The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 37 : The Removal of Censure

Paragraph 6 :

37-6. When a ruling elder or deacon has been absolved from the censure of deposition, he cannot be allowed to resume the exercise of his office in the church without re-election by the people.

DIGEST :
Apart from differences of capitalization, the current PCA text remains unchanged from that of PCA 1973 and the key PCUS editions back to PCUS 1879.

BACKGROUND AND COMPARISON :
1. PCA 1973, RoD, 11-5, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, p. 151
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, RoD, 11-5, Proposed text, p. 54
3. PCUS 1933, RoD, XI-§252
4. PCUS 1925, RoD, XI-§252
5. PCUS 1879, Rules of Discipline, XI-5

When a Ruling Elder or Deacon has been absolved from the censure of deposition, he cannot be allowed to resume the exercise of his office in the church without re-election by the people.

PCUS 1869 draft, Canons of Discipline, XI-5
When the censure of excommunication or deposition has been inflicted by a Church-session, it cannot be removed without the advice of the Presbytery. Nor, even after an Elder or Deacon has been absolved of the censure of deposition, can he be allowed to resume the exercise of his office in the Congregation without the consent of the people.

PCUS 1867 draft, Canons of Discipline, XI-5
When the censure of excommunication or deposition has been inflicted by a church-session, it cannot be removed without the advice of the presbytery. Nor, even after an elder or deacon has been absolved of the censure of deposition, can he be allowed to resume the exercise of his office in the congregation without the consent of the people.

COMMENTARY :
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order (1898, p. 229), on XI-5:
231.--V. When an Elder or Deacon has been absolved from the censure of deposition, he cannot be allowed to resume the exercise of his office in the church without re-election by the people.
But when absolved from suspension from office, re-election of a Ruling Elder or Deacon, or of a Pastor whose pastoral relation was not dissolved, is not necessary. When re-election is necessary, then also is reinstallation.