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Moving toward a special session of GA? |
| Elder presents signatures to force
special Assembly
Metherell presents petition to moderator during GAC
meeting
by Jerry L. Van Marter,
Presbyterian News Service
[1-16-03]
LOUISVILLE - January 14, 2003 - In a move that has been talked about for
months but landed like a bolt of lightning, Alex Metherell - an elder and
surgeon from southern California - delivered a petition today to Fahed Abu-Akel,
moderator of the General Assembly, that he says has the number of signatures
necessary to force the first special General Assembly in history.
Metherell's appearance at a joint meeting of the executive
committee of the General Assembly Council (GAC) and the Committee on the
Office of the General Assembly (COGA)came as the two groups were preparing
to discuss changes in standing rules and in Book of Order
necessitated by last summer's GA decision to move to biennial General
Assemblies following the 2004 Assembly.
Ironically, that same Assembly will now meet again.
COGA officials said the special Assembly could not be
convened much earlier than mid-May. The 215th Assembly is scheduled to
convene in Denver on May 24. Metherell handed Abu-Akel a notebook containing
signed postcards requesting the special Assembly. Metherell had personally
mailed the cards to all 554 commissioners to last summer's GA.
The Book of Order requires signatures of at 50
commissioners to the Assembly, including at least 25 Presbyterian Church
(USA) ministers and 25 elders representing at least 15 of the 173
presbyteries under the jurisdiction of at least five of the 16 synods.
Metherell claimed to have 57 signatures - of 26 ministers
and 31 elders from 46 presbyteries and all 16 synods.
The Rev. Gradye Parsons, the director of operations for
the Office of the General Assembly, said the first task will be to attest
the signatures to make sure they qualify.
Once that is done, next steps will be taken.
Metherell's petition mentions three purposes for the
special meeting:
1. "Continue oversight of the General Assembly Permanent
Judicial Commission decision in Londonderry Vs. Presbytery of Northern New
England in order to effect compliance with the Constitution of the
Presbyterian Church (USA)."
2. "Respond to the growing defiance of, delinquency, and
enforcement of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) by
officers, agencies and governing bodies with respect to G-6.0106b (the
commonly called "fidelity and chastity" provision of the Book of Order
) and the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission decision on holy
unions (Benton vs. Hudson River Presbytery.)"
3. "Exercise all necessary powers authorized to the
General Assembly under the Constitution to propose and adopt directives of
officers, agencies, and governing bodies in order to deal with all matters
relating to the issues detailed in items # 1 and 2 above."
The names listed on the petition (listed alphabetically,
by presbytery):
Abingdon: Elder William W. Hull
Baltimore: Rev. Phyllis M. DeSmit
Central Florida: Rev. William C. Duckworth
Central Washington: Rev. Stephen G. Barker
Charlotte: Elder Mary E. Hendrick
Detroit: Elder Beatrice Thomas
Eastern Korean: Elder Yung Suk Park
Giddings-Lovejoy: Rev. Nancy Gillard
Great Rivers: Elder Ronald H. Leonard
Greater Atlanta: Rev. Russell O. McKee
Hanmi: Rev. Seung-Nam Kim
Heartland: Rev. Jodi H. Mathews
Huntingdon: Rev. Glen Eason
John Calvin: Elder Rein Vander Naald
Lake Michigan: Rev. David E. Gilbert; Elder John Somerville
Los Ranchos: Elder Alex Metherell
Mississippi: Elder Joyce Gibbens
Muskingum: Rev. Diana A. Lantz
Nevada: Rev. Bruce Kochsmeier
New Covenant: Elder Edward F. Brodie
Noroeste: Rev. Juan Bordoy-Acevedo
Northumberland: Rev. Brent F. Davidson; Elder Bob Reich
Peaks: Elder Dorothy Tatum
Pittsburgh: Rev. Jane Johnson
Prospect Hill: Rev. Brian V. Janssen
Pueblo: Elder Roy N. Hollaway
Sacramento: Rev. Margaret C. Suttle, Elder Yubang Lee
San Diego: Rev. Lisa Johnson, Elder Russ Lowe, Elder Jillene Simms
San Fernando: Elder Paul Carlson
San Gabriel: Rev. Cynthia Reyes Fillmore; Elder John van Genderen
San Joaquin: Rev. James B. Harper
San Jose: Rev. David B. Rodriguez
Savannah: Rev. David A. Long; Elder Neil Spradley
Seattle: Rev. Robin D. Caudillo; Rev. Don Waite
Sierra Blanca: Elder Terry Aiello
Stockton: Rev. Robert Mitchell
Tampa Bay: Elder David ArmstrongTropical Florida: Elder William D. Tenney;
Elder Nancy Young
Upper Ohio Valley: Elder Bruce Trushel
Utah: Elder Herbert Minich
Wabash Valley: Elder John McCrum
Washington: Rev. Craig Kephart; Elder Doris M. Sawhill
Western New York: Rev. Michael R. Burkley
Western North Carolina: Rev. Bill Serjak
Western Reserve: Elder Angela A. Davis
Yellowstone: Elder Ida Norgaard
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Philadelphia Stated Clerk sees the call for a special GA session as out
of order
[1-16-03]The call for a special meeting of the
214th General Assembly has been widely criticized as unwise, precipitous,
and unduly expensive for a church that is struggling financially to do
mission. Nothing could look less like mission than the agenda proposed by
the petitioners.
