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$10 to download a pdf of the Book of Order? Really?

Carmen Fowler LaBerge

7/20/2011 11:22:43 AM

As of 7/22/11,  IT IS NOW FREE!

 

This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue of equal accessibility to a document that now governs the common life of everyone in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

 

As of July 10, the PCUSA has an entirely new Form of Government. This requires that every currently ordained officer (minister, elder and deacon) read, learn and take renewed ordination vows to be governed by the new Book of Order. 

 

In its quest to raise revenues, the denomination is charging $10 – not for a printed copy, but for a digital copy, that you can download onto your computer. (If you want a printed copy that will cost you an additional $5.25 for shipping and handling.)

 

In a world of on-demand publishing, the pdf file is actually finalized in order for the book to go to print. So, there are no additional costs to the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) in simply posting for everyone the document they’re selling to those who want a hard copy. Further, your General Assembly per capita is paying for that work to be done.

 

If one were to look at the $11+ million 2012 per capita budget for the OGA, you might see places where dollars could have been allocated to cover whatever costs are associated with posting online a book whose contents have been in circulation in the form of nationwide amendments for a year.

 

Notably, a pdf file of the Book of Order has historically been available on the OGA website for free download. You can still download the Book of Confessions for free at http://oga.pcusa.org/constitution.htm. One wonders, “If the Confession of Belhar had received the necessary two-thirds majority vote of the presbyteries, would an electronic amended Book of Confessions also be posted for sale instead of free?”

 

There are few ways to “look” at this other than pure recovery of slacking revenues.

 

This action seems insincere from a denomination which out of the other side of its mouth, (General Assembly Mission Council) denominational leaders advocate for an “open source” approach. I wonder how long it will take before someone uploads their downloaded copy to a platform everyone can use? Wikipedia, anyone?

 

For those who are concerned about economic justice issues, this should be a fire-starter.

 

For those who are concerned about smaller membership congregations with few financial resources, this should inflame outrage.

 

For those who are concerned about having an educated, informed and equipped laity, this should provoke activism.

 

Call the OGA and tell them what you think at 888-728-7228 x5750.

 

Email the OGA now by clicking here.

 

 UPDATE: The Presbyterian Coalition has posted the official version of the 2011-2013 Book of Order on its website for free download. Click here to download.

 

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Comments  18

  • Loren Golden 20 Jul, 01:28 PM

    When my church transferred into the EPC last year, I ordered a copy of the EPC Book of Order and an official EPC copy of the Westminster Standards in Modern English. The copy of both those books combined was $10, but that was printed. One can go onto the EPC website (www.epc.org/resources/order-epc-materials/) and download them for free.

    That the PCUSA OGA is charging just to download a pdf of the book by which its deacons, elders, and ministers promise to abide (W-4.4003e - "Will you be governed by our church's polity...?") is a sign of how much the denomination is suffering from the hemorrhaging of members, especially as it loses many of its Evangelical congregations (which historically have higher per-capita giving than non-Evangelical PCUSA congregations).

  • Carolyn Poteet 20 Jul, 03:18 PM

    Carmen, I'll give you $10 if you'll upload it to the Layman for free!

  • Kerri Peterson-Davis 20 Jul, 07:36 PM

    Seriously? I have often wondered if some of the folks working for the Layman have too much time and too little grace - this confirms it!

  • Shawn Coons 20 Jul, 09:48 PM

    I was also surprised ad disappointed that the PDF was now $10, but your overreaction to this issue is quite amusing. Trying to make this an issue of economic justice and punishing small congregations is so over the top. I'd wager that most small congregations get the printed version of the BoO anyway.

    And before you use "open source" to make an accusation of hypocrisy you should probably realize that open source doesn't simply mean giving things away for free. Although an actual open source Book of Order would be interesting.

    Your basic argument that this move is an actual barrier to people getting the new Book of Order is not a fire-starter, it's a non-starter.

