Procedures
For our procedures, Synod meetings follow the Standing Orders for General Assembly as closely as possible.
The current version of the Standing Orders for the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church are those which are included in the most recent Book of Reports for General Assembly. This may be found on the General Assembly Papers page of the United Reformed Church website: https://urc.org.uk/general-assembly-assembly-executive-assembly-committees/general-assembly/general-assembly-papers/
Decision-Making in the URC
In 2007, the URC adopted Consensus Decision-Making in which unanimous agreement is sought by listening to one another in a structured process of discussion and questioning which specifically gives the opportunity for dissenting voices to be heard.
It involves three stages:
- An Information Stage, during which questions are invited to ensure those participating in the decision-making process are clear about the issue and proposal,
- A Discussion Stage, during which the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal are debated and views expressed and
- A Decision Stage
In larger meetings, orange and blue cards may be used to help the Moderator of the meeting understand the will of the meeting, including its readiness to move to the next stage of the decision-making process as well as its response to suggestions made by contributors. Orange cards show “warmth” or approval of an idea or suggestion while blue cards are used to indicate “coolness” or disapproval.
From 2007, orange and blue cards were also used during the Decision Stage with orange cards being shown by those content to support the resolution and blue by those who were not. If the whole meeting showed orange cards, the proposal was deemed to be agreed by consensus while a majority of blue cards meant that the proposal fell. If, at this stage, only a few blue cards were shown, those holding them could be asked if they were willing for the proposal to be passed given the balance of opinion and, if so, it was passed by agreement. Otherwise the Moderator of the meeting would determine whether it should be passed by majority or deferred for another occasion to permit further consideration depending on the urgency of the matter in hand.
In the light of experience of meetings held online, initially because of the impact of Covid, and the willingness of the denomination to permit hybrid meetings (where some participants join an in-person meeting virtually), the denomination has modified its decision-making process by agreeing that all meetings (whether in-person, virtual or hybrid) shall take a vote for the Decision Stage. (Consensus procedures are still recommended and used for the Information Stage and the Discussion Stage from Consensus Decision-Making.)