Immediately following the end of its business on Saturday, June 27, 2020, the 224th General Assembly moved into a time of worship to close the assembly.  This historic, first-ever virtual meeting concluded by remembering the words of the prophet Ezekiel, who was told by God to prophesy new breath into lifeless, dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10).  Soloist Camille Metoyer Moten sang, “I Am Your Breath,” reminding worshippers that God is the one who sustains the rejected and disrespected. During the prayers of the people, worshippers responded to the “needs of the church, the world, and all in need,” saying “Hear our prayer” during this litany that asked God for healing and wholeness.  Led by Kenneth Kovacs, those praying beseeched God to empower the church and break down all barriers that seek to divide.  Specific needs of the pandemic that presented challenges to congregations were uplifted, as well as the plea to dismantle systemic racism. Closing remarks were made by Diane … [Read more...]

In the uncertainty and unpredictability brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of the General Assembly, the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the PC(USA), A Corporation presented to the 224th General Assembly – meeting online because of the pandemic – a unified budget and a request to have the flexibility to make mid-stream adjustments in the next two years as the situation develops. Usually, the budget is divided into two parts: The per capita budget is funded by an assessment based on a fixed amount for each member of a church and it funds the ecclesial work of the church, mostly in the Office of the General Assembly (OGA). The mission budget, funded from mission giving and other resources, mostly supports the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA). Since the last General Assembly, the Administrative Services Group (ASG) has been created as a part of the PC(USA), A Corporation — and has its own budget, which is roughly the size of the OGA budget at about $16 million … [Read more...]

As the 224th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) drew to a close, the assembly revisited the possibility of considering new business. And for some commissioners the answer was a strong, fervent yes: they wanted this assembly to make a statement about the impact of racism, violence and oppression on Black women and girls. Earlier in the afternoon when co-moderator Elona Street-Stewart invited new business, there appeared to be none offered. New business would have required a suspension of the standing rules and is an undebatable motion that requires a 2/3 vote of all of the enrolled commissioners — which would be 326 yes votes for this assembly. However, later in the plenary it became clear that some commissioners did want to propose new business -- and Street-Stewart said now was the time. The first new business proposed came from Brian Entz, a minister from Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. He moved to suspend the rules in order to consider a statement … [Read more...]