What it’s all about
Whenever people work together toward a common goal, they need rules to coordinate their efforts. This is particularly true in a "deliberative assembly" like the General Synod, where several hundred people do a great deal of work together in a very short time. Parliamentary procedure provides a framework for thoughtful and efficient deliberation, implementing the will of the majority while protecting the rights of the minority.

Two parliamentary authorities are used to guide our work. One is the Standing Rules, drafted by the Executive Council and adopted at the Synod’s opening plenary session. The other is the widely-used Robert’s Rules of Order, first compiled in 1876 by General Henry M. Robert; we use the “Newly Revised” 10th edition of 2000. Where the two differ, the Standing Rules prevail.