Advisory Committee on the Constitution

The Advisory Committee on the Constitution (ACC) is a permanent committee of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is an elected body that advises the General Assembly on matters related to interpretation and amendment of The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

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Membership

Ralphetta Aker McClary
Vice-Moderator
Synod of the South Atlantic
Class of 2026

Melissa Allison
Synod of the Covenant
Class of 2028

Rebecca Blair
Moderator
Synod of Lincoln Trails
Class of 2028

Barbara Bundick
Synod of Lincoln Trails
Class of 2026

Christian Boyd
Clerk
Synod of Lakes and Prairies
Class of 2026

Theresa Denton
Synod of Living Waters
Class of 2028

Alex Evangelista
Synod of the Trinity
Class of 2030

Roxie Holder
Synod of the Mid-Atlantic
Class of 2028

Paige McRight
Synod of the South Atlantic
Class of 2026

Joo Whang
Synod of the Northeast
Class of 2030

Rachel Yates
Synod of the Pacific
Class of 2030

STAFF RESOURCE

Laurie Griffith
Associate Director
Constitutional Interpretation
laurie.griffith@pcusa.org

More About the ACC

Questions requiring an interpretation of the Book of Order are directed to the Advisory Committee on the Constitution (ACC). The committee’s responsibilities are detailed in the Book of Order, G-6.02:

G-6.02 Interpreting the Constitution

The General Assembly may provide authoritative interpretation of the Book of Order, which shall be binding on the councils of the church when rendered in the manner described in this section or through a decision of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission in a remedial or disciplinary case.

The General Assembly shall elect an Advisory Committee on the Constitution composed of nine people, teaching elders and ruling elders in numbers as nearly equal as possible. The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly shall be a member ex officio without vote. No person who has served on the Advisory Committee on the Constitution for a full term of six years shall be eligible for reelection until four years have elapsed after the expired six-year term. The General Assembly shall provide by its own rule for the qualifications of members of the Advisory Committee on the Constitution.

All questions requiring an interpretation by the General Assembly of the Book of Order arising from councils of the church shall be communicated in writing to the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly no later than 120 days prior to the convening of the next session of the General Assembly. The Stated Clerk shall refer all such questions of interpretation to the Advisory Committee on the Constitution, except those pertaining to matters pending before a judicial commission. The Advisory Committee on the Constitution shall communicate its report and recommendations to the next session of the General Assembly, no less than 60 days prior to the General Assembly.

When an amendment to The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is proposed, the committee’s responsibilities are described in G-6.04 a, b.

G-6.04 a, b

Amendments to the Book of Order shall be made only if all the following steps are completed:

All proposals requesting amendment of the Book of Order are communicated in writing to the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly no later than 120 days prior to the convening of the next session of the General Assembly.
The Stated Clerk shall refer all such proposals to amend the Book of Order to the Advisory Committee on the Constitution (G-6.02), which shall examine the proposed amendment for clarity and consistency of language and for compatibility with other provisions of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). At least 60 days prior to the meeting of the General Assembly, the advisory committee shall report its findings to the General Assembly along with its recommendations, which may include an amended version of any proposed constitutional changes as well as advice to accept or decline the proposals referred to the committee. The General Assembly shall not consider any amendment until it has considered the report and any recommendations from the Advisory Committee on the Constitution.

Authoritative interpretation (AI) is an interpretation of The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that carries the authority of the General Assembly and is binding on the councils of the church. According to G-6.02 in the Book of Order, these interpretations are made:

by the action of a General Assembly upon the advice of the Advisory Committee on the Constitution (ACC), or,
through a decision of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly in deciding a remedial or disciplinary case.
The most recent interpretation of a provision of the Book of Order shall be binding.

A request for an authoritative interpretation must be submitted to the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly in writing at least 120 days before the convening of the next session of the General Assembly. The Stated Clerk is required to refer all such questions to the Advisory Committee on the Constitution (G-6.02).

The ACC considers each such request and determines whether it has already been answered by previous actions of the General Assembly. If it appears to present a new question, the ACC will research the relevant background and prepare a recommendation for submission to the General Assembly. Recommendations of the advisory committee have no authority until they have been adopted by the General Assembly (G-6.02).

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