  • Earl Apel 20 Jul, 10:21 PM

    The PCUSA site does indicate the free web copy will be available in the fall. I don't see the big deal for charging for printed copies in the meantime.

  • Jay Dull 21 Jul, 08:48 AM

    I am not sure why people are surprised about the GA decision to charge $10 to download the Book of Order from the internet. Hasn't that been the focus of some since the PCUSA was formed in 1983? The PCUSA has eveolved from a theological based organization to a secular organaization (I find it dicfficult to use the term denomination in describing the PCUSA). Isn't it logical for those same people to act as the managesr described in Luke 16:1-16:13. If the PCUSA is really interested in getting more money, perhaps they could tell congregationhs to install parking meters in the church parking lots and charge a fee for each seat in the sanctuary. Jay Dull

  • Kay Marie 21 Jul, 09:29 AM

    I'll pitch in $10.00 too!

  • Landon Whitsitt 21 Jul, 10:56 AM

    Just to be clear, I'm an officer of the General Assembly not the General Assembly Mission Council. However, I do appreciate the link to my free ebook on an open source Christian faith.

  • Reformed Catholic 21 Jul, 02:05 PM

    Carmen,

    This is interesting ... when I originally went to the PCUSA Book of Order page, they had a link to order a CD of the 2011-2013 Book of Order for $10, that link has now been changed to a CD containing the BOO and the Book of Confessions for $15, with a quantity discount starting at 10 CDs.

    However, the BOC is available for free direct download, again, why isn't the BOO ?? This is really ridiculous, they already have the PDF created, it doesn't cost them anything to have it available, yet you have to purchase a download.

    As I mentioned on my blog, I guess they need to raise funds somehow, as I suspect next year's per capita will not be covering all their overhead.

  • Charles Neve 21 Jul, 04:50 PM

    We must be stupid. We got two free copies from our Presbytery. One for the clerk (who loves those sort of things, and one for the Pastor). I will continue to blithely ignore it as I am only the Minister of Administration.

  • Jim in Lumberton 21 Jul, 05:15 PM

    Charging for a pdf file.You've got to be kidding.It's my paper and my ink and I pay 10 dollars.

  • James Cramer 21 Jul, 06:33 PM

    $10 bucks is just an indicator of the financial stress/anxiety registering on the denomination/franchise. Those who still believe the PCUSA is a Christian organization will happily pay it. Those who don't will not care a whit. I'm whit-less and utterly disinterested. I have several translations of the Bible, however, and they satisfy my reading needs.

  • Susan Gates 21 Jul, 09:02 PM

    Did the PCUSA website really say this was to increase revenues? I think that we should all continue to use the old Book of Order until we are provided with a new one, for free.

  • Nancy Thompson 22 Jul, 08:47 AM

    Where is our UNITY spoken of in Ephesians 4:3?

  • Rosella McQuain 22 Jul, 09:49 AM

    Interesting, since you advocate not paying per capita, that you assume per capita can absorb the cost. However, the issue was not really cost but immediate availability. Now there is no issue as it has been provided by the OGA for download free. The situation is a dead horse and should be buried. Mistake made, remedied and apologized. Christians move forward.

  • D Carothers 22 Jul, 10:40 AM

    Also a little surprised that there is a charge for the download, but since all versions (print, CD, Korean, Spanish, etc.) are $10, no doubt the pdf charge subsidizes the others.

    Perhaps the PC has permission to post from the OGA. Maybe, although I doubt it. I also doubt that the OGA would press the issue, but you do realize that posting copyrighted material is a violation of federal law. Providing links to someone else's posting of copyrighted material is also a violation of federal law.

  • Sarah Hill 22 Jul, 12:16 PM

    This decision (to charge for the pdf) has been reversed. A free download is now available from the PC(USA) website.

  • Paul Campbell 12 Aug, 08:27 AM

    I just downloaded my PDF copy last night for free. You do need to go through the check out for the online store, but there is no charge for the PDF Book of Order and no account is required. Here is the link. http://store.pcusa.org/OGA11010
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