ST. LOUIS – Late in the evening of June 22, the 2018 General Assembly considered a series of measures related to #MeToo and #ChurchToo in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – voting to send two proposed constitutional amendments regarding filing disciplinary cases to the presbyteries for a vote. To take effect, those amendments would need approval from a majority of the presbyteries. One proposed amendment would extend the time limits during which people could bring disciplinary actions in certain circumstances. That would apply in cases in which the person alleging the abuse was under 18 at the time of the incident, or without the capacity to consent. The proposed amendment also states “there is no time limit for charging that a person who knew or reasonably should have known of the reasonable risk of sexual abuse of another” and who “failed to take reasonable steps to minimize the risk.” The Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns had asked the General Assembly in 2016 to … [Read more...]
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Outpost Blog 25 mins ago
Observations of a GA observer
The year was 2008. The city was San Jose, California. The hashtag was #GA218. That was the last time I attended General Assembly. I was a Theological Student Advisory Delegate representing both Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery and Columbia Theological Seminary. This time I am attending GA as an observer. Perhaps it is the perceived passivity of this label “observer,” or perhaps it has to do something with the color-caste name badge system we use (commissioners, delegates and staff get colorful nylon pouches with a zipper; observers get a plastic rectangle on a string… continue reading... -
Commentary 9 hours ago
Spinning old symbols …
You can’t attend any General Assembly without noticing the vast array of bowties worn by Presbyterian men. But today about 200 Presbyterians, women and men, are wearing hot pink bowties, as a statement of support for the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements. Since the hashtag #MeToo broke last October, Sara Dingman, executive of the Synod of Lincoln Trails, has been hosting #MeToo and #ChurchToo dialogues, workshops and retreats for women and men in the synod she serves. Every woman, everywoman, has a #MeToo story to share. Time’s up for the church to… continue reading... -
Outlook Reporting 10 hours ago
General Assembly calls for a task force on family leave policy
Ruth Huff, committee moderator from Denver Presbytery, and Melinda Hunt, vice moderator from Grace Presbytery ST. LOUIS – Ruth McCollum, moderator of the Church Polity and Ordered Ministries Committee, told the assembly that much of their time in committee was spent discussing family leave policies. Five overtures dealing with family leave came to the committee and after they spent two days in deliberation, the committee concluded that two days was not enough to create a substantive and workable policy. In recognition of that reality, the committee brought to the floor of… continue reading...
Parties in Stamford case had tried to expedite process in order to get a ruling on the merits of the case January 1, 1995 Uncategorized112 views The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission -- in sidestepping the question of exactly how deeply a session should be required to probe into the private life of a gay elder who has acknowledged being in a committed, life-long relationship but has declined to say whether he is sexually active -- has put the question off but has not put it to rest.- Ministering with the Earth January 1, 1998 Book Reviews113 views By Mary Elizabeth MooreChalice. 1998. 226 pp. Pb. $19.99. ISBN 0-8272-2323-4 Ministering with the Earth is a quiltwork, both the on-the-ground activity and Moore's book about so ministering. Moore, professor of theology and Christian education at Claremont School of Theology, is fond of the metaphor, suitably pastoral and feminist.
- Remembered Voice: Reclaiming the Legacy of 'Neo-Orthodoxy' January 1, 1998 Book Reviews106 views By Douglas John HallWJKP. 1998. 145 pp. Pb. $18. ISBN 0-664-25772-0 It was in this order. I first read Tillich's Dynamics of Faith. Riveting. Next came The Courage to Be. Gripping. Then I went back and read the first volume of the Systematic Theology. Things began to make sense. Next came Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. Positive.
Proposed per capita increase will go to General Assembly February 9, 2018 Outlook Reporting4 comments LOUISVILLE – With no debate, the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board voted Feb. 9 to approve a sizeable proposed increase in General Assembly per capita – from $7.73 per member in 2018 to $10.71 in 2019 and to $11.45 in 2020.
That would amount to a 39 percent increase from 2018 to 2019 and a 7 percent increase from 2019 to 2020. The proposal now will go to the 2018 General Assembly in June in St. Louis for its consideration.
Ken Godshall, who is chair of the board and a pastor from Kentucky, had voted against the proposed increase Feb. 8 when it came before the board’s executive committee, saying the increase...
Way Forward Commission takes action regarding trust and transparency June 12, 2018 Outlook Reporting2 comments The Way Forward Commission met on June 12 to take administrative action regarding issues of trust and transparency in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – apparently responding to imbalances it has detected in the way things have been operating in the national church.
The action (leading with the affirmation that “God alone is Lord of conscience”) addresses what information can be openly shared after a closed or confidential meeting of a denominational entity, and the ways in which staff and board members can express their views regarding information that’s not restricted “without real or implied threat.”
