ST. LOUIS – The 2018 General Assembly voted June 23 to increase the General Assembly per capita rate to $8.95 per member in 2019 and $8.95 per member in 2020. That’s an increase of just over 15 percent from the 2018 per capita rate of $7.73 per member. The assembly voted 359-43 to approve that. Some commissioners argued that the increase will harm the ministry of presbyteries if congregations don’t send the full per capita amount and mid councils try to make up the difference – sending the money to the national church at the expense of mid council ministry. Others argued that this assembly had voted all week to authorize initiatives they knew carried financial implications – and now the time had come to find the money to pay for it. “I cannot leave here without saying ‘We’ve got to pay for what we’ve done,’ ” said Debbie Cenko, a minister commissioner from the Presbytery of New Covenant in Texas. Lewis Casey Thompson, a minister from Philadelphia Presbytery, said the … [Read more...]
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Outlook Reporting 18 hours ago
General Assembly approves per capita increase as last item of business in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS – The 2018 General Assembly voted June 23 to increase the General Assembly per capita rate to $8.95 per member in 2019 and $8.95 per member in 2020. That’s an increase of just over 15 percent from the 2018 per capita rate of $7.73 per member. The assembly voted 359-43 to approve that. Y. Dianna Wright, committee moderator from Salem Presbytery Some commissioners argued that the increase will harm the ministry of presbyteries if congregations don’t send the full per capita amount and mid councils try to make up… continue reading... -
Outlook Reporting 19 hours ago
The persistent prayer — General Assembly closes with worship
ST. LOUIS – The 2018 General Assembly ended June 23 as it began, with worship — proclaiming though song: “To God be glory forever. Alleluia! Amen!” The service included a dramatic reading of Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, led by narrator Hannah Dreitcer, associate pastor of Webster Groves Presbyterian Church in Webster Groves, Missouri. Joshua Noah, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Crystal City, Missouri, adapted the text that was used. Along with the text, the participants acted out the meaning of the widow’s… continue reading... -
Outlook Reporting 19 hours ago
In a dramatic change from the past, assembly sails through Middle East issues
ST. LOUIS — It was close to midnight June 22 when J. Herbert Nelson, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) sounding solemn, announced from the podium of the 223rd General Assembly that he thought the commissioners had just experienced something never before seen in the history of the church. J. Herbert Nelson and Tom Hay “Thirty-five minutes to deal with the Middle East,” said Nelson, the church’s stated clerk. The laughter from the assembly floor was colored by the memory of prior years when divisions over how the church should… 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 Uncategorized115 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 Reviews116 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 Reviews108 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...
On the way to GA: #MeToo and the victims of pastoral sexual misconduct June 8, 2018 Outlook Reporting2 comments
The 2018 General Assembly is being asked to consider the implications of #MeToo in the church — including a recommendation from the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns that the denomination’s stated clerk issue a confession on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for its failure to listen to the victims of pastoral sexual misconduct.
That recommendation also asks for some effort to be made to quantify the number of sexual misconduct charges presented at all levels of the church, including in congregatio...
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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General Assembly approves per capita increase as last item of business in St. Louis
Tagged With: GA223 • per capita
The persistent prayer — General Assembly closes with worship
ST. LOUIS – The 2018 General Assembly ended June 23 as it began, with worship — proclaiming though song: “To God be glory forever. Alleluia! Amen!” The service included a dramatic reading of Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, led by narrator Hannah Dreitcer, associate pastor of Webster Groves Presbyterian Church in Webster Groves, Missouri. Joshua Noah, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Crystal City, Missouri, adapted the text that was used. Along with the text, the participants acted out the meaning of the widow’s persistence in demanding justice from the judge. Their litany: No justice. No peace. Black lives matter. Speak up. What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now! The preacher, Ekram Kachu, a native of Sudan, is pastor of First Arabic Presbyterian Church in Waukee, Iowa — and she preached about “the persistent prayer.” Kachu came to the United States in 2001, fleeing violence in her homeland. She sees widows all around … [Read more...]
In a dramatic change from the past, assembly sails through Middle East issues
ST. LOUIS — It was close to midnight June 22 when J. Herbert Nelson, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) sounding solemn, announced from the podium of the 223rd General Assembly that he thought the commissioners had just experienced something never before seen in the history of the church. “Thirty-five minutes to deal with the Middle East,” said Nelson, the church’s stated clerk. The laughter from the assembly floor was colored by the memory of prior years when divisions over how the church should contribute to peacemaking efforts in Israel-Palestine spilled over from committee meetings onto the assembly floor and often seemed to overshadow much of the other business commissioners had to deal with. The contrast with the speed and ease of the assembly’s handling of Middle East issues this year might have been a little misleading. The committee that dealt with those issues had some weighty matters to sort through, but its members were able to come to a … [Read more...]
Prayer for the last day of the 223rd General Assembly
God of all creation, our gratitude overflows for a full week. While we worshipped and debated, voted and danced, your presence has undeniably been present. Even as we discussed issues, we were keenly aware of the people for whom gun violence and climate change and sexual misconduct and racism and mental illness are not issues but every day realities. We marched in the streets to help set the captives free. We rallied in the park to advocate for immigrants. We listened to our siblings share their hearts and their stories. We prayed for and with one another. We ate together. We laughed and cried. We stepped out in faith in the hope that changing our structure, will transform our culture. We know that our actions will not bring about your kin-dom, but we also know that you take the gifts we offer, bless and use them. Use all our gifts and each of us, dear God, in ways that multiply your mercy, grace and love. Take us safely home to boldly proclaim your word. Amen. … [Read more...]
Assembly considers #MeToo, #ChurchToo measures
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...]
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...]
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