Formation

1. Following the renewal election, the Synod convenes for the constituent meeting upon the invitation of the Church Council.

2. The meeting is opened by the outgoing President of the Synod or, if he or she no longer belongs to the Synod, by the President of the Church Council.

3. He or she provisionally appoints a secretary and two tellers, initiates the roll call, and conducts the election of the President.

4. The newly elected President assumes the chairmanship upon accepting the election and allows for the election of the other members of the office.

1. The Church Council approves the elections for the Synod.

2. It reports to the Synod at the constituent meeting on the election results, any election appeals, and the election approval.

3. These provisions apply mutatis mutandis also to by-elections during a term of office.

1. If a member of the Synod must resign for compelling reasons before the end of the term of office, they shall notify the Church Council and the President of the Synod.

2. If a member of the Synod leaves the church congregation during the term of office, they are obligated to resign.

3. The Church Council announces the resignation to the relevant church congregation and calls for a by-election.

4. If a member of the Synod has died, the church leadership of the congregation where the deceased had their residence shall promptly inform the Church Council and the President of the Synod, so that a by-election can be arranged.

1. The Synod elects the Bureau. This includes

1. the President

2. the Vice President

3. the Secretariat with two members

4. four vote counters

2. In their election, attention must be paid to a balanced representation of ordained and non-ordained members.

3. The Synod additionally elects a permanent alternate member. This member does not participate in Bureau meetings.

4. Persons who have held the office of President or Vice President are not immediately eligible for re-election to the same office after their term has ended.

1. The President presides over the meetings of the Synod and the sessions of the Bureau.

2. He or she receives parliamentary motions as well as other submissions addressed to the Synod.

3. He or she represents the Synod externally.

1. The members of the actuary are responsible for the minutes of the synod, and they keep the minutes of the board.

2. A member of the actuary signs, together with the president, the documents issued by the synod.

3. The members of the actuary transmit completed synodal records to the church council for archiving.

4. The board may assign other persons with the keeping of the synod's minutes.

1. The vote counters determine the results of the elections and polls.

2. If open voting raises doubts about the majority and minority, the President or a Synod member may request a count of the votes.

3. In secret elections and polls, the vote counters, along with the Vice President, form the election office.

4. They verify and count the distributed and received ballots and record the result.

1. The office convenes at the invitation of the President or if at least four members request it.

2. It reviews and approves the minutes of the Synod.

3. It decides on the agenda and order of business in consultation with the Church Council.

4. It seeks candidates for elections that are the responsibility of the Synod and accepts additional candidacies.

1. The synod ordinarily convenes twice a year, typically on the last Monday in June for the summer session and the last Monday in November for the fall session.

2. It is convened extraordinarily

1. by its own resolution

2. upon a request submitted to the president of the synod by at least one quarter of the members

3. at the request of the synod's bureau

4. at the request of the church council

1. Invitation to Meetings: The invitation to meetings is issued by the President in agreement with the Church Council. The date, venue, and any guest lectures are decided jointly.

2. Invitation and Minutes: The invitation and minutes must be delivered at least 20 days before the meeting, either in printed form or digitally, and must also be published on the internet.

3. Agenda and Order of Business: The agenda and order of business must be published in the cantonal official gazette.

1. An appropriate rotation must be observed in the choice of the meeting location.

2. The secretariat of the church council is responsible for providing the meeting hall and servicing the synod in agreement with the president.

3. The secretariat of the church council establishes the seating arrangement, which must be adhered to.

1. Members are obligated to attend the meetings.

2. Anyone who is wholly or partially unable to attend due to compelling reasons must send a written apology to the President as early as possible before the meeting, or at the latest within two days after each meeting.

3. Anyone who arrives late or leaves the meeting early must report personally to the secretariat.

1. The members of the church council participate in the sessions of the synod.

2. They have the right to participate in deliberations and submit proposals.

1. The sessions of the Synod generally begin with a worship service. The person appointed for this by the office does not need to be a member of the Synod.

1. The commencement of the session is indicated by the ringing of a bell.

1. The meetings are public.

2. If at least 20 members of the synod or the church council request the exclusion of the public, this will be discussed and decided without any audience, attendees, or media personnel.

3. There is a duty of confidentiality regarding secret deliberations.

4. Deliberations on laws are always public.

1. Journalists are required to report to the President.

2. They will be provided with an appropriate workplace.

3. Journalists receive invitations and documents like the members of the Synod.

1. For audio and video recordings in the courtroom, authorization from the President is required.

1. Media Professionals' Obligation to Correct Inaccuracies

Media professionals are obliged to correct inaccurate information regarding the proceedings free of charge, upon request from voters or the President.

