Overture

To the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria (or Commission of Assembly).

In the light of:

a)

b)

c)

etc. ...

Now therefore .....................................................

(insert the name of the court or committee overturing, or, if by five members of Assembly, insert the word "we")

humbly overture(s) the Assembly to take these premises into consideration and .................................................................................. (insert, in brief and general terms only, the substance of what the overture is seeking to achieve; in the case of rule change being sure to indicate which part of the law of the church it is proposed to alter, and specify the exact wording of the change)

or do otherwise as in their wisdom they may consider appropriate.

Signed: (by persons concerned, the Presbytery clerk, committee secretary, other appropriate person)

Dated: .........................................

The overturists (if members of Assembly) should then prepare separately a notice of motion, relating to their overture, by which they hope to secure their proposal. If it includes a change to chapters 1-7 of the rules, it must do this by way of the Barrier Act. The notice begins with:

That the Assembly: a) sustain the overture

Note: When an overture is forwarded by a court of the church to a higher court, the following extract should be attached to the overture:

Extracted from the minutes of the meeting of ..................... on .................................
by me: ........................................... , Clerk.

Also, provide the names of persons appointed to state the overture.