About Memorials and Resolutions

Freed in Christ to Serve

Among the many duties of the voting members at the 2011 Churchwide Assembly in Orlando is the consideration of actions taken by synod assemblies (memorials) and proposals brought to the agenda by the voting members themselves (resolutions).

Memorials

Many of the 65 synods meeting in assembly during the spring and summer of 2010 and 2011 adopted memorials asking the Churchwide Assembly to take positions on a variety of specific issues.  The report of the Memorials Committee will provide recommended responses to the these memorials.

The memorials from synod assemblies are received by the secretary of this church and prepared for consideration by a 15-member Memorials Committee, which meets at the end of June. The Memorials Committee considers the proposals, reflects on the background information provided, and formulates a response to every memorial that has been received. In order to facilitate consideration of memorials, the committee also may choose to organize them by topic or include many memorials in a single response. These recommended responses are then provided to voting members for their study and consideration prior to the churchwide assembly and are considered individually or en bloc (i.e., as a group) during the assembly.

Resolutions

In addition to memorials from synod assemblies, any voting member of the Churchwide Assembly, with the support of one other voting member, may bring a resolution on a matter that has not previously been on the assembly's agenda for consideration by the assembly. Each resolution is considered by the 15-member Committee of Reference and Counsel, which provides some background information to the proposed action and formulates a recommendation. The Rules of Organization and Procedure, if not amended by the assembly, stipulate that 24 hours must pass before a submitted resolution regarding a matter not on the agenda can be considered by the assembly. That rule is proposed in order to allow sufficient time to prepare background information and to give the committee time to formulate its recommendation.

The consideration of memorials and resolutions provides the voting members to the Churchwide Assembly the opportunity to consider concerns and suggestions of synods as they establish policies that shape the priorities of this church for the next two years and beyond.