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Overture 2

About Celebration of Baptism

At the Community of Southland Trust Buildings, Invercargill on 7th May 2002, the Presbytery of Southland met and was constituted.

Among other things:

The Presbytery agreed to adopt and transmit the following overture to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand appointed to meet in Wellington in September 2002.

Whereas it was affirmed at the 2000 General Assembly that the two sacraments of the PCANZ are Holy Communion and Baptism, and that the provision of each of these sacraments is necessary to the life of every parish (2000 Minutes, page 104, 00.130, clause 1);

And whereas the Book of Order and the Directory of Worship provide for the commissioning of elders to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion in the parish where they serve, but not for their commissioning to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism;

And whereas our current situation sees the Sacrament of Baptism elevated above the Sacrament of Communion, which must be considered unbiblical;

And whereas many parishes find themselves in the position of being without an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament, and are unlikely to have this situation change in the near future;

And whereas commissioned elders/lay appointees are serving in parishes not only in a pastoral role, but also fulfilling many of the responsibilities of an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament with their Presbytery's prior approval;

And whereas in the course of discussion of this topic at the 2000 General Assembly the operative clause suggested in this overture was declared to lie on the table and then lapsed through not being picked up in the business of that Assembly (2000 Minutes, page 104, 00.130 clause 2).

It is hereby overtured that:

The General Assembly agree in principle to the authorisation of elders to celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism in a parish in which there is no ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament, such authorisation to be subject to the authority of the Presbytery/UDC.

Or that General Assembly determine otherwise as in its wisdom it shall consider best.

The Presbytery appointed the Revs David Gordon and Barry Ayers to support the Overture before the Assembly.

Extracted from the records of the Presbytery.

C. Matheson.

Presbytery Clerk

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