COGA Archives - The Presbyterian Outlook

“Get ready and stay ready” — Presbytery of Baltimore engages anti-racism work ahead of General Assembly

February 13, 2020 by Leslie Scanlon Leave a Comment

BALTIMORE – Implicit bias. As in: When you see a photo of this man what do you see? What do you think? Or these men: Or this person? On Feb. 13, Shanea Leonard, associate for gender and racial justice in the Presbyterian Mission Agency, and Denise Anderson, coordinator of racial and intercultural justice, led cultural humility training for the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, meeting jointly in Baltimore. Part of it had to do with addressing implicit bias – “the stories we make up about people before we actually know who they are,” Leonard said. As in: The Irish are alcoholics. Those young blacks will steal from your store. “Do we see them as Christ wants us to see them, or through the lens of our own stereotypes?” they asked (Leonard uses they/them pronouns). Leonard showed a series of photographs – asking people to write down their first reactions to the images. For … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA • PMA board

One in Christ: PMAB and COGA worship together in Baltimore

February 13, 2020 by Leslie Scanlon Leave a Comment

BALTIMORE – “We are one body, whether we realize it or not.” That’s how Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, started off her sermon Feb. 13 during worship at the start of a joint session of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board and the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly. Both Moffett and J. Herbert Nelson, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), preached – Moffett using as her text a passage from Acts and Nelson one from 1 Corinthians. Moffett called on Presbyterians to pay attention, as the early disciples did, in order to see God’s power sweeping through the world today and to join together to do God’s work, because “we are one in Jesus Christ.” Nelson likened this struggle for unity to the wrangling that sometimes pops up in church politics: “There ain’t no PMA (Presbyterian Mission Agency) and there ain’t no OGA (Office of the General Assembly). We are one in the body of Christ. We are called to be … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA • PMA board

Here’s what’s coming to the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board and the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly meetings this week

February 11, 2020 by Leslie Scanlon Leave a Comment

Both the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board and the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly will be meeting Feb. 12-14 in Baltimore – the same city where the 2020 General Assembly will do its work just a few months from now, from June 20-27. Up for discussion will be some big issues facing the church and the world – including climate change, racism, what makes a congregation thrive, and questions of how, in an era of declining membership, to effectively fund the work of the church. Some sessions will focus on education and training. For example, Kerri Allen and Shanea Leonard will present the findings of the Disparities Experienced by Black Girls and Women Task Force (P.201 Disparities Experienced by Black Women and Girls from GA Task Force Report), discussing such issues as systemic violence against black women and girls; the need for support of LGBTQIA+ identified black pastors and trans black church leadership; and the tendency to “adultify” young black girls – to … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA • PMA board

Proposed per capita rate increase receives preliminary approval on split vote

February 8, 2018 by Leslie Scanlon Leave a Comment

LOUISVILLE – The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) and the executive committee of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board voted Feb. 8 to approve significant General Assembly per capita increases – an increase from $7.73 per member in 2018 to $10.71 in 2019 and to $11.45 per member in 2020. That would amount to a 39 percent increase from 2018 to 2019 and a 7 percent increase from 2019 to 2020. The 10-7 vote was split: with COGA voting 9-0 in favor (with one abstention) and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board executive committee voting 7-1 against. The proposed increase still would need approval from the 2018 General Assembly; the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board also is expected to consider it before its meeting ends Feb. 9. The standing rules say that the per capita rate needs to be a joint recommendation from COGA and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board. One option for resolving any differences might be to convene a Per Capita Joint Table, where … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA • per capita • PMA board

Stated clerk makes the case for increased per capita

February 7, 2018 by Leslie Scanlon Leave a Comment

LOUISVILLE – J. Herbert Nelson, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), presented a General Assembly per capita budget that he said is needed to “do what the Lord requires” – and which would be funded by a sizeable increase in the General Assembly per capita apportionment. The vote on that proposed General Assembly per capita increase – from an apportionment of $7.73 per member in 2018 to $10.71 in 2019 and $11.45 in 2020 – is expected to come Feb. 8, with the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) and the executive committee of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Boardmeeting jointly. If approved, that would amount to a 39 percent increase from 2018 to 2019 and a 7 percent increase from 2019 to 2020. The proposed increase would lift the General Assembly per capita budget from $11.5 million in 2018 to $15.5 million in 2019 and $15.8 million in 2020. That would also give a “break even” funding level – adding more than $66,000 to per capita reserves in … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA • per capita • PMA board

Significant per capita increase proposed

February 7, 2018 by Leslie Scanlon 5 Comments

LOUISVILLE – The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the executive committee of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board are proposing a significant increase in the per capita rate for 2019 and 2020 – an increase from $7.73 per member in 2018 to $10.71 in 2019 and to $11.45 per member in 2020. If approved, that would amount to a 39 percent increase from 2018 to 2019 and a 7 percent increase from 2019 to 2020. However, spending decisions that the 2018 General Assembly may make could also affect the per capita budget for 2019 and 2020. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (meeting Feb. 6-8 in St. Louis) and the executive committee of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board (the board is meeting Feb. 7-9 in Louisville) will discuss the proposal jointly in a video conference call Feb. 7. Those two entities are expected to vote Feb. 8 on whether to approve the per capita budgets for 2019 and 2020, along with a revised per capita budget for 2018, and to … [Read more...]

Tagged With: COGA • per capita • PMA board