The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 45 : Dissents, Protests and Objections

Paragraph 1 : Who Can Vote & When to File

45-1. Any member of a court who had a right to vote on a question, and is not satisfied with the action taken by that court, is entitled to have a dissent or protest recorded.
None can join in a dissent or protest against an action of any court except those who had a right to vote in the case.
Any member who did not have the right to vote on an appeal or complaint (see BCO 39-2), and is not satisfied with the action taken by the court, is entitled to have an objection recorded.
A dissent, protest or objection shall be filed with the clerk of the lower court within thirty (30) days following the meeting of the lower court or with the clerk of the General Assembly before its adjournment.

DIGEST: This paragraph was added to the PCA Book of Church Order in 1987 [M15GA, 15-25, Item 1, p. 94] and amended in 1990 [M18GA, 18-8, Item 2, p. 44].

BACKGROUND & COMPARISON:
No comparable paragraph is found in the following editions:
PCA 1973, RoD, Chapter 19, Adopted text
Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, RoD, Chapter 19, Proposed text
PCUS 1933
PCUS 1925
PCUS 1879
PCUS 1869 draft
PCUS 1867 draft

OTHER COMPARISONS:
OPC 2005, Book of Discipline, VIII - Dissents and Protests, par. 1
Any member of a judicatory who is entitled to vote on a question and who votes against the action or judgment of the judicatory thereon may request that his vote be recorded in the minutes of the judicatory.

COMMENTARY:
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order (1898) :
[no comparable text for discussion]