Still looking for news from the General Assembly?
[7-15-10]We’re sorry we have
not been able to post as many of our own reports as we’d like to about the
Assembly that finished its business last Saturday, July 10. There was just
more going on than I could keep up with. But I’ll try to gather here the
links to a couple general lists of reports, and then point the way to a few
of the specific stories that may be of most interest to you.
The Presbyterian News Service, along with the Office of
the General Assembly, has archived all their reports at
http://ga219.pcusa.org/news/source/ga219/archives/.
With about 10 stories per page, you’ll find the archive takes up 15 pages!
Here are some of
the most important reports:
Webweaver's note: These are listed here more or
less in the order in which they were posted, with the latest story being
first, and the earliest reports way down at the bottom of this page.
GA
approves ‘Breaking Down the Walls’ report on Middle East
The 219th General Assembly
approved the recommendation of the Middle East Peacemaking Issues Committee
on Friday regarding the report “Breaking Down the Walls,” which spotlights
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The full Assembly action
followed a unanimous decision by the committee to accept an amended version
of the report, which came to it from the GA Middle East Study Committee (MESC).
Read more...
More on Committee 14:
Middle East Peacemaking Issues >>
Committee on Health Issues closes out Friday business
The report of the Assembly
Committee on Health Issues closed out a long evening of business on Friday
at the 219th General Assembly (2010).
Among the items approved by
the Assembly was an overture encouraging all Presbyterians, especially
pastors and church leaders, to be tested for HIV to help eliminate the
stigma associated with such testing.
Read more...
More on Committee 19:
Health Issues >>
General Assembly calls on the United States to cease combat in Afghanistan
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s
219th General Assembly (2010) has called for the United States to end direct
combat operations in Afghanistan, the denomination’s first such statement
since the war began in 2001.
The action, approved by the
Assembly by a show-of-hands vote Friday, also asks the U.S. government to
increase humanitarian and economic development assistance to Afghanistan. In
addition, it calls for the United States to work with the Afghan people to
facilitate peacemaking through consensus-building, open communication,
economic incentives and diplomacy.
Read more...
More on Committee 13:
Peacemaking and International Issues >>
Assembly approves benefits for same-gender households
The 219th General Assembly
(2010) today urged the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Board of Pensions (BOP)
to extend equal spousal and dependent benefits to same-gender domestic
partners as it does to married plan members
Read
more...
More on Committee 18:
Board of Pensions, Foundation, and Presbyterian Publishing >>
GAMC leaders to look at compensation for pastors and employees
The General Assembly Mission
Council (GAMC) leadership will have to explore the compensation ratios for
all six of its agencies by the 220th General Assembly (2012) after the
Assembly voted 530-96 Thursday to approve the report, “Neither Poverty Nor
Riches: Compensation, Equity, and the Unity of the Church.”
Read more...
More on Committee 10:
Social Justice Issues A: The Promotion of Social Righteousness >>
Presbyterian
Voices for Justice Awards luncheon
Members of two Minnesota
churches were honored at the Presbyterian Voices for Justice awards luncheon
Sunday at the 219th General Assembly (2010).
The Andrew Murray Award went
to Ann and Manley Olson of Falcon Heights, Minn., for their outstanding
leadership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). As members of North Como
Presbyterian Church in Roseville, the two have been longtime, active
Presbyterian leaders at congregational, presbytery and national levels.
Manley Olson is currently serving as co-chairperson of the Committee on
Local Arrangements (COLA), and Ann serves on the COLA executive committee.
Read more...
You can read our own report of this
event, too >>
Assembly
approves measure in response to Arizona immigration law
After nearly two hours of
debate on Thursday evening, the 219th General Assembly (2010) agreed to
refrain from holding national meetings in states where travel by immigrant
Presbyterians or Presbyterians of color might subject them to harassment due
to legislation.
Read more...
More on Committee 11:
Social Justice Issues B: The Exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the
World >>
The 219th
General Assembly maintains current definition of marriage
The 219th General Assembly
(2010) voted Thursday night to maintain the current definition of marriage —
between a man and a woman — in its Constitution.
