Misstep on the Minority Report

The opponents of the PUP report have made a mistake, I think, in the minority report from the Ecclesiology Committee. In the committee, there was a long debate over deleting recommendation 5, the Authoritative Interpretation.

That failed, 23-37.

They then tried to have 5 and 6 (the moratorium on changing the existing constitution) sent to the presbyteries for comment before final action by the General Assembly.

That failed 26-38.

The conclusion I would draw from this vote, and the debate that preceded it, was that there was more support for getting systematic input from the presbyteries on the two core ideas of the Peace, Unity, and Purity report than there is for killing the Authoritative Interpretation outright.

Instead, the report's opponents went for the whole victory the first time. The minority report reads, in its entirety:

In place of Item 06-01, Recommendations 5, 6, and 7, we move the following recommendations:

1. That Item 06-01, Recommendation 5, be disapproved.

2. That Item 06-01, Recommendations 6 and 7 be approved.

The minority report was filed by 17 commissioners and youth advisory delegates.

I have no doubt that the minority report will fail in this morning's debate. The minority may then try to send 5 and 6 to the presbyteries for comment. If this is proposed after they tried to kill 5 altogether, I think the Assembly is less likely to consider the proposal on its merits, and more likely to see it merely a delaying tactic.

I believe PUP will pass this morning.