Chapter 23: The Dissolution of the Pastoral Relation

23-1. When any minister shall tender the resignation of his pastoral charge
to his Presbytery, the Presbytery shall cite the church to appear by its
commissioners, to show cause why the Presbytery should or should not accept
the resignation. If the church fails to appear, or if its reasons for retaining its
pastor be deemed insufficient, his resignation shall be accepted and the
pastoral relation dissolved.
If any church desires to be relieved of its pastor, a similar procedure
shall be observed. But whether the minister or the church initiates proceedings
for a dissolution of the relation, there shall always be a meeting of the
congregation called and conducted in the same manner as the call of the pastor.
In any case, the minister must not physically leave the field until the Presbytery
or its commission empowered to handle uncontested requests for dissolution
has dissolved the relation.
The associate or assistant pastors may continue to serve a congregation
when the pastoral relation of the senior pastor is dissolved, but they may not
normally succeed the senior pastor without an intervening term of service in a
different field of labor. However a congregation by a secret ballot with four-
fifths (4/5) majority vote may petition Presbytery for an exception which by a
three-fourths (3/4) majority vote Presbytery may grant. Presbytery needs to
determine if the dissolution of the pastoral relationship with the senior pastor
was brought about in Christian love and good order on the part of the parties
concerned.

23-2. The Presbytery may designate a minister as honorably retired when
the minister by reason of age wishes to be retired, or as medically disabled
when by reason of infirmity is no longer able to serve the church in the active
ministry of the Gospel. A minister medically disabled or honorably retired
shall continue to hold membership in his Presbytery. He may serve on
committees or commissions if so elected or appointed.