Just prior to the Assembly’s
action, the body accepted the recommendation of the General Assembly Civil
Union and Marriage Issues Committee to approve the report of the Special
Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage by a vote of
439-208. The Assembly decided to send both the special committee report and
the minority report generated by three members of the special committee to
the larger church for study after a motion to replace the final report with
the minority report was defeated, 358-311.
Read
more...
More on Committee 12: Civil Union
and Marriage Issues >>
PC(USA) makes great strides with ecumenical, interfaith relations
The full Assembly seemed
quite satisfied with the deliberation in the Ecumenical and Interfaith
Relations Committee as members needed just one hour to move through its
business, including the two interfaith papers of which they referred one and
approved the other.
Read more...
More on Committee 8:
Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations >>
PVJ/Voices of Sophia speaker reflects on de-centering privilege
More than 100 people gathered
early Tuesday for the Presbyterian Voices of Justice (PVJ)/Voices of Sophia
breakfast as part of the 219th General Assembly (2010).
Read more...
And click
here for our own report on this event >>
Assembly okays middle governing body commission
The 219th General Assembly
voted overwhelmingly to create a 21-member middle governing body commission
with authority to act on the Assembly’s behalf in responding to realignment
requests from synods and presbyteries. The vote was 566-104.
The commission, with
authority to “act as the General Assembly,” is needed, said Cliff Lyda of
Chicago Presbytery, moderator of the Assembly Committee on Middle Governing
Body Issues, “because of rapid cultural shifts … that have created the need
to make our structures more functional.”
Read more...
More on Committee 4:
Middle Governing Body Relations >>
GA narrowly approves overture to amend ‘fidelity, chastity clause’ in
ordination standards
With a 50-vote margin
(373-323-4), the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
approved an overture from the Presbytery of the Western Reserve that would
amend the so-called “fidelity and chastity clause” of the Book of Order
(G-6.0106b).
The amendment will now go
back to presbyteries, where a majority of the 173 presbyteries must approve
it for the change to make it into the Book of Order.
Read more...
More on Committee 6:
Church Orders and Ministry >>
Soldier found peace and ‘liberation’ after refusing to return to war in Iraq
Camilo Mejia, the nation’s first
soldier to publicly refuse to return to the war in Iraq, told the
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF) breakfast Wednesday his desertion and
the incarceration that followed “gave me a deep sense of liberation and made
me feel I was in charge of my life for the first time. I was a human being
before I was a soldier.”
Read more...
PHEWA awards
reception honors “whole ministry”
Great ministries and faithful
people were celebrated Monday evening at the 219th General Assembly as
members of the Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association
gathered to honor programs related to six of its 10 networks.
Read more...
Peacemaking Program celebrates 30 years
Presbyterians and their
peacemaking allies gathered Tuesday night to celebrate the 30th anniversary
of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.
Read more...
219th
General Assembly approves new Form of Government
The 219th General Assembly of
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted by a more than 2-to-1 margin
Wednesday to send the proposed Foundations of Presbyterian Polity and
revised Form of Government to the presbyteries for ratification.
The Assembly voted 468 to 204
with 6 abstentions.
Read more...
More on Committee 7:
Form of Government Revision >>
Belhar Confession passes first hurdle on journey to The Book of Confessions
Minister commissioner Wanda
Lawry Hughes of Long Island Presbytery stood patiently at her microphone
during Wednesday’s plenary session of the 219th General Assembly (2010). She
was waiting to be recognized to speak following the presentation of the
Belhar Confession overture by the Committee on Theological Issues and
Institutions.
Recovering from a bout of
laryngitis, Lawry Hughes reminded commissioners and delegates of the
countless peoples over the centuries who have lost their voices due to
racism and oppression, including the Native American members of her own
family.
Read more...
More on Committee 16:
Theological Issues and Institutions >>
Gun violence measure approved by Social Issues Committee
The Rev. Catherine Snyder [a
member of the Voices for Justice Coordinating Team] has seen firsthand the
pain and hurt felt by individuals and communities because of gun violence.
Read more...
More on Committee 11:
Social Justice Issues B: The Exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the
World >>
Committee recommends study of new approaches to peacemaking, nonviolence
The Peace and International
Issues Committee of the 219thGeneral Assembly (2010) recommended Tuesday
that the PC(USA) engage in a study of “new approaches to active peacemaking
and nonviolence.”
