The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) voted June 11 to recommend a new piece of business to the 2020 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)  – a recommendation called "On the Church in this Moment in History," an attempt to respond to some of the concerns sending protesters into the streets across the nation, and to criticisms that this General Assembly may not be doing enough about social justice. COGA has heard from many “that the church must speak at this moment,” said Tricia Dykers Koenig, associate for mid council relations with the Office of the General Assembly.  And there’s a sense that what’s considered “core and critical” business – the filter COGA has been using to decide which business to recommend that the 2020 General Assembly consider – has shifted in recent weeks, following the police killing of George Floyd May 25 in Minneapolis and the protests that have rocked the country ever since in response to systemic injustice and … [Read more...]

The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) met in closed session April 15 to consider how to hold a virtual General Assembly this year — but plans to delay announcing its decision on how to proceed until later in April. The General Assembly is scheduled to meet June 20-27 in Baltimore, but that’s not likely to happen, as the coronavirus pandemic has scuttled nearly all in-person meetings and the Baltimore Convention Center, where the meeting is scheduled to take place, has been turned into a COVID-19 field hospital. Discussions continue, however, with Baltimore officials regarding the contracts that were signed for that gathering, and COGA is trying to handle the negotiations to put the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the best position financially when everything shakes out. In a Zoom meeting April 9, COGA discussed the possibility of holding a shortened and fully virtual General Assembly, with no committee meetings, and with plenary sessions June 26 and 27 and … [Read more...]