1. Restoration is the culmination of the element of mercy in the discipline of the Church; therefore, it is to be regarded as the goal of judgment. There is no degree of guilt which automatically precludes the restoration of an offender to full church privileges, following satisfactory evidence of repentance and reformation.
2. An offender is to be restored by the same authority which censured him or by the authority of a higher court.
3. The act of restoration may be publicly announced or privately conveyed. The court shall determine the option based on the good of the offender and/or the Church.
4. An offender desiring restoration shall make application to the court by which he was censured, acknowledging his offense and expressing his desire to be restored to the privileges of the Church. The necessity of initiative on the part of the offender is in no manner to be seen as releasing the Church from its responsibility in pursuing the repentance and restoration of the offender.
5. The Court is to consider carefully the request of the offender with the evidence of his repentance; and if satisfied of his sincerity and of the earnestness of his purpose to live a Christian life, the court is to remove the sentence and to restore him to the privileges of the Church.
6. In the case of expulsion, when the session has referred the matter to the presbytery for the ruling on the censure imposed, the session shall in like manner refer the restoration to the presbytery along with the evidence in the case. The presbytery, if satisfied of the sincerity of the offender's repentance, shall issue a warrant to the session for the act of restoration.
7. An officer who has been suspended or deposed from office and has had the privileges of the Church suspended is to be restored to the church privileges on satisfactory evidence of repentance. He is not to be restored to the exercise of his office until such time that the witness of the Church will not be impaired by such restoration.
8. When an offender has been restored he is, as one forgiven through Christ who claims God's covenant promises, to be received by the Church as a brother.