The Presbytery takes special oversight of a congregation within its bounds which is vacant.

The Presbytery declares a vacancy to exist in a charge from the date of:

1. the death of a minister; or
2. the dissolution of the pastoral tie between minister and congregation:
   1. on the acceptance of the resignation of the minister in accordance with rule 4A:4; or
   2. on the minister's translation and induction to another charge; or
   3. in consequence of the action or instructions of a higher court; or
   4. in consequence of lawful action taken by the Presbytery as provided in rules or regulations of the General Assembly; or
   5. if the minister is deposed or suspended from his office for more than three months or indefinitely after formal judicial process as provided in the Code of Discipline of the General Assembly of Australia; or
3. approval given by the Presbytery:
   1. to an application for the calling of an associate minister, a colleague, or a colleague and successor, to the minister of the charge (see rule 4:102A); or
   2. for the raising of an appointment parish, a progressive mission station or a home mission station to the status of a charge.

The Presbytery, having decided to dissolve a pastoral tie, engages in prayer and then either names a date from which the dissolution takes effect or, in the case of translation, instructs the minister concerned to wait on the orders of the other Presbytery in regard to the arrangements for his induction.

A minister desiring to resign his pastoral charge sends his resignation in writing to the Presbytery of the bounds. The Presbytery, before proceeding to deal with the resignation, calls the congregation to appear for their interests at a nominated meeting of the court.

No final announcement of the resignation may be made by a minister to his congregation. The announcement should come through the Presbytery, and the Presbytery accepts such a resignation only after careful inquiry into the causes which have led to it.

The Presbytery, on declaring a vacancy to exist (see rule 4A:2), issues an edict of vacancy in the prescribed form (see Appendix 11) and directs that it be read to the congregation concerned at the earliest opportunity following the commencement of the vacancy. Certification that the edict was read is returned to the clerk of the Presbytery.

On declaring a vacancy to exist in a charge, the Presbytery appoints

1. an interim moderator, who may be either
   
   
   1. one of its ministerial members, or
      
   2. a District Interim Moderator (see Rule 3.8); or
      
      
2. an Intentional Interim Minister (see Rules 4A.6.1 and 4A.6.2) as moderator of the Session, who shall, while so acting, not be eligible for a call to the charge.

Under no circumstances may a Presbytery appoint a minister connected with a vacant congregation to be its interim moderator or Intentional Interim Minister.
Notwithstanding that a presbytery has appointed an interim moderator to a parish, it may subsequently revoke that appointment and appoint an Intentional Interim Minister, or vice versa.

An Intentional Interim Minister:

1. is a minister of the Church authorised and provided by the Ministry Development Committee for appointment by presbyteries in exceptional circumstances to transitional ministry in a vacant charge.
   
2. has all the rights and responsibilities of interim moderators as expressed in Rules 3.8 and 4A7, except that he is not to begin formal steps to fill the vacancy until he has satisfied the presbytery that there is reasonable expectation that the reasons which led to his appointment no longer exist.
   
3. is to serve exclusively in one parish at a time, limited except in extraordinary cases to two years. Requests by presbyteries that particular cases be considered extraordinary and an Intentional Interim Minister be authorised for an extension of his appointment beyond two years shall be considered on their merits by the Ministry Development Committee.

Prior to the appointment of an Intentional Interim Minister, the Presbytery consults with:

1. the congregation, explaining the role of an Interim Intentional Minister, and the effect of such an appointment on the time likely to be taken in filling the vacancy; and
   
2. the Ministry Development Committee, to ascertain the availability of a suitable person for the proposed appointment.

As the representative and executive of the Presbytery, the interim moderator:

1. sees that public worship, sacraments and all other appropriate religious services are duly administered and discipline is maintained;
2. executes, so far as he can do so consistently with his other duties, all the spiritual functions that would otherwise belong to the inducted minister;
3. delegates to such persons as the law of the church allows such duties as he is not able personally to perform;
4. stands in the same position as the inducted minister in regard to the use of the church and other ecclesiastical buildings (see rules 2:31,32);
5. takes the necessary steps for filling the vacancy in accordance with the procedure laid down by the General Assembly, except when the Presbytery halts procedure as provided in rules 4A:30(b) or 4A:32, 33.

When it sees fit the Presbytery also appoints two of its members with whom the interim moderator may take counsel in matters concerning the vacancy.

Should the Presbytery decide that the dissolution of the pastoral tie (as provided in rule 4A:2(b)) shall take effect at a considerable interval after such decision is made, it may appoint one of its ministerial members as interim moderator designate. The interim moderator designate shall take initial steps to fill the pending vacancy up to, but not including, the insertion of a name in a form of call.

The interim moderator designate may, after consultation with the moderator of the Session, convene and preside over such meetings of the Session, the board of management, the congregation and the selection committee as in the opinion of the interim moderator designate are necessary for the discharge of his duties. Only business connected with the filling of the pending vacancy may be dealt with at such meetings.

The interim moderator designate has the full responsibilities and powers of interim moderator only from the commencement of the vacancy.

Except when the context otherwise requires, the term "interim moderator" in the following rules also includes interim moderator designate.