Suspend bylaws

[Mike6453]

I need your masterful advice on suspending bylaws. Our church has only bylaws, no other rules of order. There is no provision in the bylaws to suspend them. The bylaws establish RROR as the parliamentary authority: “Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all business meetings of the church.”

I have read several references in RROR that state that bylaws cannot be suspended or “normally” suspended. References: 2:8(4)(b); 2:21; 25:7; 8:14. 

However, I have become confused after reading 25:14 – “Rules Whose Suspension Requires a Two-Thirds Vote. The rules of order of a society, as contained in the manual established by the bylaws as the parliamentary authority, or as included in any special rules of order adopted by the organization, are rules of parliamentary procedure, the suspension of which requires a two-thirds vote.

My question: does 25:14 allow our church bylaws to be suspended by two-thirds vote? Thanks!!!

[Weldon Merritt]

On 8/29/2021 at 5:21 PM, Mike6453 said:

My question: does 25:14 allow our church bylaws to be suspended by two-thirds vote? Thanks!!!

Not exactly. Provisions that are "in the nature of a rule of order" may be suspended, even if they are contained in the bylaws. (24:7.) Otherwise, no (unless the provisions provides for its own suspension). So how do you know if a provisions "is in the nature of a rule of order"? RONR 2:14 provides the answer: "Such rules relate to the orderly transaction of business in meetings and to the duties of officers in that connection."

[Josh Martin]

On 8/29/2021 at 6:21 PM, Mike6453 said:

I need your masterful advice on suspending bylaws. Our church has only bylaws, no other rules of order. There is no provision in the bylaws to suspend them. The bylaws establish RROR as the parliamentary authority: “Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, is the authority for parliamentary rules of procedure for all business meetings of the church.”

I have read several references in RROR that state that bylaws cannot be suspended or “normally” suspended. References: 2:8(4)(b); 2:21; 25:7; 8:14. 

However, I have become confused after reading 25:14 – “Rules Whose Suspension Requires a Two-Thirds Vote. The rules of order of a society, as contained in the manual established by the bylaws as the parliamentary authority, or as included in any special rules of order adopted by the organization, are rules of parliamentary procedure, the suspension of which requires a two-thirds vote.

My question: does 25:14 allow our church bylaws to be suspended by two-thirds vote? Thanks!!!

What rule in the bylaws does the church wish to suspend?

[Tom Coronite]

I know of several clergy colleagues who are of the mind that bylaws, as a whole, may be suspended. They believe this to be a legitimate way of dealing with a troublesome bylaw preventing the church from doing something it wants to do. They prescribe voting to suspend the bylaws, doing the thing the bylaws prohibit, then voting to reinstate the bylaws. I don’t know why this mistaken notion seems so prevalent in churches.

As Mr Merritt notes, be careful to distinguish the “rules of order” in 25:14 from your bylaws in general. They are not the same thing.

[Atul Kapur]

On 8/30/2021 at 6:41 AM, Tom Coronite said:

I don’t know why this mistaken notion seems so prevalent in churches

Because they feel that there is a higher order? 👃