03 Aug GS 2010 art 45
GS 2010 Article 45 – Appeal from Burlington-Ebenezer re: Administering the Lord’s Supper to Shut-ins
1. Material
Appeal from Burlington-Ebenezerre: Article 96 of the Acts Synod Smithers 2007 re: Administering the Lord’s Supper to shut-ins (8.5.n – Contents – part 1).
2. Observations
- 2.1 Synod Smithers 2007 dealt with an overture from Regional Synod West 2006 (RSW) asking that Article 56 of the CO be changed to accommodate the administration of the Lord’s Supper to shut-ins.
- 2.2 Burlington-Ebenezer observes that “in Article 96 Synod Smithers 2007, Observation 2.2, synod lists the argument of RSW 2006 that administering the Lord’s Supper to shut-ins is a matter living in the churches.”
- 2.3 Burlington-Ebenezer makes the following comments:
- 2.3.1 The term “it is living in the churches” is an undefined term. Such a blanket statement is not necessarily a correct statement.
- 2.3.2 The suggestion that something is living in the churches is a non-argument but one that, sadly, is given credence. Over the years it has taken on a life of its own. Previous synods have used the argument for not dealing with a matter because it supposedly does not live in the churches. Here we have a suggestion that it does live in the churches. In either case such a statement should never have an impact on a synod’s consideration or decision. Synods need to come to a decision based on the merits of the case and whether the grounds for seeking a change are right or not. Whether something is living or not living in the churches is immaterial and should be flagged as such by synod or, better still, not be mentioned at all in the observations as it has no bearing on the case.
- 2.4 Burlington-Ebenezer therefore requests that General Synod 2010 decide:
- “That any suggestion to synod that something is living or not living in the churches is deemed immaterial to the case and should be flagged as such by synod or not be listed in the observations as it has no bearing on the case.”
3. Considerations
- 3.1 The observation that a particular matter is “living in the churches” is simply a way of indicating that interest or concern about this particular matter exists among the churches, and thus, may be worthy of consideration by synod.
- 3.2 As found in Observation 2.2 of Article 96 of the Acts of Synod Smithers 2007, the expression merely indicates that this was one of the grounds of the overture presented to RSW 2006 by the church at Smithers.
- 3.3 Though the expression in itself is somewhat indefinite, the presence or absence among the churches of interest or concern about a particular matter may indeed form part of the rationale for synod in deciding how to deal with that matter.
- 3.4 T he weight given to such a ground must be left to the wisdom of synod.
- 3.5 It would be improper for a synod to make the judgment “that any suggestion to synod that something is living or not living in the churches is deemed immaterial to the case and should be flagged as such by synod or not be listed in the observations as it has no bearing on the case.”
4. Recommendation
That Synod decide to deny the appeal of Burlington-Ebenezer.