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The biennial PC(USA) calendar: A leaders’ assessment

When moderator Rick Ufford-Chase called the 217th General Assembly to order on June 15 in Birmingham,  it seemed both familiar and a little strange.

It's been two years since the last assembly met -- a big change for a denomination that's held annual national meetings since kingdom come. So what are people saying about how well every-other-year assemblies are working?

For starters, it may be too soon to tell. John Detterick, retiring executive director of the General Assembly Council, said in an interview:

The Book of Confessions: Questions for reflection and indigestion

How well do you know and understand the documents in the Book of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)?

Although all officers make ordination promises to receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions and vow to be guided continually by them, most elders and deacons only have a limited concept of what the ten historic statements of faith really say.    

The questions below are designed to help any church board, committee, or presbytery begin a review of the purpose and content of the Book of Confessions to remind our members what the significance of our vows is. Perhaps they can be used after a general introduction so that everyone starts on the same page.

Efforts to save Montreat historical office falling short …so far

BIRMINGHAM -- The General Assembly Procedures Committee turned back concerted efforts to overturn the plan of the Committee on the General Assembly to close the office of the Presbyterian Historical Society at Montreat, N.C.

COGA's recommendation, to move the historical materials presently housed in Montreat to the central facility in Philadelphia, will be considered for final action by the whole General Assembly on June 21. 

Peacemaking committee recommends new wording of divestment directions

BIRMINGHAM - After hours of listening, discussing, praying and parsing individual words, the Peacemaking and International Issues Committee affirmed Sunday night their recommendation to the 217^th General Assembly to replace the wording to the 216^th General Assembly related to a phased process that might lead to divesting from certain corporations doing business in Israel.

After discussing the 41 overtures the committee received on this topic and ideas of merging parts of overtures together, the committee appointed an 11-person subcommittee to draft its own statement, which is being forwarded to the General Assembly.

Assembly refers overtures concerning ordination of educators for further study

For years now, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has debated the question of whether Christian educators should be ordained -- with some contending that the work of teaching is significant enough in the church and important enough in cultivating disciples that it should be considered as an ordained office.

But the assembly has repeatedly declined to do so, and this year is no exception.

On June 19, the assembly referred two overtures on ordaining educators to the PC(USA)'s Office for Theology and Worship for more study -- one that would have created an office of "educating elder" and a second to establish a "minister of Christian education."

Those will now be considered as part of an ongoing study on the relationship between baptism and the ministry of all church members, whether they are ordained or not.

GA seeks further study on Colombia situation

BIRMINGHAM -- Study vs. action -- that was the question.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) struggled on June 19 with the question of how fiercely to speak up against oppression in Colombia -- and how strongly to advocate for particular changes in U.S. policies in the region.

The shadow of the divestment debate -- in which the assembly in 2004 took a controversial position in favor of phased, selective investment in some companies doing business in Israel -- hung a little over this discussion, although not spoken of explicitly.

GA backgrounder: Abortion overtures seek further restrictions

(PNS) Issues surrounding abortion have been on the agenda of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly almost every year since 1983, when that year's Assembly established the church's first basic policy on abortion. That policy supported a woman's right to choose with virtually no reservations.

Over the years, pro-life Presbyterians have persuaded Assemblies to modify the church's policy on several occasions, most substantially in 1992.

GA backgrounder: Abortion overtures seek further restrictions

(PNS) Issues surrounding abortion have been on the agenda of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly almost every year since 1983, when that year's Assembly established the church's first basic policy on abortion. That policy supported a woman's right to choose with virtually no reservations.

Over the years, pro-life Presbyterians have persuaded Assemblies to modify the church's policy on several occasions, most substantially in 1992.

Peace, Unity, Purity Report adopted in committee as opponents try to delay implementation

BIRMINGHAM -- Here's a question the General Assembly will very likely be asked to consider: Should the presbyteries be given more time -- basically a "season of discernment" -- to consider the report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the PC(USA)? Should the vote be put off for two years, until the next assembly meets in 2008?

Or should this General Assembly vote June 20 on the task force report -- deciding now whether the task force has recommended a better way for a divided PC(USA) to handle its disagreements?

Abortion-related resource funding overture disapproved by Health Comm.

BIRMINGHAM -- The 217^th General Assembly Health Committee on June 17 voted to recommend to the General Assembly disapproval of Overture 10-02 from the Presbytery of Beaver-Butler. The proposal asked that no funds of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) be used to support any advocacy either for or against abortion.

The overture had the concurrence of Shenango presbytery.