Read more...
More on Committee 13:
Peacemaking and International Issues >>
Definition of
marriage to include union of “two people”
The Committee on Civil Union
and Marriage Issues voted Tuesday (34-18-2) to recommend to the full
Assembly changing the definition of marriage in the Directory for Worship
from “a woman and a man” to “two people.”
Read more...
More on Committee 12: Civil Union
and Marriage Issues >>
Middle
East Study Committee report advances to full Assembly
An amended version of the
General Assembly Middle East Study Committee (MESC) report, “Breaking Down
the Walls,” is being recommended to the full 219th General Assembly (2010)
for action.
Read more...
More on Committee 14:
Middle East Peacemaking Issues >>
Tension between hope and uncertainty remains for interfaith papers
Ecumenical and Interfaith
Relations Committee members on Tuesday approved recommending the
“Understanding Christian-Muslim Relations” paper to the full Assembly, while
referring the “Christians and Jews” paper back to the PC(USA) offices that
prepared it.
Read more...
More on Committee 8:
Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations >>
New
language offered for ordination standards
The 219th General Assembly’s
Church Orders and Ministry Committee has approved sending an overture to the
full Assembly calling for new language in the Book of Order’s ordination
standards.
The overture amends
G-6.0106b, which states that church officers must be faithful in marriage
between a man and a woman or chaste in singleness.
Read
more...
More on Committee 6:
Church Orders and Ministry >>
Mission Coordination Committee makes tough decisions
Committee moderator Julia
Henderson took a few seconds to catch her breath before reflecting on the
challenges of the past few days, where passions and emotions often ran high
in the 219th General Assembly Mission Coordination Committee.
“God’s presence was evident,”
she said. “There was grace, there was passion; there was consideration for
one another.”
Read more...
More on Committee 9:
Mission Coordination >>
Church Polity Committee reconsiders definition of youth
Young adult advisory
delegates on the 219th General Assembly Church Polity Committee prompted the
committee to reconsider an item on the definition of youth because of its
import as a guide to categories of representation.
Read more...
Polity Committee disapproves overture to increase oversight of events at GA
The 219th General Assembly
(2010) Polity Committee voted Tuesday to recommend to the full Assembly
disapproval of an overture to increase oversight of events that occur around
a General Assembly.
Read more...
Health
Committee passes overture on coerced abortions after amending language
The Health Issues Committee
of the 219th General Assembly (2010) opened Tuesday morning passing a motion
to reconsider the previously approved “Taking a Stand Against Forced and
Coerced Abortions.”
Read
more...
More on Committee 19:
Health Issues >>
New form of government moves on to full Assembly
The Form of Government
Revision Committee of the 219th General Assembly (2010) voted 37-5 Tuesday
to send the proposed Foundations of Presbytery Polity and revised Form of
Government to the full Assembly.
Read more...
More on Committee 7:
Form of Government Revision >>
Peacemaking committee recommends Unites States cease combat in Afghanistan
The 219th General Assembly
Peacemaking and International Issues Committee voted 49-2 on Monday to
recommend that the Assembly call on the U.S. government to end combat
operations in Afghanistan.
The PC(USA) has made no
statement calling for peace in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001.
Read more...
More on Committee 13:
Peacemaking and International Issues >>
Language
in overture on violence against pregnant women spurs debate
Amid discussion that ranged
from amicable to acrimonious on Monday, the Health Issues Committee of the
219th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) worked
through its business of HIV testing, violence against pregnant women,
coerced abortions and being an HIV- and AIDS-competent denomination.
The majority of the debate
centered on the overture, “Making a Statement Regarding Violence against
Pregnant Women.”
Read more...
More on Committee 19:
Health Issues >>
Heidelberg Catechism and Belhar Confession to go to full Assembly
The 55 members of the 219th
General Assembly Committee on Theological Issues and Institutions gathered
Monday for an overview of their work: considering the adoption of two
confessional statements; approving the staff, trustees, and covenants for
theological institutions and retreat centers; and amending sections of the
Directory for Worship.
