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Navigating in-person meetings: COGA seeks permission for hybrid meeting later this year

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The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) has voted to ask for an exception to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s pandemic travel ban so it can hold a hybrid meeting in September — meaning at least some committee members would travel to meet together in person. Their request goes to J. Herbert Nelson, the PC(USA)’s stated clerk. COGA voted 6-5 during a Zoom meeting June 17 to ask for permission to hold a hybrid meeting Sept. 27-29 in Louisville, Kentucky. To some extent, the division on the committee reflects the kind of discussions that congregations and other church groups are having about whether to begin meeting again in person and with what restrictions — acknowledging there may not be consensus on what is safe and what is not. The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board does not plan to begin holding in-person meetings again until 2022. Among points raised in this discussion: What are the expectations for staff members who are expected to be part of the … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA

20 minutes with Teri McDowell Ott

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On June 1, Teri McDowell Ott started as the editor of the Presbyterian Outlook. A minister member of the Presbytery of Great Rivers in western Illinois, she is the former dean of the chapel at Monmouth College. We asked her a few questions to help Outlook readers start to get to know her. Tell us about your call to the role of Presbyterian Outlook editor. After giving me some hard-to-swallow critique, a workshop teacher at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival told me: “Teri, when poets and writers have a reading, they are thrilled if even 10 people show up. You get at least twice that every Sunday.” This challenge woke me up to the platform we are privileged to have as pastors and the good we can do with our words. The Presbyterian Outlook’s platform offers even more opportunities to build ecclesial networks and societal bridges, amplify voices and stories that deserve to be heard and faithfully speak to the challenges the church faces today. My sense of call as a “writing pastor” … [Read more...]

The current landscape of gun violence: A Q&A with Deanna Hollas

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In 2019, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ordained Deanna Hollas as the nation’s first gun prevention minister — she’s the gun violence prevention coordinator for Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Recently, Leslie Scanlon of the Presbyterian Outlook spoke with Hollas about soaring gun sales during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and about American attitudes towards firearms. The Pew Research Center reports that close to half of Americans (48%) see gun violence as a “very big” problem in the country; about 4 in 10 American adults (44%) say they live in household with a gun; and about half of Americans (53%) favor stricter gun control laws, although there is not necessarily agreement about what those proposals should be. Here’s the Outlook’s conversation with Hollas, edited and condensed for clarity. Q: What are your thoughts as we are starting to emerge from the pandemic, and also experiencing episode after episode of gun violence? It felt like we had a little bit of a breather … [Read more...]

Tagged With: gun violence

Groups approve $2.4 million in renovation costs for Presbyterian Center and “what to expect” for General Assembly commissioners

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Although the event itself is still a year away, decisions about the configuration of the 2022 General Assembly continue to unfold — with two policy-making groups meeting via Zoom May 20 to make choices about finances and responsibilities. Renovations The board of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation, voted to approve a $2.4 million budget (Project Estimate) for renovating the first floor of the Presbyterian Center in downtown Louisville to make space for a hybrid General Assembly in 2022, with committee meetings to be held in person in Louisville and most plenary sessions virtually. The A Corporation board approved a $2.4 million renovation budget (P.102) — a budget that church leaders acknowledge may increase, and which leaves unanswered for now the question of how much the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) Board might contribute to the work. The plan calls for the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) to provide more than $478,000 for the work from per capita … [Read more...]

Tagged With: A Corp • COGA • GA225

Dollars and imagination: Board considers renovation plan for Presbyterian Center

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Will spending $2.4 million in renovations on the Presbyterian Center in downtown Louisville, in order to hold a hybrid General Assembly with committee meetings there in 2022, cost more than having an in-person General Assembly? Where will the money to pay for it come from, and how long will it take to recover the costs? Will other Presbyterian groups gathering in Louisville in the future be required to hold their meetings at the Center? How much will they be charged? What about parking? Members of the board of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation, asked these questions and more during a May 19 Zoom session — with the vote on the $2.4 million renovation budget and facilities plan expected to come May 20 (P.102). Among the answers given: The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board is being asked to provide about $1.6 million for the project from unrestricted reserves – with the understanding that those funds would be repaid later in 2021. Kathy Lueckert, president … [Read more...]

Tagged With: A Corp

Renovations to Presbyterian Center estimated at $2.4 million

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It will cost an estimated $2.4 million to renovate the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s office building in downtown Louisville to get ready for a hybrid 2022 General Assembly. The plan is for the assembly to hold committee meetings in Louisville from June 20-July 3, 2022 and plenary sessions online June 18 and July 5-9, 2022. The PC(USA), A Corporation board will consider a recommendation (P.102) giving an estimated project cost of $2.4 million, although that amount could change, during its May 19-20 meeting (held on Zoom). “This is an estimated project budget,” the report states. “During the coming months the budget will be refined as work is done with the architect, structural and mechanical engineers, and the general contractor. Supply chain issues are also a concern and are very unpredictable. If the final project budget exceeds this estimate, the additional source of funds will be unrestricted reserves.” The board of the A Corporation – which is the corporate entity of … [Read more...]

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