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San Francisco votes Yes |
| San Francisco Presbytery, at its
meeting on September 9, approved Amendment A by a vote of 216 yes to 186
no.
[1-10-02]
One member of the presbytery reports:
The debate on Amendment A was about an hour in
length with alternating speakers for and against, each speaker limited
to 3 minutes in length. There were some very good speakers on both
sides; the antis' theme of disrupting the peace, unity and purity of
the Church was repeated many times. One so-called "former gay
man," now married, gave a wrenching testimony to the fact of his
"healed" status and displayed a photograph of his loving
family to "attest" to his new found "freedom in
Christ." About 10 speakers were left in the line as time ran out
on the debate.
The Rev. Penny Newell, pastor at St. Andrews PC in
Pacifica, gave a wonderful sermon on 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27, on the
necessary parts of the body. Relationships make physical and permanent
changes in the human mind/body and cannot be excised without damage or
destroying the entire body.
Laird Stuart endorsed
for Moderator
In another important action, the presbytery endorsed
the Rev. Laird Stuart as a candidate for the position of General
Assembly Moderator. The vote to endorse his candidacy was taken by
written ballot, and the result was 230 Yes and 121 No.
Laird Stuart is the pastor of Calvary Presbyterian
Church in San Francisco, and served last year as co-moderator of the
Covenant Network.
He had not been on the slate of candidates to be a
commissioner to GA and thus it was necessary to hold an election to add
his candidacy. After that passed, the later vote for commissioners
confirmed his election as a commissioner and then a vote was taken and
passed (230 to 121) for his nomination to be Moderator of the General
Assembly.
Can you share a report from your presbytery's
debate and vote? Please just send
a little note!
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ'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. |
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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. |
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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 former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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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. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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