Read more...
More on Committee 16:
Theological Issues and Institutions >>
Grueling debate ends with negative vote on ‘Christians and Jews’ paper
In more than two hours of
debate, commissioners on the 219th General Assembly Ecumenical and
Interfaith Relations Committee decided not to recommend that the Assembly
accept the paper “Christians and Jews: People of God.”
Read more...
More on Committee 8:
Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations >>
Committee recommends denouncing Caterpillar for actions in Middle East
The 219th General Assembly
Middle East Peacemaking Issues Committee voted to send to the full Assembly
a report from the Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI)
committee, which recommends the denouncement of actions by Peoria,
Ill.-based Caterpillar Inc.
Read more...
More on Committee 14:
Middle East Peacemaking Issues >>
Form of Government Revision Committee stands behind flexibility of proposed
revision
Meeting for a full day
Monday, the Form of Government Revision Committee stood behind the
flexibility within the proposed revision to the Form of Government,
rejecting those overtures and amendments that would place specific
organizations and structures within the document.
Read more...
More on Committee 7:
Form of Government Revision >>
Special committee report on civil union, marriage issues approved 47-8
The 219th General Assembly
Committee on Civil Union and Marriage Issues voted 47-8-2 Monday to approve
a report that urges Presbyterians to further study the issues and stay in
covenant with each other while they do so.
Read more...
More on Committee 12: Civil Union
and Marriage Issues >>
Respectful engagement is the way forward, Niebuhr tells Covenant Network
“Yes, he is one of the
Niebuhr Niebuhrs,” said Deborah Block, co-moderator of the Covenant Network,
as she introduced Gustav Niebuhr, featured speaker at the CovNet Luncheon
Monday as part of the 219th General Assembly (2010).
Niebuhr began his talk,
“Tolerance is a Floor, Not a Ceiling,” by recalling the time he was covering
two advocacy groups on opposite sides of a divisive issue at a previous
General Assembly. “What was remarkable was not that they disagreed with each
other, but that both displayed a noteworthy calm – neither spoke
unpleasantly about the other. Each group accorded to the other respect.”
Read more...
Awards ceremony highlights national support for MLP churches
At Saturday night’s More
Light Presbyterian (MLP) National Celebration Dinner at the 219th General
Assembly (2010), Ross Murray, interim executive director for Lutherans
Concerned/North America, issued reassurance to all dinner attendees: “One
year ago, we, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), were
meeting in this very place discussing the same issues [on homosexuality]
when tornados and lightning struck and we knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore.
Well, there was no little man hiding behind a curtain to help us … it’s been
a year for us, and we are praying for you as you go through this process.”
Read more...
Lydia Women’s Empowerment Project: Embraced, Empowered, Employed
Webweaver's note: Kwanzaa
Community Church received the Whole Gospel Congregation Award from
Presbyterian Voices for Justice at our Awards Luncheon on Sunday, July
4. This is one reason why:
Stepping into the room where
members of Lydia Women’s Empowerment Project meet is to enter a world most
people rarely experience.
The Lydia Project, an
outgrowth of Kwanzaa Community Church in north Minneapolis, began in 2005,
and was modeled after recovery groups at Glide Memorial Church of San
Francisco. The Lydia Project’s primary goal at the outset was to facilitate
“the recovery of the humanity of women suffering the impact of racism,
classism and sexism,” said the Rev. Paula Sanders, leader of the group and
executive coordinator for the Committee on Local Arrangements for the 219th
General Assembly.
Read more...
More of our
own reporting about Kwanzaa Church >>
Cynthia Bolbach elected Moderator on fourth ballot
Cynthia (Cindy) Bolbach, an
elder from National Capital Presbytery, was elected Saturday night as
Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010) on the fourth ballot. She was
the only elder in a field of six candidates.
Bolbach employed brief
answers and a winsome sense of humor to win over the 712 commissioners and
steadily gained ground, rising from 149 votes (30 percent) on the first
ballot to 325 votes (53 percent) on the decisive fourth ballot. None of the
other five candidates exceeded 23 percent of the vote on any ballot.
Read more...
More about the election of the Moderator >>
219th
General
Assembly