Book of Discipline Chapter 10
Protests, Petitions, Memorials, and Overtures
Any member of a court who has voted on a question and is not satisfied with the decision, is entitled to have his protest recorded. By so doing he relieves himself from responsibility for the decision, and saves himself from censure on account of it. The protest must be given in when the decision is announced. Reasons of protest given in at the time, or within ten days, if in proper language, shall be entered in the minutes. When deemed necessary, the court shall prepare answers which shall be entered in the minutes.
Members who have voted in the minority way signify their adherence to a protest and have their adherence recorded, either at the time, or at the following sedurent, when the minutes are confirmed, but not afterwards.
Every member of the church has the right of access to any church court by petition or memorial. He has direct access to the session of the congregation to which he belongs, but a petition or memorial to a higher court must, in the first place, be presented to the session, with a request for its transmission.
A lower court shall transmit a petition or memorial with or without approval or concurrence, as it sees fit. Before transmitting, the court should see that the petition or memorial is in proper form and expressed in respectful language. If transmission is refused, the petitioner or memorialist shall have the right of appeal. These provisions shall apply alike to a petition or memorial from an individual, from any number of persons, from a congregation, or from a lower court.
When a court of the church wishes to propose an amendment to the Constitution, or generally the adoption of any measure appertaining to the functions of the General Synod, an overture on the subject shall be presented.
All petitions, memorials, and overtures intended for the General Synod shall be sent by the clerks of the lower courts, or by the parties signing them, to the clerk of the Synod.
Book of Discipline of the Bible Presbyterian Church, General Synod ©1998 Amended by the 55th, 56th, and 58th General Synods of the Bible Presbyterian Church.