Committees and Commissions
The Synod of the Trinity has numerous committees and commissions to assist in carrying out the mission of the Synod. Below are descriptive paragraphs of the purpose, responsibilities and composition of each of the following groups:
Committee on Ecumenical Relations
The purpose of the Ecumenical Relations Committee of the Synod of the Trinity is to work with the Synod Co-Executive(s) to coordinate the Synod’s relationship to the Pennsylvania Council of Churches and the West Virginia Council of Churches.
The responsibilities of the Ecumenical Relations Committee include the following:
- Review, coordinate and evaluate the work of the two State Councils of Churches;
- Publicize events, programs and actions of the Councils;
- Recommend to the Synod persons to serve on the State Councils; and
- Recommend funding to the Synod.
The Ecumenical Relations Committee shall be composed of six persons appointed by the Moderator of the Synod on a three-year rotation basis who will be eligible for re-appointment once. No more than four persons will be from either of the states. The Synod Co-Executive(s) shall serve as staff resource for the Committee.
Committee on Presbytery Records
The Committee on Presbytery Records shall conduct an annual review of presbytery records as prescribed by the Form of Government, G-9.0407c. The Committee shall review the minutes of the presbyteries and a statement attesting to the review shall be signed by the Committee Chairperson or the Chairperson's designee. The report of the Committee shall be circulated to each presbytery annually for reaction on the part of the presbytery. Any request from a presbytery to remove or modify an exception shall be directed to the Stated Clerk of Synod for further consideration by the Synod.
The official action of the Synod with regard to the presbytery minutes shall be communicated to each presbytery through its Stated Clerk and the action of Synod recorded in the minutes of the next stated meeting of the presbytery.
This Committee shall consist of the Stated Clerk of each presbytery. The Chairperson shall be elected by the Committee from among its members for a three-year term. The Chairperson shall not serve more than two consecutive terms. The Stated Clerk of the Synod shall be an ex officio member of the Committee, and shall be ineligible to serve as chairperson. (Click for committee listing.)
Committee on Representation
The Committee on Representation shall carry out the duties prescribed by the Form of Government G-9.0105. It shall have nine members, in equal classes, serving three-year terms, elected by the Synod, upon nomination by the Nominating Committee. Members may serve two consecutive terms. The Committee on Representation shall elect its own Chairperson and Clerk annually from among its membership. No one may serve concurrently as a Synod commissioner and as a member of the Committee on Representation. (Click for committee listing.)
In accordance with G-9.0105d, the Committee on Representation will recruit or seek candidates for future membership, through its connections with presbytery Committees on Representation, various racial ethnic constituencies, constituencies of women, disabled persons, youth, or other minorities, as well as “persons designated by national racial ethnic membership to discover potential racial ethnic members.” A list of these candidates will be presented annually to the Synod Nominating Committee.
The Synod Nominating Committee, using the list of persons described above, as well as recommendations from the various presbytery nominating committees and its own endeavors, shall present to the Synod a slate of persons which would result in a committee fulfilling so far as possible the categories and requirements of G-9.0105a. Attention will also be paid to a diversity of presbyteries represented on the Synod Committee on Representation.
The Committee on Representation shall choose from among its members one person to serve in an ex officio capacity with the Nominating Committee.
Communications Review Task Force
The purpose of the Communications Review Task Force is to review the communication needs of the Synod of the Trinity and to make recommendations to the Synod for a comprehensive communication strategy.
The responsibilities of the Communication Review Task Force include:
- Carry out a comprehensive review of the communication needs of the Synod in light of the new Synod structure, including:
(a) The report from the 2001 Communication Consultation;
(b) The 1997 Doug Bedell Communication Assessment; and
(c) The present Synod communication system, including the website.
- Compose recommendations and a timeline for implementation for a Synod of the Trinity Communication Plan.
The Task Force shall be composed of five persons chosen by the Transition Task Force. The Synod Co-Executive(s) and appropriate office staff person(s) will provide staff support to the Task Force.