Jim Powers, elder of the Beaver-Butler Presbytery and overture advocate, called their proposal an even-handed, balanced approach to making sure no PC(USA) monies were used for pro-or anti-abortion support such as information materials. Presbyterians who think their contributions are going to fund a position antithetical to their own cease giving to the denomination, according to Powers.  Adoption of their overture would likely result in some donors reestablishing their giving to the PC(USA), he indicated.

Mejia says pressure is escalating in ColombiaAssembly committee pushes for change in U.S. policy

BIRMINGHAM -- When the Rev. Milton Mejia accepted one of the two 2006 Peaceseeker Awards granted by Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF) at its annual breakfast here yesterday, he said it represented a covenant between two churches.

Ecumenical Committee urges study of WARC papers Nyomi calls for renewal and unity

BIRMINGHAM -- Setri Nyomi repeated several themes in his remarks to the Assembly's Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee during its deliberations here.

Economic justice. Engagement with the world. Spiritual renewal.

Nyomi, the general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), was drawing from a list of concerns raised by that body during its 24^th conference two years ago in Accra, Ghana, where delegates from its 218-member churches committed to challenge the economic order that is further dividing the world's rich and poor and squelches "fullness of life" as proclaimed in the gospels.

Abortion-related resource funding overture disapproved by Health Comm.

BIRMINGHAM -- The 217^th General Assembly Health Committee on June 17 voted to recommend to the General Assembly disapproval of Overture 10-02 from the Presbytery of Beaver-Butler. The proposal asked that no funds of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) be used to support any advocacy either for or against abortion.

The overture had the concurrence of Shenango presbytery.

Jim Powers, elder of the Beaver-Butler Presbytery and overture advocate, called their proposal an even-handed, balanced approach to making sure no PC(USA) monies were used for pro-or anti-abortion support such as information materials. Presbyterians who think their contributions are going to fund a position antithetical to their own cease giving to the denomination, according to Powers.  Adoption of their overture would likely result in some donors reestablishing their giving to the PC(USA), he indicated.

Abortion-related resource funding overture disapproved by Health Comm.

BIRMINGHAM -- The 217^th General Assembly Health Committee on June 17 voted to recommend to the General Assembly disapproval of Overture 10-02 from the Presbytery of Beaver-Butler. The proposal asked that no funds of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) be used to support any advocacy either for or against abortion.

The overture had the concurrence of Shenango presbytery.

Jim Powers, elder of the Beaver-Butler Presbytery and overture advocate, called their proposal an even-handed, balanced approach to making sure no PC(USA) monies were used for pro-or anti-abortion support such as information materials. Presbyterians who think their contributions are going to fund a position antithetical to their own cease giving to the denomination, according to Powers.  Adoption of their overture would likely result in some donors reestablishing their giving to the PC(USA), he indicated.

Abortion-related resource funding overture disapproved by Health Comm.

BIRMINGHAM -- The 217^th General Assembly Health Committee on June 17 voted to recommend to the General Assembly disapproval of Overture 10-02 from the Presbytery of Beaver-Butler. The proposal asked that no funds of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) be used to support any advocacy either for or against abortion.

The overture had the concurrence of Shenango presbytery.

Jim Powers, elder of the Beaver-Butler Presbytery and overture advocate, called their proposal an even-handed, balanced approach to making sure no PC(USA) monies were used for pro-or anti-abortion support such as information materials. Presbyterians who think their contributions are going to fund a position antithetical to their own cease giving to the denomination, according to Powers.  Adoption of their overture would likely result in some donors reestablishing their giving to the PC(USA), he indicated.

Polity committee rejects overtures curbing frivolous lawsuit complaints; requests study

BIRMINGHAM -- The Committee on Church Polity on Saturday disapproved four overtures stemming from what several speakers and committee members described as an untenable number of frivolous accusations against leaders in the church.

But it requested that the Office of the General Assembly study the inappropriate use of the judicial process and report back to the 218^Th General Assembly in 2008, and it urged individuals and governing bodies to pursue actions against church members filing such accusations falsely or in bad faith.

Polity committee recommends streamlined BOO Chapter 14, creation of new Task Force

The Committee on Church Polity recommended Saturday that the Assembly approve a streamlined, more flexible version of the Book of Order's Chapter 14 -- the provisions about Ordination, Certification and Commissioning -- and begin work toward a far more sweeping revision of Presbyterian government.

The Chapter 14 changes would give presbyteries the authority to fill local clergy positions more quickly and remove some barriers about who can do which jobs. The larger revisions, to be developed over the next several years by a task force the Assembly would approve, likely would vastly simplify the Book of Order and give even more flexibility to presbyteries.