eNewsletter

Greetings Middle Tennessee… I hope everyone is having an amazing Easter Season.  My name is John Smith.  I serve as pastor at First Presbyterian in Dickson, TN and Ellis Grove Presbyterian Church in Waverly, TN.  I’m also a reserve chaplain for the US Air Force stationed in Alaska (if you’re curious about how all that works please feel free to email me.)  For the purpose of today’s article I am the Vice-Moderator of PMT’s Commission on Ministry, which means I get to serve congregations and ministers of our presbytery as they seek  to follow Christ’s call in their communities and ministry contexts.  I absolutely love our presbytery and love getting to work with you all.  

This brings me to Robert’s Rules of Order… 

As I’ve spent time training sessions there is normally a conversation about meetings and how we use Robert’s Rules of Order (usually with the phrase “decent and in order”).  A lot of smaller sessions like to tell me that they don’t use Robert’s Rules of Order strictly.  However, I have learned that this is not always the case.  I wanted to share with you what I consider to be Robert’s best kept secret.  

Robert’s Rules of Order: “Procedure for Small Boards”  (RRO 49:21)

The Rules of Order give us certain guidelines when a board is 12 persons or smaller.  When you get a group of that size, sometimes Robert’s Rules can feel a bit cumbersome and overly complicated.  That’s why certain rules were developed for a smaller board.  It helps with efficiency and effectiveness.  Let’s look at how Robert’s Rules of Order suggest small(er) sessions operate.  

1. Members don’t need to stand when speaking or getting the attention of the moderator.

2. Motions do not need a second.

3. There are fewer limits on debate.

4. Informal discussion is permitted while no motion is pending.

5. When a proposal is perfectly clear a vote can be taken without a motion having been introduced (i.e. After discussion about where to send the special offering the moderator can say, without a motion, “All in favor of sending the offering to the local food pantry raise your hands.”)

6. The moderator doesn’t have to stand.

7. The moderator is permitted to participate in informal discussion without leaving the chair.  

Normally, when a small session that I’m training hears these procedures, they sit quietly and then say, “I guess we follow Robert’s Rules of Order better than I thought we did.”  We all want our meeting to run smoothly, and we all want meetings to be efficient.  Sometimes knowing that we have the flexibility necessary to follow the rules in our contexts can help with that.  

I want to take one more opportunity, as a member of COM, to tell you how much I enjoy working with you all and serving the congregations in our presbytery.  If there is anything you all need, please contact us.  We want to help.  

Grace and Peace,

John Smith

Rev Chris Joiner, Pastor/Head of Staff at First Presbyterian Church, Franklin, has announced that he has received a new call to serve as Pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Presbyterian Church in Canada). Chris’s final Sunday at First, Franklin will be April 28. We surround Chris and Kim Joiner, who also serves on the staff at First, Franklin as Director of Christian Education, with our prayers as they prepare for major changes in their lives and we share our expressions of gratitude for their faithful and gifted ministries among us. We pray for the session, staff, and congregation at First Presbyterian, Franklin, as they express their love and gratitude to Chris and Kim, and discern their next steps, with the assistance of the Presbytery’s Commission on Ministry.