SAN JOSE — The Revs. Kenneth and Margaret Thomas took their place at the dinner table. The conversation at the table turned to the home churches of those seated around the table.
SAN JOSE — The 218th General Assembly paused before lunch Thursday (June 26) to remember the Rev. Ben Lacy Rose, moderator of the 111th General Assembly (1971) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. Rose died in Richmond, Va., Nov. 13, 2006.
SAN JOSE, Cal. -- Commissioners to the 218th General Assembly have voted to change the denomination’s constitution to approve the ordination of gay and lesbian persons, a change that will require ratification by a majority of the 173 regional presbyteries over the next year.
SAN JOSE — Two years ago while attending the 217th General Assembly meeting in Birmingham, Ala., I wrote a short piece about living each day with the sobering diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Quite frankly, I didn’t expect to be here in San Jose, nor did I think I’d be writing another epistle about me!
SAN JOSE — In a surprise report June 26 to the 218th General Assembly, the Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands [www.pcusa.org/joiningheartsandhands] (MIJHH) honorary campaign chair, the Rev. Tom Gillespie, announced that the campaign had raised pledges totaling $33 million as it nears the end of the $40 million effort to renew the church for mission.
SAN JOSE, June 26, 2008 — “Why do we continue to do Christian education? Because we want our lives to be something bigger than just our own stories. We want to be part of God’s story,”
SAN JOSE, June 26, 2008 — Near the end of her remarks at the Presbyterian Writers Guild (PWG) luncheon June 26, Marj Carpenter said, “I like to write so much that I feel sorry for people who never get to write.”
SAN JOSE -- The Rev. Byron Wade, pastor of the Davie Street Church of Raleigh, N.C., was confirmed as vice moderator of the 218th General Assembly on Wednesday (June 25).
SAN JOSE – The 218th General Assembly is sending a proposed revision of the denomination’s Form of Government back for more work – with a report to come back to the next General Assembly in 2010.
The General Assembly Nominating Committee (GANC) report took about an hour to generate zero news, until it finally made one little ripple just before finishing today (June 26).
SAN JOSE – Commissioners to 218th General Assembly meeting here voted today (June 26) to begin a four-year process to retranslate parts or all of the Heidelberg Catechism.
The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship honored four Peaceseekers at its breakfast on Wednesday morning at the General Assembly of the PCUSA. Anita David and Beth Pyles were awarded the 2007 Peaceseeker Award for their accompaniment work in Iraq.
SAN JOSE – The question of how Christians can witness to their faith in an interfaith world is never easy — and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is hoping to provide guidance in that through a new ecumenical policy statement.
“Glorious words we all have written, members of the Writer’s Guild,” sang those gathered today (June 26) at The Presbyterian Writers Guild 30th Annual Luncheon in San Jose, singing “The Presbyterian Writers Guild Hymn”, written by Vic Jameson. Jerry Van Marter, writers guild vice president shared words in memory of the late Jameson, asserting that singing the hymn was a very appropriate method of tribute.
SAN JOSE — With a rousing rendition of “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less,” Presbyterians for Renewal (PFR) opened their General Assembly breakfast on Wednesday (June 25), with PFR executive director Paul Detterman enthusiastically leading those gathered in song.
Lisa Wraith, liturgical artist and recent graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary is the designer of the 218th General Assembly’s prayer chapel. “I went to seminary because of General Assembly,” Wraith says, admitting that it is perhaps a bit unusual to receive a call to ministry through committee participation at GA.
CORRECTION: Theoriginal version of this story, posted June 23, incorrectly quoted Ben Willis, a pastor from Lehigh Presbytery. The story quoted Willis as saying, "I'm not gay any more -- I used to be. It's the transforming power of the Holy Spirit," when Willis was actually recounting a conversation he'd had with a man who attends his church, and who made those remarks.
SAN JOSE — For Melva Costen the year leading up to the 1983 reunion was busy, demanding and deeply personal. Her husband, the Rev. James Costen, was the 1982 moderator of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA).
On the 25th anniversary of the reunion of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (northern stream) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States (southern stream), people who were there look back.
SAN JOSE – If Presbyterians want to speak of the common ground in the faith of Christians, Muslims and Jews — perhaps as a way to build a bridge to deeper conversation — what’s the best way to do that?
“Let the needs of the world and not the failings of the church set our agenda,” said Mary Hunt, Catholic feminist theologian, to those gathered for the Voices of Sophia breakfast Tuesday (June24).
A Church Growth and Christian Education Committee recommendation to produce human development resources for adolescents was approved by the 218th General Assembly Wednesday (June 25) after deliberations that included passionate, personal arguments for and against the creation of what was expected to take form as a new curriculum.
SAN JOSE – They had to endure some scolding, but the General Assembly Council (GAC) and the Presbyterian Foundation seem to have found a path for resolving future disputes over the disbursement of funds – disagreements that, at this week’s meeting of the 218th General Assembly, slid messily out into public view.
SAN JOSE – Leadership is a big deal at this year’s General Assembly – with the election June 21 of Bruce Reyes-Chow, http://www.mod.reyes-chow.com/ the young, tech-savvy pastor of a multicultural church, as moderator, and with the assembly scheduled to pick a new stated clerk on June 27.