But in addition, nothing could look less like appropriate
General Assembly business. As a basic point, business comes to a General
Assembly through overtures from presbyteries and by reports of entities,
commissions and committees. The call for a special meeting certainly is not
such a report, nor is it in form an overture. Indeed it proposes no specific
action. It proposes: "let's meet and chat about things we see as evil."
You could not get a hearing, except at a "speak-out," at a
stated GA meeting on any such tentative proposal. In fact, none of the
proposed business is in order.
The first specification of business is: "Continue
oversight of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission decision in
Londonderry vs. Presbytery of Northern New England in order to effect
compliance with the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA)." This
business is out of order as having previously been considered by the same
Assembly under the so-called Shenango overture. These commissioners already
voted on it, and a motion to reconsider must be made by one who voted with
the prevailing side and must be made on the same day as the vote to be
reconsidered or on the next succeeding day. (Robert's Rules of Order Section
37.) It could also be made as a motion to rescind at the 215th General
Assembly. (Robert's Section 35.) But this way won't work.
The second specification is: "Respond to the growing
defiance of, delinquency, and enforcement of the Constitution of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) by officers, agencies and governing bodies with
respect to G-6.0106b (the commonly called "fidelity and chastity" provision
of the Book of Order ) and the General Assembly Permanent Judicial
Commission decision on holy unions (Benton vs. Hudson River Presbytery.)"
This is out of order as General Assembly business, as stated. We have well
drafted Rules of Discipline which describe in detail how to deal with the
issues that trouble the petitioners. The General Assembly could only
consider these issues in response to an overture which proposes a possible
solution, like deleting the corrupt G-6.0106b, or clarifying its true
intention.
The third specification is even less precise: "Exercise
all necessary powers authorized to the General Assembly under the
Constitution to propose and adopt directives of officers, agencies, and
governing bodies in order to deal with all matters relating to the issues
detailed in items # 1 and 2 above." The General Assembly has such powers
only in response to specific proposals brought to is in the form of
overtures and reports.
I have no doubt that our admirable Stated Clerk and
Moderator don't need my help in handling this latest Scud missile, but in
the meantime I would like to reassure those who are running around in
circles wringing their hands that a proper reading of our polity shoots this
one down before it does any damage. It is not necessary to spend half a
million dollars to convene and rule this whole misguided proposal out of
order.
Frank B. Baldwin
Stated Clerk
Presbytery of Philadelphia
215-732-1842, extension 307
Fax: 215-546-7800
fbaldwin@presbyphl.org
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Some blogs worth
visiting |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott,
who has created this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years
of scholarship and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here,
we present the voices of feminist theologians of all stripes:
scholars, clergy, students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers,
artists, lovers and devotees, from many parts of the world, all
children of the God in whose image women are made. .... This blog
seeks to glorify God through prayer, work, art, and intellectual
reflection. Through articles and ensuing discussion we hope to
become an active and thoughtful community.
Witherspoon’s Facebook page
Mitch Trigger,
Witherspoon’s Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page
where Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own
news and views, or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest
to you.
John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and
philosophical reflections on everything between summit to shore,
including kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy,
theology, politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), New York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by
a progressive New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a member of
the Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North
Presbyterian Church in Flushing, NY.
John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian
minister, currently serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church
of Elizabethton, Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion
(both organized and disorganized), life, evolution, literature,
Jesus, and lightening up.
Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note,
and we'll see what we can do! |
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Plan now for ...
GHOST RANCH PEACE & JUSTICE
WEEK
July 27 - August 2, 2009
Now's the time to make reservations to be a part of
the 2009 Peace & Justice Week at Ghost Ranch, July 27-August 2.
There are eight seminars to choose among, including the
Witherspoon-sponsored class “New Eyes for Peace & Justice from the
World Church” led by Clifton Kirkpatrick.
More
information >> |
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