GA Business Meetings Begin

This morning began with an ecumenical worship service, with Archbishop Elias Chacour preaching.  After worship many people spent the morning visiting the exhibition hall one last time, catching up with other commissioners, attending sponsored gatherings or resting in preparation of the long business meetings yet to come.  I attended a workshop on using video to tell stories of ministry, and enjoyed visiting with Randy Butler while eating lunch. We discovered that we grew up in the same town, lived only a mile (or so) from each other and graduated from the same high school – small world, indeed.

After lunch the General Assembly business meetings began. One of the first actions of business was to install and confirm The Rev. Byron Wade, pastor of Davie Street Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC, as vice moderator of the 218th General Assembly.  After the installation, presentation of the overtures that the committees had worked on began.  At first, several passed with little or no discussion and slowly things began to pick up.  The first overture that involved much discussion and proposal of amendments was On Directing the GAC to Produce Adolescent Human Development Resources presented by the Church Growth and Christian Education Committee.  Other committees that presented overtures today were Business Referral; Bills and Overtures; Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations; Theological Issues and Institutions; Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Foundation and Presbyterian Publishing; and Youth. To view the committees, overtures and decisions, click on this link, then choose the committee and overture you are interested in.

At dinner tonight I attended the National PCUSA Multicultural Dinner sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Ministries and the Presbyterian Multicultural Network.  The keynote speaker was Tom Taylor, Executive Director for Mission, GAC.  He spoke about God created us each differently, put us in different situations, and allowed us to create different cultures. No one culture is better than an other, and all are to be celebrated.  He also reminded us that multicultural does not necessarily mean multi-ethnic or multi-racial, but rather focuses on culture. There can be a group of people from the same race, all with different cultures. The dinner was enjoyable, and the presentation thought-provoking. 

After dinner, on my way back to my hotel, I dodged a group of protesters (the one time all week, that I wasn’t carrying my camera!).  They were making their way to the convention center, and I didn’t think too much about them, but it was noted later that the protesters were more assertive than was comfortable to some of the commissioners who were entering the building. The protester’s actions were within the law, and no one was hurt, but it did make for a bit more exciting evening than many people had anticipated.

Tomorrow is expected to have some lively moments on the floor of the General Assembly.  If you like, you can stream the business meetings as they are happening from the GA218 website.  This site also has a link to PC-biz and the most up-to-date information on the decisions being made.

Please remember our commissioners, advisory delegates, and the whole assembly in your prayers as they seek to do God’s work in the next few days.

Heidi Francis
Communications Director, Seattle Presbytery 

 

The Winds are Blowing

Things may have seemed quiet around here yesterday, but today it feels as though the wind is picking up. Committees met all day and into the evening, breaking only for meals. Overtures are being crafted, discussions are lively, meetings are orderly, and decisions are being made.  No matter what the mood is in the room, it is heartwarming to see every committee pray or sing a hymn before and after every break – a constant reminder why they are here and who they are serving.

Every committee I visited today (7) were discussing issues that people were passionate about.  Topics included things such as: full communion with ecumenical partners; our stance on torture for military or security reasons; how the church addresses the abortion issue; making the Heidelberg Catechism translation more authentic; and deleting the fidelity and chastity clause from the Book of Order.  To follow the work of the committees and the overtures they are creating, log on to PC-biz, click on Committees at the top of the page, then choose the specific committee you are interested in on the left-hand side.  Or, once you are on the site, you can search for the subject you are interested in by clicking on the Explorer tab at the top of the homepage.

At the lunch break today, the commissioners and delegates from the Seattle Presbytery, North Puget Sound Presbytery and Olympia Presbytery ate their meal together.  It was a great time to catch up, share their experiences about their committees, and pray for each other.

In addition to the committee work, there is much sharing and collaboration also happening at GA. People are learning about the variety of ministries and resources that the PCUSA offers, along with what other churches, organizations and groups are doing to spread the love of God.  Today I spoke with a representative from Oikocredit, an organization that facilitates micro-finance loans; I learned about the PCUSA Campaign for Fair Food and their efforts to get corporations to work with farmworkers to end human rights abuses in the Florida fields; I provided copies of our Signs of Hope DVD to be distributed after it was viewed by others who are interested in creating similar videos for their own ministries; and I had dinner with the Hispanic Caucus.  

The dinner was enlightening.  I sat at a table with people from Costa Rica, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Columbia.  Some were ecumenical representatives, and others had Hispanic ministries here in the US. The dinner was a wonderful experience, including a word from both Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick and our new Moderator Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow. The Hispanic Caucus Moderator Rev. Alfredo Miranda also spoke. We were entertained with a Latino band who led the Hispanic constituents in song, and dancers who performed native dances from a variety of South American countries.  This experience gave me incentive to be more intentional in studying my Spanish and begin to break the language barrier between myself and our own Hispanic fellowships.

As you can see, the days are full and much is being done.  May the Holy Spirit continue to guide the commissioners and delegates as they seek God’s will in their decision-making process.

Blessings,

Heidi Francis
Communications Director, Seattle Presbytery