The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 14 : The General Assembly

Paragraph 5 : On Establishing a Quorum

14-5. Any one hundred (100) of these commissioners, of whom half shall be teaching elders and half ruling elders, representing at least one-third (1/3) of the Presbyteries, being met on the day and at the place appointed, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business.

DIGEST:

BACKGROUND & COMPARISON:
PCA 1973, 15-5, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, p. 136
and
Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, 15-5, Proposed text, p. 18
Any eighteen of these Commissioners, of whom one-half shall be Teaching Elders, and at least five shall be Ruling Elders, representing at least seven Presbyteries, being met on the day and at the place appointed, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business.

PCUS 1933, XVII, § 89
and
PCUS 1925, XVII, § 89
Any eighteen of these Commissioners, of whom one-half shall be Ministers, and at least five shall be Ruling Elders, representing at least twelve Presbyteries under the jurisdiction of at least five Synods, being met on the day and at the place appointed, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business.

PCUS 1879, V-6-4
and
PCUS 1869 draft, V-6-5
Any eighteen of these commissioners, of whom one-half shall be Ministers, and at least five shall be Ruling Elders, being met on the day, and at the place appointed, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business.

PCUS 1867 draft, V-6-5
Any eighteen of these commissioners, of whom one-half shall be ministers, and at least five shall be ruling elders, being met on the day, and at the place appointed, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business.

COMMENTARY:
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order (1898, p. 112), on V-6-4 :

89.--IV. Any eighteen of these commissioners, of whom one-half shall be Ministers, and at least five shall be Ruling Elders, being met on the day, and at the place appointed, shall be a quorum for the transaction of business.
(Cf. par. 74.) As there must be at least nine Ministers, at least nine Presbyteries (unless some of the Presbyteries are quite large) will be represented, and almost certainly more than one Synod. It is assumed that, in case of special difficulties in the way of securing a quorum, more Ministers could be present than Ruling Elders.
Here it reads, "quorum for the transaction of business," making it plain that, if the number present at any time falls below the requirements for a quorum, business cannot be transacted ; and this is to be assumed also in the cases of the other courts
.