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The United Reformed Church Section O Process 

 

Note from the Mission Council's Section O Advisory Group

July 2007

 

Because of substantial changes to the Section O Process which are currently being made by the General Assembly, the Advisory Group is preparing revised sets of Guidelines. It is hoped that this task will be completed by the 2008 General Assembly. Meanwhile, although there is much useful and relevant information in these guidelines, readers should be aware that some paragraph references may not be correct.

 

 

September 2004

Guidelines for the Church Secretary (and others as appropriate) of a Local Church whose minister is the subject of the Ministerial Disciplinary Process

(known as The Section O Process)

 

This is an advisory document, including a flow chart, made available by the Mission Council’s Section O Advisory Committee. It does not carry the authority of the General Assembly and, in every respect, it is subject to Parts I and II of the Section O Process. It is intended to provide general guidance to the officers of a local church.

 

1. Unless you made the initial complaint, you have been told, probably by your Synod Moderator, that your minister is the subject of a complaint or allegation concerning his/her conduct. Whether or not this news comes as a shock, as an officer of the local church, you will need to understand the Section O Process, the roles of all the people involved and both you and the pastorate will need support.
 

2. If you wish to be fully informed about the Section O Process, you will need an up-to-date copy, which is printed in The Manual and is available on the church’s website: www.urc.org.uk  (Click: OUR WORK/THE MANUAL/DISCIPLINARY PROCESS.) If necessary, you may obtain a copy from the synod office.  Also printed on the website are guidelines for the different parties involved.

 

3. The Section O Process has been carefully set up to ensure the minister’s rights, to recognise the pastoral role of the Moderator and the District Council, as well as to establish separate bodies to reach a conclusion about his/her ministry in the light of the complaint or allegation.

 

4. Four general principles about Section O:

• ministers are judged against the promises they made at ordination;

• the disciplinary procedure is separated from pastoral care.  Therefore those involved in the Section O Process are not the same people as those responsible for pastoral care;

• the rules governing discipline have been drafted to ensure that the principle of natural justice is preserved;

• all cases are dealt with in strictest confidentiality. Primarily this is to protect the minister who might be proved to be innocent.  Local churches, in particular, are anxious to know what is happening and, on occasion, a minister has wished to waive his/her right to confidential treatment. This aspect of the Process has been reviewed and, on balance, it has been agreed that, for the minister’s own protection, confidentiality must be maintained. At the very least, the congregation and elders are entitled to expect the minister to maintain the strictest confidentiality about every stage of the process until its conclusion.

5. It is possible that, from the outset, the minister will be suspended from ministry. Suspension carries with it no judgement about the rights and wrongs of the case. Its purpose is to remove the minister from the situation so that the case can be judged fairly and objectively. 

 

 

6. Informing the local church.  It is the Synod Moderator’s responsibility to ensure that the pastorate is informed, normally through the Church Secretary(ies) and, additionally, at a meeting with the Elders. Statements may have to be made to the congregation, guidance given about the media and a discussion about an acceptable interim moderator, who will be appointed by (officers of) the District Council. Most Local Churches only encounter the term “Interim Moderator” during a period of pastoral vacancy when the primary task of an Interim Moderator is to assist in the calling of a new minister.   However Interim Moderators also have a pastoral and administrative role and it is this for this reason that the District Council makes such appointments when Ministers are suspended or on long term sick leave. The appointment of an Interim Moderator does not mean that any decisions about the Minister under suspension or about the pastorate’s future have been made!

 

7. Your Interim Moderator will also assist you in making application for the Pulpit Supply fee grants available to Local Churches whose ministers are under suspension and for any other assistance that may be available from the District Council, the Synod or the central funds of the Church.

 

8. Your Synod Moderator and District Council have the responsibility of exercising continued pastoral care for the minister and his/her family. This will normally be done through the appointment of a local minister who, like the Interim Moderator, has no involvement with the Disciplinary process. However it might also be appropriate for care to continue to be given, formally by the Elders, and informally by friends within the church, particularly for the spouse and family. The District Council will also have the needs of the pastorate very much in mind and you should stay in close touch with your interim moderator or the person appointed by the District Council to give you support.   However, you need to remember that, once the minister has been referred into the Commission Stage, neither the Moderator nor the District Council is involved in the Disciplinary Process and therefore they may know little more than you about the progress of the process.

 

9. It sometimes seems as if working through the Process takes too long. However, it is carried out as quickly as is possible, remembering that there are different stages to be worked through and time must be allowed for each of these. Also the parties must be allowed reasonable time to prepare their cases. Again, this is to protect the minister’s rights. If the minister is subject to a criminal investigation, the length of time required to work through the Process is out of the hands of the Church, because of the need to adjourn the Section O proceedings pending the outcome of the criminal issue.

 

10. Finally, you need to know that the person who is knowledgeable about the Section O Process, who could answer specific questions about the procedures to be followed, is your Synod Moderator. If he/she does not know the answer to your question, he/she will find out for you.