The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 31 : The Parties in Cases of Process

Paragraph 10 : On the Suspension of Official Functions

31-10. When a member of a church court is under process, all his official functions may be suspended at the court's discretion; but this shall never be done in the way of censure.

DIGEST :The current text dates to PCUS 1876, differing only from subsequent editions in the capitalization of "Church". The earlier PCUS drafts lacked the adjective "official", and had the phrase "as a member of the court" which was deleted by 1876.

BACKGROUND AND COMPARISON :
PCA 1973, RoD, 5-10, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, p. 147
Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, RoD, 5-10, Proposed text, p. 43
PCUS 1933, RoD, V-§191
PCUS 1925, RoD, V-§191
PCUS 1879, RoD, V-10
When a member of a church court is under process, all his official functions may be suspended, at its discretion; but this shall never be done in the way of censure.

PCUS 1876 draft, Rules of Discipline, V-10
When a member of a Church court is under process, all his official functions may be suspended, at its discretion; but this shall never be done in the way of censure.

PCUS 1869 draft, Canons of Discipline, V-10
When a member of a Church-court is under process, all his functions as a member of the court may be suspended, at its discretion, but this shall never be done in the way of censure.

PCUS 1867 draft, Canons of Discipline, V-10
When a member of a church-court is under process, all his functions as a member of the court may be suspended, at its discretion, but this shall never be done in the way of censure.

COMMENTARY :
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order (1898, p. 191), on RoD, V-10 :
170.--X. When a member of a church court is under process, all his official functions may be suspended at its discretion ; but this shall never be done in the way of censure.
This is a particular application of the principle that one may have the exercise of his official functions suspended without censure ; but the court should be slow to do this, unless prudence requires it, lest it work to the prejudice of the accused or make the court appear precipitate.