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Appendix E-8: Presbyterial Certificates – Guidelines

(Approved by General Assembly 1979)

1) Presbyterial Certificates should normally be given only at the request of the minister where appropriate, and not normally unless the minister intends to move beyond the bounds of the Presbytery.

2) A minister who is not granted a seat on Presbytery, whether because of his or her request or a decision of Presbytery, but who remains within the bounds should be listed as ‘Minister within the bounds’ or ‘Minister without charge’.

3) A minister who lodges his or her certificate should likewise be listed as ‘Minister within the bounds’ for as long as he or she resides within the bounds of the Presbytery.

4) Only where a minister lodges his or her certificate and moves away without uplifting it should he or she be listed as ‘lodged certificate’.

5) An opinion given by the late Very Rev S. C. Read states: A minister who has lodged his or her certificate has no status in the Presbytery although he or she is subject to its jurisdiction and comes under its care. He or she has no membership of Presbytery by virtue of his or her ordination. He or she is eligible to receive a call or appointment. He or she can celebrate the sacraments when properly called upon to do so by a parish minister or an interim Moderator. If the Presbytery so desires his or her name can remain on the Marriage list.

(for Form of Certificate see Appendix H-13)