LOUISVILLE – The Moving Forward Implementation Commission is starting to drill down into the work before it – trying to keep on top of everything from the financial sustainability of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to setting a vision for the denomination. The commission took one formal vote on the final day of its Jan. 14-15 meeting in Louisville: passing a motion regarding the membership of the Diverse Voices Table, a new entity the 2018 General Assembly created to consider matters of inclusion and equity. According to the assembly’s action, the table would have “equal staff representation” from each of the six PC(USA) agencies, with Presbyterian Women invited to participate as well. It isn’t clear yet exactly what issues the Diverse Voices Table might take up, whether it would make recommendations, or somehow report to or be accountable to a PC(USA) governing body. But the Moving Forward Implementation Commission acted after hearing from Valerie Izumi, manager for General … [Read more...]

LOUISVILLE – The Moving Forward Implementation Commission is beginning to get a sense of the territory in which it’ll be working until the next General Assembly – somewhat familiar landscape, but with new challenges as well. Some of this work involves monitoring to make sure that what the 2018 General Assembly instructed be done actually comes to pass – for example, to significantly expand translation of materials in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) into languages other than English. “Access is power,” said Julie Cox, a mid council executive from South Carolina who is leading a task force on translation services on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation – the corporate entity for the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Agency – and who joined the commission via conference call to discuss the work, just getting started.  “I am wearing my necklace that says ‘Hope,’ on purpose,” Cox said. Part of the commission’s work will be collaborative, … [Read more...]