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Chapter 3: Supplementary provisions
3.1 Issue of supplementary provisions
1. The General Assembly may, by resolution, issue any supplementary provision that it considers appropriate and necessary to implement and give effect to any provision of the Book of Order.
2. The General Assembly may issue a supplementary provision either
a) on the recommendation of the Assembly Executive Secretary or the convener of a committee of the General Assembly, or
b) on its own initiative.
3. Before issuing any supplementary provision, the General Assembly may consult any person, presbytery, church council, committee or group, as it considers appropriate.
4. The power to issue supplementary provisions conferred by this section includes power to alter, amend, or revoke any supplementary provision.
Defined terms: Assembly Executive Secretary, Book of Order, church council, General Assembly, presbytery, supplementary provision
3.2 The nature of supplementary provisions
1. Supplementary provisions are not part of the Book of Order but are supplementary to it.
2. Supplementary provisions must not be used for the purposes of interpreting any of the provisions of the Book of Order. Their function is restricted to implementing and giving effect to provisions of the Book of Order.
3. Supplementary provisions cannot negate, revoke, alter, or amend any provision of this Book of Order and, in the event of any inconsistency between this Book of Order and a supplementary provision, the provision of the Book of Order takes precedence and prevails.
Defined terms: Book of Order, supplementary provision.
3.3 Delegation to the Council of Assembly
1. The General Assembly may from time to time, by resolution, delegate to the Council of Assembly the power to issue supplementary provisions conferred on the General Assembly by section 1.
2. The General Assembly may delegate the power to issue supplementary provisions
a) generally,
b) specifically,
c) with conditions, or
d) unconditionally.
3. A delegation to the Council of Assembly under the authority of this section includes delegation of the power to alter, amend, or revoke any supplementary provisions.
4. All supplementary provisions issued by the Council of Assembly under a delegated power must be submitted for ratification at the next General Assembly and any supplementary provision not so ratified ceases to have effect at the conclusion of the General Assembly.
5. The Council of Assembly cannot sub-delegate any power delegated to it under this section.
Defined terms: Council of Assembly, General Assembly, supplementary provision.
3.4 Notification of supplementary provisions
1. The Council of Assembly must, within 10 working days of the issue of a supplementary provision, notify in writing all presbyteries, church councils, and any committees or other persons affected by the supplementary provision of
a) the issue of the supplementary provision,
b) the date upon which the supplementary provision comes into effect,
c) the place where the supplementary provision can be obtained or accessed, and
d) the cost, if any, of obtaining a copy of the supplementary provision.
2. A supplementary provision comes into effect on the date fixed for that purpose by the supplementary provision.
3. The Council of Assembly must publish all supplementary provisions that are current and operative on the Church’s website. Hard copies are to be made available on request.
Defined terms: Church, church council, Council of Assembly, supplementary provision, presbytery, supplementary provision, working day
3.5 Compliance with supplementary provisions
On receiving notification of any supplementary provision that may affect them, all church councils, presbyteries, committees and persons must comply with the supplementary provision.
Defined terms: church council, supplementary provision, presbytery
3.6 Alteration of this chapter
Section 2 and this section 6 cannot be altered, amended or deleted in any way except in accordance with the special legislative procedure.
Defined term: special legislative procedure