At the opening worship of General Assembly, I sat down next to Kristie Wagner, a ruling elder commissioner from Kendall Presbytery in Idaho. This is her first General Assembly and she seemed a little overwhelmed. She saw my press pass as I introduced myself to her and asked me about it.
After worship, she stopped me and told me she had something to say. “I can’t believe how warm, welcoming and hospitable everyone here is.” She went on to tell me that she was expecting a lot more rancor at the assembly. She had read stories about previous GAs and was “prepared for the worst.” But everything she had experienced so far was the opposite of what she had anticipated.
I checked in again with her on Monday, June 18, after the first round of committee meetings and she said she continues to be pleasantly surprised by the tone and civility that she is experiencing.
This is my fourth General Assembly. I attended two as an employee of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, in 2012 and 2014, and this is my second assembly writing on the Presbyterian Outlook team. As a “veteran” of General Assemblies, my heart was torn by Kristie’s remarks. On the one hand, we have experienced some challenging and “rancorous” years, where civility was not always visibly present. On the other hand, I have experienced a new spirit sweeping through the General Assemblies.
Two years ago, I covered the work of the Immigration and Environmental Issues Committee and the debates over fossil fuels. While there was a great deal of passion on both sides of this issue, a sense of civility and even camaraderie permeated the space and the participants. It inspired me to write the article, “A model of civility in the midst of disagreement: Opposite sides of the fossil fuel debate.”
This year that spirit of civility continues across the assembly and I think that is what Kristie was talking about. This afternoon, I stopped by the Middle East Issues Committee. John Wimberly of Presbyterians for Middle East Peace and Jeff DeYoe of the Israel Palestine Mission Network were standing side by side and chatting cordially as they prepared to go speak on opposite sides of an issue in open hearings. John remarked that he has felt that same spirit, which is different from previous years. He said, “We’ve got to be civil to one another, otherwise we tarnish our witness to the world.”
While the debates we had at previous assemblies were important, the rancor that was present damaged that witness to the world, and established a reputation that unfortunately persists. My hope is that Kristie’s spirit of optimism, along with a renewed commitment by all who are present at this General Assembly, will drive a spirit of reconciliation and civility, and provide a witness to the world of Presbyterians who take their deliberations seriously, while also following the command to love one another.
Perhaps at future assemblies I will sit down next to a new commissioner for opening worship who will not reflect surprise at the spirit of civility and hospitality that she experiences, and will talk with excitement and joy, expressing bright hope for a church that is known for its witness of love and reconciliation, even in the midst of passionate debates.