1. Whoever wishes to distribute or have distributed materials, particularly documents, to the members of the synod before, during, or after the session in the meeting building or immediately in front of its entrance, must obtain prior approval from the President.

1. At the beginning of the first session of each term, the registrar shall read the names of the synod members, whereby those called shall rise from their seats and respond.

2. At the beginning of each subsequent session, a roll call is conducted.

3. The confirmation of presence may be repeated during the day at the order of the president if necessary.

4. Absent members shall be listed in the minutes.

1. The Synod is quorum when at least two-thirds of all members are present.

1. Upon the calling of names, the rules of procedure are open for discussion.

2. The synod decides on the inclusion of items not on the agenda by a majority of those present at the calling of names.

1. Drafts for laws, ordinances, or resolutions, as well as budgets, accounts, reports, and credit requests, must be delivered to members, usually with an explanatory message, no later than 20 days before the session, either in printed form or digitally, and must also be published on the Internet.

2. The church council or the office may refer a matter to a permanent or special committee for preliminary discussion.

3. Significant amendment proposals from the committee must be communicated in writing to the members of the synod before the session.

1. In exceptional cases, the synod decides on the confidentiality of documents, particularly in closed sessions.

2. In this case, there is exceptionally no public publication on the internet.

1. Resignations from the church council, the office, and from commissions, delegations, and representations must be submitted to the president no later than 80 days before the next ordinary synod, so that the members of the synod are informed and replacement elections can be scheduled.

2. The president shall inform the members of the synod of the vacancy within 20 days upon becoming aware of a resignation.

3. For resignations submitted later, the replacement election shall be held one ordinary synod later.

4. Candidacies for elections that fall under the purview of the synod will be published in the synodal gazette, provided they have been communicated to the president of the synod at least 50 days prior to the synod.

1. In every proceeding, the question of admission must first be addressed and, if admission is not obligatory, a decision must be made.

2. Admission to proceedings according to § 64 Nos. 16 and 17 of the Church Constitution is obligatory.

3. If no request to speak is made during the admission debate, admission is deemed to be tacitly decided.

4. If admission is decided or not contested, the substantive deliberation follows.

1. If the synod resolves not to enter, the matter is considered resolved.

2. After the decision to enter and during the substantive deliberation, the synod may refer a matter in whole or in part back to the church council or the commission for revision.

1. After the decision to proceed, the President opens the discussion.

2. The President grants the floor in the order of registration.

3. In cases of simultaneity, priority is given to the member who has not yet spoken on the matter.

4. Reports and votes are presented at the microphone, mentioning the name and the church community.

5. The Church Council can take a final position on the matter.

1. During substantive deliberations, any member may propose amendments, deletions, or additions.

2. Substantive motions must be submitted in writing to the President before the vote.

1. The President may also allow non-members of the synod to speak.

1. If a commission report is available, a member of the commission is given the floor first.

2. Subsequently, the president opens the discussion.

1. If a proposal consists of multiple provisions, each shall be deliberated individually, unless the synod decides otherwise.

1. If the President wishes to participate in the discussion, this must be announced.

2. The floor will be taken after the already registered speakers.

3. If a motion is made or a committee report is delivered, the Vice President shall assume the conduct of the proceedings.

1. Motions concerning procedural matters are procedural motions.

2. If a procedural motion is submitted, the discussion is limited to this motion, and substantive deliberation will only continue after a decision on the procedural motion has been made.

3. The motion to close the debate is a procedural motion.

4. Upon its acceptance, only those speakers who have already registered to speak may do so.

5. Those speaking on behalf of the Church Council and the Commission are entitled to a closing statement.

1. If no further request to speak is made, the president shall declare the discussion closed.

2. Once the discussion is concluded, the subject under negotiation may no longer be addressed.

1. After the conclusion of the discussion, the President shall compile the motions and explain how the voting will proceed.

2. If a different procedure is requested and the President does not concur with this request, the synod shall decide.

3. A request to vote on a question separately should fundamentally be granted.

1. The President restates the submitted motions.

2. He or she generally has them voted on individually by juxtaposing them with the wording of the proposal.

3. In contingent votes, two amendments at a time may be juxtaposed with each other, and the one prevailing at the end may be juxtaposed with the proposal.

4. The position taken in a vote on amendments does not bind the individual member for the main vote.

1. As a rule, voting is conducted openly. It is carried out by standing up or using an electronic voting system.

2. By order of the President or upon request of a member, the votes are to be counted, and the opposition majority is to be recorded.

