Collaborative model calls for synods, presbyteries to take lead in reducing number of synods to no more than eight.

Presbyterian News Service
Jerry L. Van Marter

DALLAS

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Mid-Council Commission voted tonight (September 10) to recommend to next summer’s 221st General Assembly that the number of regional Synods be reduced from 16 to “no more than eight” and that the existing synods and 173 presbyteries be assigned to determine “the most prudent boundary changes” to accomplish the reduction.

The vote was unanimous.

The commission was created by the 2012 General Assembly to revisit a proposal by a previous Mid-Council Commission that synods be eliminated as an “ecclesiastical entity” of the PC(USA). More…