Regulations Pertaining to Article 47 of the Church Order
a. A substantial alteration is any alteration which changes the
essential meaning of the creeds or the articles of the Church
Order or which changes the church’s regulation of its worship
through the adopted liturgical forms, Psalter
Hymnal, principles and elements of worship, or the
designated Bible versions to be used in the worship services. A
committee recommending any change in these matters shall specify
what change is being recommended and shall state whether or not
the change is a “substantial alteration.”
b. Prior opportunity is understood as
sufficient time for churches and classes to be able to respond to
a substantial alteration with overtures or other communications
to synod before the substantial alteration is adopted. Generally,
churches and classes have prior opportunity in the case of study
committee reports because such reports are received by November 1
of the year before synod meets. Generally, churches and classes
do not have prior opportunity in the case of standing-committee
reports and overtures because the printed Agenda
for Synod is received only two months before
synod meets and one month after the majority of the classes have
had their last meetings before synod.
c. If the churches and classes have not had prior opportunity to
consider a substantial alteration, it must be submitted to a
following synod, which will consider its advisability. The first
decision shall be understood as a decision to propose; the action
of a following synod shall be understood as a decision to
adopt.
1) A proposed change may not be implemented until it is adopted
by a following synod. It has no effect on any other synodical
decisions until it is adopted.
2) A proposed change has the same status as the recommendation of
a study committee. The synod proposing the change may designate a
person(s) to represent the change at the synod to which it is
submitted for adoption. The proposed change and its
representatives have all the rights and privileges of the
recommendations and representatives of a synodical study
committee.
3) If a proposed change is rejected by a following synod, that
change (or one substantially similar) is not available for
adoption by a succeeding synod unless it has been rst
proposed once again by synod.
d. Changes to Church Order Supplements are not subject to the
above requirements.
(Acts of Synod 1995, pp. 755-56)
(Amended Acts of Synod 1996, p. 500)