3. In all votes, the majority of those voting decides.

1. If a secret ballot is requested, it must first be voted on without discussion regarding this procedural motion.

2. The secret ballot must be conducted if at least one quarter of the voters request it.

1. At the request of at least 20 members, a roll-call vote shall be conducted.

2. Each member shall cast their vote immediately after being called.

3. Their statement shall be recorded in the minutes.

1. During votes, the President exercises the right to vote like the other members.

2. In the event of a tie during open votes, the motion for which the President has voted shall be considered adopted.

3. If there was a previous abstention, he or she casts the deciding vote.

1. After the conclusion of the substantive debate, motions to reconsider may be submitted.

2. Such motions are voted on without discussion. If the synod decides to reconsider, the discussion on the relevant point is reopened.

1. At the conclusion of the deliberations, a final vote is held.

2. The secretariat of the Church Council prepares the revised version of the decree based on the minutes.

1. The synod may subject a decree to a drafting reading.

2. The editorial committee makes the editorial changes and forwards the revised version to the office.

3. The office submits the decree to the synod for the drafting reading.

4. In this case, the final vote takes place after the drafting reading.

1. If a decree is adopted in accordance with § 10 of the Church Constitution, the president poses the question of who is in favor of a referendum.

1. The minutes provide information on the location and time of the meeting, the participants, and the course of the negotiations. Motions are to be recorded verbatim.

2. Votes are recorded with their outcome, including the number of votes in case of counting.

3. The secretariat is permitted to use recording devices as an aid.

4. The written minutes are authoritative. The recordings are to be deleted after the minutes have been approved.

1. The minutes are approved by the office and distributed to the members of the synod.

1. Anyone who believes that their vote has been incorrectly recorded may submit a written request for correction to the President.

2. The office decides on whether to include it in the new record.

1. On other forms of consultation that deviate from the procedures provided in these regulations, such as discussion or deliberation synods, the synod decides on a case-by-case basis.

1. Proposals such as amendments to the church constitution or church regulations shall be preliminarily considered by a commission.

2. For the deliberation of additional decrees, the synod or the office may appoint a preparatory commission.

3. The preparatory commission shall deliver the results of its deliberations to the members of the synod no later than ten days before the meeting.

1. The Synod may decide on the urgency of partial revisions to the Church Order and waive the formation of a commission.

2. The manner of urgent treatment is to be decided before entering into consideration.

1. Amendments to the church constitution and church regulations shall be deliberated twice, further enactments upon the resolution of the synod.

2. If substantial changes arise in the first reading, the revised version must be submitted.

1. The preparatory commission may submit new proposals for the second reading, which will also be provided in advance.

2. The second reading takes place in a later session unless urgency is decided.

3. The synod may decide on urgency for partial revisions of the church order and dispense with a second reading.

4. The manner of urgent treatment is to be decided before proceeding.

1. Members of the Synod have the right to propose amendments to the church constitution or church regulations, as well as the enactment, repeal, or amendment of ordinances and resolutions by means of a motion.

2. A motion must be submitted in writing to the President of the Synod, along with a justification.

3. Motions signed by multiple members are represented by the member who signed first.

1. If a motion is submitted at least 80 days before the synod meeting, it must be placed on the agenda. Its text will be sent to the members of the synod with the invitation.

2. The Church Council shall provide a written statement to the synod members no later than 20 days before the synod. During the synod deliberation, the motion initiator and subsequently the Church Council shall be given the opportunity to make a statement again. Then, the motion's significance is discussed and voted upon.

3. If the motion is declared significant, the Church Council is tasked with reporting on the subject of the motion at the next meeting or providing an interim report if necessary, and making a proposal.

4. If it is declared urgent, the synod will enter into deliberation in the same session.

5. The first signatory member may withdraw the motion until the conclusion of the deliberation; co-signatories may choose to uphold the motion.

1. Members of the Synod have the right to request information from the Church Council on any matter that falls within its remit.

2. Such interpellations shall be submitted in writing to the President of the Synod, accompanied by a rationale, and must be signed.

3. If an interpellation is submitted at least 60 days prior to the Synod meeting, it must be placed on the agenda. Its text will be sent to the members of the Synod along with the invitation.

4. The Church Council must provide a written response for the Synod members no later than 20 days before the Synod.

1. During the handling of business in the Synod, the interpellant shall first be given the floor and shall declare whether he or she is satisfied with the response.

2. A discussion shall only take place if it is decided upon by the Synod upon request.

1. Information that can be requested through an interpellation must also be provided by the Church Council following a Simple Inquiry.

2. A Simple Inquiry may only be made by a member of the Synod and must be submitted to the President of the Synod in writing and signed.

