Guest commentary by Carrie Finch-BurrisÂ
Way back in the fall of 2016, a small group from the Presbytery of Baltimore gathered to talk about what it could be like to host the 224th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Since those earliest of conversations, there has been a team of people dreaming, creating and working hard to welcome every person that would be coming to Baltimore for this upcoming GA. We’ve poured a lot of time and energy into it, and done so happily.
For many in Baltimore Presbytery, this was going to be their first experience of the church on such a grand scale as they would see the work of the commissioners, advocates and various staff on every level of our governing structure come together and be the church. We even had volunteers from nearby presbyteries willing to lend a hand. This really was going to be a showcase not only for us here in the Presbytery of Baltimore, but also for the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic and our friends in Pennsylvania.
To say that we are sad that General Assembly is having to move to an online assembly is an understatement. While we agree with the decision and recognize the value of still being a part of this assembly, we grieve the loss of welcoming you in person to all the wonderful things Baltimore and the people of our area and presbytery have to offer. Baltimore is one of those places that takes a lot criticism in the national spotlight, but rarely do people hear about all the good that is being done here.
And we were looking forward to sharing some of that good with you. Thankfully, our co-moderators and stated clerk have stood by the social justice action piece that will focus on helping young people in this area find meaningful work and support. We are grateful for that and the hard work the local task force has put into this action. And we are grateful that you will all still be able to be a part of the Youth Rising! work this assembly.
What you will be missing out on though is that blend of southern hospitality stirred with the waters flowing from the Chesapeake Bay and a dash of pragmatism and local pride. That and crab cakes. And Berger cookies. If things had gone as planned, we would have welcomed you with a reception at the Hilton Hotel — in a wing that overlooked the Baltimore Orioles as they played baseball. You would have been served local delights like the aforementioned crab cakes and cookies.  You’d have been greeted at the airport, the train station, at your hotel with a warm smile and basic questions answered.
Thankfully, our worship team is still working with General Assembly team to help offer meaningful worship. But with the change of theme, a lot of the liturgy, music and overall ambiance of worship has changed. I know the worship team is still working hard on creating an online prayer room with a variety of ways to engage in prayer, but you will miss the creativity of the space they had planned. And as any of you who have experienced a General Assembly before can attest, there is something about being in a room worshipping side by side with your siblings in Christ that will be lost as we learn to gather in a new way. It’s hard to articulate this particular grief, but as pastor of a small church I know that loss of being together is real even while we are grateful we can gather in some way online.
And speaking of worship, we had so many churches step up and answer the call to welcome folks to their services that Sunday of General Assembly — so much so that there was an abundance of opportunity for you to share in worship and fellowship with our local churches. And while I’m sure our transportation gurus are slightly relieved to not have to navigate pick-up and drop-off times and routes to get you to our churches, the loss of that sense of connection and community that would have happened deeply saddens me. For this was one of the ways we could connect our members to the larger church and a chance to showcase some of our local church’s cooks and talented folks.
The convention center and hotels where you would have been staying are in the heart of the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. You would have been able to walk to the National Aquarium, museums, restaurants, the Orioles Park at Camden Yards and had a number of opportunities to see the sights by boat, bus or train (or on foot). Because of the plethora of opportunities right there, we had tried to create unique tours and excursions that would have taken you off the beaten path or showcased different parts of our state. You will miss getting to see our capital city, Annapolis. You will miss getting to ride down to our national capital and participate in advocacy or even gone sightseeing. We will miss sharing our history, the nation’s history and Baltimore’s history with you. You will miss getting to meet Mr. Trash Wheel or his girlfriend, Professor Trash Wheel and their gender-neutral friend, Captain Trash Wheel. (Look it up, its pretty awesome).
There are so many other things – the little things – that I think we will miss not being able to host you in person. And often it’s the intangible, unplanned moments where a connection is made, a hug is shared and friendships deepened. And for all our seminaries and institutions (like the Board of Pensions), our Presbyterian camps, the groups who would be trying to raise awareness, those who would be celebrating Pride weekend (which was also scheduled to be going on that first weekend) – for all those ways we connect as we walk through the exhibit halls or attend the reunions or simply just walk together to get coffee – those organic conversations will be missed.
I will miss getting to say thank you to the Committee on Local Arrangements (COLA) team, to the volunteers, to all those who have worked hard behind the scenes — and letting them have their moment, there on that national stage, when people applaud them and recognize their work. And I know that’s not why we signed up, but it sure feels nice to let people know they are appreciated, and it seems like a good way to bring closure to the time.
We, who have been dreaming of this for some time now, have gained so much in going through the process. We have become friends. We have made connections to folks otherwise we might have never known. We have learned and worked together to bring a national gathering to life, and we’ve gotten to be a part of something wonderful and weird and difficult. I know I have grown a lot as the chair of COLA. And so ultimately, I am simply grateful. Thank you for almost coming to Baltimore. Know that you would have been welcomed warmly — and all of you are still welcome to come and visit any time after the pandemic!
CARRIE FINCH-BURRIS is pastor of Kenwood Presbyterian Church in Baltimore and chair of the Committee on Local Arrangements for the Presbytery of Baltimore. She’s married to Erik, and enjoys the Carolina Hurricanes, gardening and her two cats.
