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The United Reformed Church
Section O Process
FINDING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE ‘SECTION O PROCESS’ WHO IS SUBJECT TO SECTION O? Ministers of the United Reformed Church as defined in the Basis of Union, Schedule E, Paragraph 1.
WHO ELSE IS INVOLVED?
The Synod Moderator.
The District Council Pastoral Committee (or its equivalent).
The Synod Panel (Part II Para. B.2)
The District Council Mandated Group (Part II Paras. B1/5). Each District Council needs to appoint from the Synod Panel a Standing Mandated Group of three persons which shall, wherever possible, include at least one person, but not more than two persons, from that District.
No-one who is a member of the local church concerned or who has any personal or pastoral involvement with the case or is subject to disciplinary complaint shall form part of the Mandated Group for that case.
If there is any such disqualification, the Synod Moderator or his/her duly appointed deputy (most likely the Synod Clerk) shall appoint another member of the Synod Panel to serve as a member of the Mandated Group for that case.
The Assembly Commission (Part I Paras.3.3, 6 and 7) A group of five people chosen from a Commission Panel (the latter consisting of no more than fifty members of the United Reformed Church - Part I Para.4) for the purpose of hearing and deciding on all disciplinary cases brought against ministers under Section O. Similar restrictions on appointment apply as in Paragraph 5 above (second bullet point).
The Appeals Commission (Part I Paras. 3.1, 7 and 12) A group of five people consisting of a Convener with legal and/or tribunal experience who shall be a member of the Church but not necessarily of General Assembly, the current Assembly Moderator and three other members of General Assembly chosen by the officers of Assembly for the purpose of hearing any appeal. Similar restrictions on appointment apply as in Paragraph 5 above (second bullet point).
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