3. The Church Council responds to Simple Inquiries in writing, usually in the next possible synodal bulletin.

4. No discussion takes place.

1. Proposals from church congregations to the synod pursuant to § 15 No. 20 of the church constitution shall be treated as motions.

2. The church council determines who will represent the proposal of the church congregation. The representative does not need to be a member of the synod.

1. Elections are conducted openly or by secret ballot.

2. Decisive is the absolute majority of the relevant votes.

3. The President announces the voting round, the type of election, and the election proposals.

4. The President provides the opportunity to make additional proposals from the members of the synod, as well as to justify and discuss the proposals.

1. Secret elections are held for

1. the Presidency and Vice-Presidency of the Synod

2. the Presidency and the members of the Church Council

3. the Presidency and the members of the Appeals and Complaints Commission

4. the delegates to the Theological Concordat Examination Authority and their deputies

2. A maximum number of votes equal to the number of positions to be filled and the lines available on the ballot can be cast. Each name can appear only once.

3. Ballots are collected by the vote counters. The election office determines the outcome of the election. Votes for ineligible persons and votes that do not clearly identify a candidate are invalid. If a ballot contains more names than positions to be filled, the excess names at the bottom are removed. A name mentioned more than once is counted only once. Any additional mention is considered an invalid vote. A ballot containing defamatory statements is invalid. Blank and invalid ballots are not counted.

4. The President announces the results of the election and identifies the elected persons by name. If more candidates than positions available achieve the absolute majority, those with the most votes are elected. In the case of a tie for remaining seats, a further ballot is conducted for the candidates with equal votes. If another ballot is necessary, the President orders it to be held.

5. In the first two ballots, any eligible person may receive votes.

6. From the third round of voting onwards, no new candidacies are permitted. Only individuals who have received votes in the first two ballots can be elected. If no one achieves the absolute majority (i.e., more than half of the valid votes), the person with the fewest votes is eliminated before the next round of voting.

7. This process is repeated until one person achieves the absolute majority and is thereby elected.

8. Ballots from a concluded election are to be immediately destroyed after the session by the secretariat in the presence of the vote counters.

1. Open elections can be held for

1. the two members of the Actuarial Office

2. the vote counters and substitute member of the Bureau

3. the representatives to the Synod of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Switzerland

4. the delegates to the Deaconry Conference

5. the presidencies and members of the permanent commissions of the Synod

6. the members of other commissions of the Synod, unless this election is transferred to the Bureau

7. the daily presidency, the daily vice-presidency, the daily actuarial office, and the daily vote counters

8. the holder of the Ombudsman position and two deputies

2. The open election shall take place by standing up or using an electronic voting system. At the order of the President or upon request of a member, the votes must be counted.

3. If more candidates are nominated than positions available, a secret ballot must be conducted.

4. The election of multiple commission members, the two members of the Actuarial Office, and the vote counters can be conducted in a single process, provided no member of the Synod objects.

5. The results shall be recorded in the same manner as voting results.

1. The synod elects an audit commission and an editorial commission for a term of four years.

2. Members are eligible for re-election for two additional terms.

3. Parts of a term are not counted towards re-election.

1. The Business Review Commission consists of seven members.

2. The Business Review Commission provides, for the attention of the Synod, comments on the accountability report of the Church Council, the budget and accounts, as well as on matters for which no preparatory commission is appointed.

1. The Audit Committee may appoint an external audit firm to examine the accounts.

1. The Editorial Commission consists of five members, one of whom belongs to the secretariat of the Synod.

1. The synod may establish special commissions and preparatory commissions for the preliminary review of regulations and business matters, determining the number of their members itself.

2. The synod may delegate the election of the members of these commissions to the office.

1. Except for the presidencies elected by the Synod, the commissions constitute themselves.

1. The President of the Commission invites participants to the meetings.

2. A representative of the Church Council and, if necessary, additional experts may be consulted. They participate in the meetings with an advisory vote.

1. The commissions generally deliberate on the draft of the Church Council.

1. The commissions independently approve their minutes.

2. Minutes and commission reports are to be submitted to the church council for archiving by the secretary upon completion.

3. Minutes of preparatory commissions are also to be submitted to the president for acknowledgment. Synod members may request to review them.

1. Members of the Synod and its commissions receive compensation in accordance with the Synod's Regulation on Compensation in the Evangelical Church of the Canton of Thurgau.

2. Compensation for the preparation of Synod minutes, special assignments such as the drafting of reports and proposals for enactments of the Synod, is determined by the commission in agreement with the Church Council.

1. The Collection of Laws of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Thurgau is accessible via the Church's website.