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Vision and structure, function and dysfunction: Way Forward discerns next steps for the PC(USA) June 18, 2018 Outlook Reporting2 comments ST. LOUIS – Representatives of the Way Forward Commission and the All Agency Review Committee made the case June 18 that a dysfunctional institutional culture at the Presbyterian Mission Agency makes change in the national structure imperative — even raising the possibility that the assembly might consider setting up an administrative commission to take charge of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board.
Mark Hostetter, moderator of the Way Forward Commission created by the 2016 assembly, responded to a question a Way Forward Committee (the entity of this 2018 assembly) member for this assembly raised las...
Assembly considers #MeToo, #ChurchToo measures
Tagged With: #MeToo • GA223
Observations of a GA observer
The year was 2008. The city was San Jose, California. The hashtag was #GA218. That was the last time I attended General Assembly. I was a Theological Student Advisory Delegate representing both Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery and Columbia Theological Seminary. This time I am attending GA as an observer. Perhaps it is the perceived passivity of this label “observer,” or perhaps it has to do something with the color-caste name badge system we use (commissioners, delegates and staff get colorful nylon pouches with a zipper; observers get a plastic rectangle on a string designed to fall apart), but going to GA as an observer is a completely different experience. First, everyone asks me why I am here. No one asked me that when I was a TSAD. Yet the reason back then is the same reason as now: because I care about our denomination and love to worship, fellowship and commune with other passionate Presbyterians. Second, I have to go look for information. When I attended as a TSAD … [Read more...]
Spinning old symbols …
You can’t attend any General Assembly without noticing the vast array of bowties worn by Presbyterian men. But today about 200 Presbyterians, women and men, are wearing hot pink bowties, as a statement of support for the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements. Since the hashtag #MeToo broke last October, Sara Dingman, executive of the Synod of Lincoln Trails, has been hosting #MeToo and #ChurchToo dialogues, workshops and retreats for women and men in the synod she serves. Every woman, everywoman, has a #MeToo story to share. Time’s up for the church to remain silent. Dingman offered to bring 50 hot pink bowties to St. Louis for mid council colleagues to wear, to show their solidarity for women who have been harassed and abused in and beyond the church. News spread and she ended up ordering as many as she could find on Amazon and Ebay — about 200. “I only wish I could have found three times as many.” Why pink? Millions of people rallied at women’s marches in … [Read more...]
General Assembly calls for a task force on family leave policy
ST. LOUIS – Ruth McCollum, moderator of the Church Polity and Ordered Ministries Committee, told the assembly that much of their time in committee was spent discussing family leave policies. Five overtures dealing with family leave came to the committee and after they spent two days in deliberation, the committee concluded that two days was not enough to create a substantive and workable policy. In recognition of that reality, the committee brought to the floor of the assembly item number 06-NB, new business to create a task force on family leave that would bring recommendations to the 224th General Assembly in 2020. After numerous amendments (and amendments to the amendments), the motion passed as amended thus implementing a six-person task force with the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, the Advocacy Committee on Women's Concerns and the Board of Pensions to advise the task force with voice, but not vote. Recognizing that several subsequent motions addressed family … [Read more...]
Assembly affirms church’s commitment to public witness
ST. LOUIS — From transformational churches to churches that model the gospel; from gun violence to capital punishment; from Puerto Rico to prophesy – the 223rd General Assembly approved every item brought to the floor from the Social Justice Committee. A Gospel from St. Louis. The Social Justice Committee began reporting June 21 with “A Gospel from St. Louis” (item 11-10), lessons from congregations seeking racial and economic justice. Bill Wildhack, committee moderator and a minister commissioner from Tampa Bay Presbytery, invited Robert Dryer, minister commissioner from Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery, to present the overture. Dryer said: “As stated in this item, we have beautiful, powerful, and prophetic examples coming out of St. Louis churches like Third Church, Dardenne Prairie, Ferguson, Second Church, Oak Hill, Ladue Chapel, and so many others. These churches have powerful examples of transformative leadership in the face of racial and economic struggles.” Dryer noted that … [Read more...]
Confessions of a GA exhibitor
Guest blog from General Assembly The great Presbyterian reunion that is General Assembly is an opportunity not only to catch up with your favorite Presbyterians, but also to see all the amazing ministry we are doing throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The exhibit hall is ground zero for meet-ups between old friends and an eye-opening look at all the ways God is working through us to build the kin-dom. With plenary, committee meetings and scheduled meals, exhibitors are used to the ebb and flow of traffic. And in the low times we make the most of exploring the various booths to find the best swag, build personal and professional connections and explore a deeper knowledge of all the ways the PC(USA) is witnessing to and changing the world. I have attended General Assembly as a YAD (so long ago, there was only one ‘A’), a volunteer and twice as an exhibitor. The hours can be long, but there is nothing like being among a large group of people excited about the ministry … [Read more...]
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