Fact Verses Fiction: Procedural Myths, Part 1 As Presbyterians, our commitment to Robert’s Rules of Order goes without saying, but if we’re being honest, how many of us have actually read through all 800 something pages lately? Since beginning my journey as your Stated Clerk, I have committed myself to working my way through the “tome” as I have come…
As pastor of John Calvin Presbyterian Church, our leadership team and I have recently begun a conversation about our current church structure and the practice of conducting a bylaw review, which has inspired me to focus this month’s “Spotlight on Polity” on Bylaws; what are they, and why are they important? Since coming on as Stated Clerk, every so often…
Stated Clerk’s “Spotlight for Polity” April 2025 Edition “Point of Order!” What is it and are you using it correctly? I’m guessing at some point in our Presbyterian journey, whether sitting around the table at a meeting or attending some form of gathering, we’ve heard someone use the phrase, “Point of Order!” I know I’ve heard it a time or…
If you attended our February Presbytery Gathering last month, you’ll recall we tried something a little different for our practice question to open the business of the meeting. The practice question is typically just a fun way to open the meeting while also making sure the body is familiar with the voting process and checking to see if the technology…
Did you know the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy has a long and historical connection to St. Luke’s Hospital here in St. Louis? Personally, I had no idea until I started preparation to become Stated Clerk for Giddings-Lovejoy and was informed the Stated Clerk, in addition to the Presbytery Leader, account for two of the required seats on the hospital’s Board of…