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Virtual General Assembly: How should the PC(USA) do this?

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So what might a virtual General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) look like? Facing intense deadline pressure, the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) is continuing trying to figure that out – considering both the possibility of a shortened assembly (maybe two days) that would deal with essential business only, and the idea of a full virtual assembly stretched out for a month, from June 19 to July 18. There are also other realities, just beginning to seep into the collective consciousness.  No one knows for sure when the COVID-19 pandemic will peak, how long it will last or whether there will be a second wave. When things do return to “normal,” what will normal look like? And how will the pandemic change the church and its priorities? Some COGA members voiced concerns about the idea of a virtual General Assembly that is spread out over a month – questioning whether all commissioners would have reliable access to technology, and acknowledging … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COVID19 • GA224

Presbyterians, Holy Week and COVID-19

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With Palm Sunday and Easter around the corner, congregations are trying to figure out how to approach Holy Week in the year of COVID-19 — how to be both faithful and flexible with a season that’s full of meaning and tradition. Here are some of the ideas bouncing around the virtual conversation. PALM SUNDAY The basic advice for acquiring and distributing palms for worship is: Get creative. Make paper palms — maybe by tracing the hand of each person in the family (think: palms) and attaching those to branches. See what’s available in the garden or yard — one minister wrote on Facebook that “The Book of Common Worship says ‘seasonal branches’ – any will do!” The Missionaries of the Holy Spirit posted this idea on their Facebook page: What if everyone on Sunday April 5 in the morning, puts a branch on the door of their house or on the window, to celebrate Palm Sunday. It could be any green branch you can get. This would help, despite the social distancing, to be connected as we … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COVID19 • Holy Week

Presbyterian leaders seek ways to support congregations responding to COVID-19

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The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) plans to send out a video worship service for Easter to congregations – with J. Herbert Nelson, the PC(USA)’s stated clerk, preaching. That’s one of the ways PC(USA) leaders are working to provide support for congregations, mid councils and pastors struggling to respond to the COVID-19 epidemic – a range of responses discussed March 26 during conference call meetings of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board’s coordinating committee and the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA). One reality is the recognition that some congregations are struggling financially – as more Americans lose their jobs, as giving to some churches goes down, as congregations struggle to collect and pay per capita. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA), said the PC(USA) will work thorough Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to try to provide “some kind of relief to churches that are dealing with this crisis” … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COVID19

Presbyterian World Mission and COVID-19: A conversation with Sara Lisherness

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As COVID-19 continues to spread and international travel is disrupted, Presbyterian World Mission has asked all of its mission co-workers who have the United States as a home base (meaning they are U.S. citizens or permanent residents) to return home as recommended by the U.S. State Department, and is working with them individually to determine what’s best in their particular situations.  The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) also has brought back young adult volunteers (YAVs) serving at its international sites. Sara Lisherness has served as interim director for World Mission for the past seven months. Lisherness spoke with the Presbyterian Outlook March 25 about what the unexpected transition has been like for the mission co-workers, and about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the PC(USA)’s international work. Here are excerpts from that conversation. What’s this been like for the mission co-workers? So far, about 70 mission co-workers have chosen to shelter-in-place – … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COVID19

GA meeting site in Baltimore to be converted into field hospital

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A decision may be getting closer about whether to hold the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – set for June 20-27 in Baltimore – as scheduled. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced this week an order to convert the Baltimore Convention Center, where the General Assembly is scheduled to meet, and the nearby city-owned Hilton Hotel into a field hospital for COVID-19 patients. Hogan did not say when the field hospital would open — it’s intended to provide care for an expected surge of COVID-19 cases. The Maryland National Guard is setting up the facility, which is to be operated by a joint partnership of the University of Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins Medicine. Hogan has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide 250 beds. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly is committed to making a decision about the 2020 General Assembly no later than April 15 — and possibly sooner. Kerry Rice, the PC(USA)’s deputy stated clerk, … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COVID19 • GA224

New advisory opinion on congregations celebrating communion

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The Office of the General Assembly has released a new advisory opinion from J. Herbert Nelson, the stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), about how congregations can celebrate communion in an emergency or pandemic. A key question: Can a PC(USA) congregation celebrate the Lord’s Supper if it is meeting virtually — not in person? Yes, according to the new advisory opinion, titled “Communion in an Emergency/Pandemic” and released March 24. “In emergency circumstances there may be situations in which the pastoral needs of that moment require that the church take actions that run contrary to normal practice,” the advisory opinion states. A session of a congregation or church council may determine that includes celebrating communion online, the opinion states — giving instruction to guide sessions in making that decision. “When circumstances limit the ability of the congregation to gather in person for a lengthy period of time, the session may decide for pastoral … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COVID19 • sacraments

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