Finance & Budget Committee
The Finance and Budget Committee shall consist of nine members, in equal classes, serving three year terms, elected by the Synod, upon nomination by the Nominating Committee. The Committee shall annually elect a Moderator from among its own membership. No Committee member may serve for consecutive terms, either full or partial, aggregating more than six years. A Committee member having served a total of six consecutive years shall be ineligible for a period of at least one year. No one may serve concurrently as a Synod commissioner and as a member of the Finance and Budget Committee. (Click for committee listing.)
| The Moderator of the Finance and Budget Committee shall convene the Committee in order to: |
| A. |
Work with the Synod Treasurer to propose, implement, and oversee the fiscal policies and operations of the Synod, including providing specific advice to the Synod Commissioners concerning mission and per capita funds; |
| B. |
Work with the Synod Treasurer for prudent investing by the Synod, ensuring the oversight of all investments; |
| C. |
Provide oversight of all the financial resources of the Synod by arranging for an annual audit, independent of the Synod Treasurer; |
| D. |
Work with the Synod Treasurer to review income and expenditures; |
| E. |
Make recommendations to the Synod Commissioners, through the Synod Treasurer or the Finance and Budget Moderator, about any appropriate recommendations regarding the financial resources of the Synod. |
Meetings:
|
| A. |
The Finance and Budget Committee shall meet on a regular basis and be convened by the Moderator in consultation with the Synod Treasurer. |
| B. |
In the event that the position of Synod Treasurer is temporarily vacant, or if in the judgment of the Synod Executive(s), extraordinary circumstances require it, the Synod Executive(s) may, in consultation with the Finance and Budget Moderator, convene the Committee. |
Grants & Scholarships Review Committee
The purpose of the Grants and Scholarships Committee of the Synod of the Trinity isto provide general coordination and oversight for the Synod scholarships and grants programs. The responsibilities of this Committee include:
- Provide oversight for all Synod grants programs, including Mission Program Grants and other church development grants, Hunger, Peacemaking, Mission Travel and other grants programs that exist or may be established by the Synod. Specific responsibilities include:
a. Establish review teams for each grant program;
b. Regularly review policies and procedures for all grant programs;
c. Coordinate publicity for all grant programs;
d. Receive recommendations from appropriate review teams and make
final decisions related to grants applications; and
e. Report all decisions to the Synod for information.
- Provide oversight for Synod Scholarship programs, including the Synod of the Trinity Educational Scholarship, the Racial Ethnic Educational Scholarship, the Rusch-Shepard Memorial Scholarship, the Mary Meade Maxwell Church Vocation Scholarship, the Mary L. Clark Ministry Study Grant, and any other scholarship programs that may be established by the Synod.
a. Establish review teams for each scholarship program;
b. Regularly review policies and procedures for all scholarship programs;
c. Coordinate publicity for scholarship programs;
d. Receive recommendations from appropriate review teams and make final
decisions related to scholarship applications; and
e. Report all decisions to the Synod for information.
The Grants and Scholarships Review Committee of the Synod of the Trinity shall consist of nine persons appointed by the Moderator of the Synod who will serve on a three-year rotation basis. Members shall be eligible to serve two terms. At least four committee members shall be racial ethnic minority persons. (Click for committee listing.)
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall consist of nine persons in three-year terms, elected by the Synod according to Form of Government, G-9.0800. One-third shall be lay men, one-third shall be lay women, and one-third shall be clergy. The Nominating Committee of Synod shall indicate to each presbytery to which of these three categories it is to nominate. Responsibility for nomination shall be rotated among the member presbyteries of the Synod. In addition, one member of the Committee on Representation, chosen by that committee, shall serve on the Nominating Committee in an ex-officio capacity. The Nominating Committee shall elect its own Chairperson and Clerk annually from among its membership. No one may serve concurrently as a Synod commissioner and as a member of the Nominating Committee. (Click for committee listing.)
| The tasks of the Nominating Committee for elections for Synod positions are: |
| A. |
Nominate a Moderator and Vice Moderator to the Synod, with regard for diversity and inclusiveness. The nomination of a Vice Moderator shall ensure laity/clergy balance; |
| B. |
Nominate the members of the Program Coordinating Teams and, annually, a member of each Coordinating Team to be chairperson; |
| C. |
Nominate members of the Committee on Representation; |
| D. |
Nominate members of the Finance and Budget Committee; |
| E. |
Secure nominees for the Personnel Committee. Responsibility for nomination shall be rotated among the member presbyteries of the Synod; |
| F. |
Secure nominees for the Permanent Judicial Commission. Responsibility for nomination shall be rotated among the member presbyteries of the Synod; |
| G. |
The Nominating Committee shall nominate, for election by Synod, persons to fill all Synod positions not otherwise provided for in these standing rules. |
The Nominating Committee will present nominations for election by Synod to the Board of Directors of Westminster Foundation of West Virginia in accordance with the by-laws of that organization.
