experts in the
constitution of the PCUSA, it is fairly simple
reading, and my clear reading of the Book of Order
section D-6.0000-0103 shows that Frank has completely
misinterpreted the situation.

Frank Marshall's letter even erronenously described
the request for a stay of enforcement, which was NOT
related to the May 3 meeting, but to the May 10
meeting. It was NOT to stay the establishment of the
Administrative Commission at all, but the presbytery's
approval of their actions regarding the administrative
leave of the pastors.

The Book of Order states plainly that any person may
stay the action of a governing body by requesting a
delay of an action until the full case can be heard by
the permanent judical commission. The request must be
signed by at least one third of the  members present
(in this case, those at the May 10 presbytery
meeting), and by filing it with the governing body
whose action is to be stayed (in this case, the
Presbytery of the Pacific.) The stay becomes effective
until a permanent judicial commission having
jurisdiction over the case (in this case, the Synod of
Southern California) makes a decision.

The Presbytery may object to the stay that has been
filed, in which case the permanent judicial commission
would have to conduct a hearing on all the related
issues, with all parties represented. At that time,
the stay may be modified or terminated. (That has not
happened.)

One thing I am unhappily learning through this whole
process is that we should become as educated as we can
be, and stop relying on "experts," whether they are
stated clerks, attorneys, commissions, other elders or
even our own pastors. Many of our problems have been
exacerbated by inattention to (or intentional
disregard for) the processes clearly delineated in the
BOO. I hope each of you will dust off your books of
order, read and study on your own. It's actually a
very special document, and we should fight to see it
upheld correctly.

Thanks for reading my "two cents" this far down the
page.

Peace,
Marta Gardner, Elder