Synod representatives to General Assembly entities will be nominated by the Committee upon the request of the General Assembly Nominating Committee.
Permanent Judicial Commission
The Permanent Judicial Commission is the court of judicial process for the Synod. It shall function according to the provisions of the Rules of Discipline.
The Permanent Judicial Commission shall consist of twelve members elected for six-year terms, serving in equal classes. Each class will contain two ministers of Word and Sacrament and two elders. Members shall be nominated by Synod's Nominating Committee and elected by Synod, giving due attention to the principles of inclusivity set forth in Form of Government Chapter 4.0400 and elsewhere, as well as to a rotation of members among the various presbyteries of the Synod. The Permanent Judicial Commission shall elect from among its members a moderator and a clerk. No one may serve concurrently as a Synod commissioner and as a member of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod.
The Permanent Judicial Commission is staffed by the Stated Clerk.
The Permanent Judicial Commission shall meet to consider the cases brought before it. If there are no cases, it may meet for education and training.
No person having served on the Permanent Judicial Commission for a term of up to six years shall be eligible for re-election until four years have elapsed.
In case a time should arise when the Permanent Judicial Commission has no Moderator, the Stated Clerk shall be authorized to convene the Commission and preside for the election of a Moderator.
Personnel Committee
The Personnel Committee shall have nine members including a chairperson, in equal classes, serving three-year terms, elected by the Synod according to the rotation among the presbyteries specified by the Nominating Committee. The length of service for each member shall be limited to two terms of three years each. The Personnel Committee shall oversee, support and review the structure and management of staff relationships and performance. No one may serve concurrently as a Synod commissioner and as a member of the Personnel Committee. (Click for committee listing.)
| The Personnel Committee shall: |
| A. |
Oversee the process of managing relationships and performance of the Synod exempt and non-exempt staff; |
| B. |
Provide for annual and comprehensive evaluations of the work of staff, in consultation with the appropriate mission networks, committees, task forces and supervisory staff; |
| C. |
Propose personnel policies to the Synod; |
| D. |
Propose compensation levels (ranges for each factored position) to the Synod; |
| E. |
Recommend adjustment in compensation for each employee; |
| F. |
Resource Synod search committees, and be available to train and assist presbytery search committees as requested; |
| G. |
Conduct periodic review of the current staffing model; make appropriate recommendations to the Synod; |
| H. |
Ensure that job descriptions for Synod staff are reviewed frequently and kept current; make appropriate recommendations to the Synod; |
| I. |
Provide reports of anticipated needs to the Finance and Budget Committee; |
| J. |
Implement the consultation with presbyteries called for in the Book of Order on the election of executives; on the establishment of administrative staff positions, equitable compensation, personnel policies, and fair employment practices; and on the employment of all personnel; |
| K. |
Review grievances as provided in personnel policies. |
Self-Development of People Committee
The purpose of this Committee is to review grant applications which are intended to assist projects for and by poor and disadvantaged people within the bounds of the Synod of the Trinity. The Committee is part of and funded by the Presbyterian Church (USA) National Self-Development of People.A major responsibility of this Committee is to establish partnerships through outreach, solidarity, and financial support, with groups of people who are oppressed by povertyor social systems, who want to take charge of their own lives and who have organized to affect their own conditions.
The Committee will be composed of a minimum of nine and a maximum of thirty-one members; at least 75% of those members will be members of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and a majority of the members will be of a racial-ethnic mix designated by the national office. Every other year the Synod's Committee must be recertified by the national office, and a training session must take place for committee members every two years. (Click for committee listing.)
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