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Judy’s General Assembly Blog
I got to my hotel and then to
the convention center just in time for opening worship, an informal service of
scripture, song and praise. After worship there were a variety of orientation
sessions that commissioners rotated through until 4:30.
After dinner it was time to
elect the new moderator,
The Rev. Joan S.
Gray, a pastor in Greater Atlanta Presbytery. Let me tell you how it looked
from my place in the hall: Usually when the moderator is up for election there
is a growing excitement in the hall. But tonight it seemed more moderate. There
wasn’t the usual fervor for a front runner and many were surprised by the final
results. We do have a moderator, and the committees begin their work tomorrow.
The assembly will return to plenary on Monday
Judy’s
General Assembly Blog “In our living and in our dying, we belong to God” The commissioners were reminded of the fragility of life and God’s promises for our dying when one of their own suffered a massive fatal heart attack last evening. Please keep us in your prayers, especially the Presbytery of Tres Rios as they come to grips with the reality of life and death.
Today was a day of committee work. Most committees began with getting to know you sessions (some had come in earlier to do this because of the amount of work they had before them). I visited three different committees today—Ecclesiology that is working with the PUP report, Ecumenical Relations, and the Peacemaking and International Relations. Ecclesiology was hearing from the members of the Task Force, pictured below. Ecumenical Relations was hearing about its work from Cliff Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk and Peacemaking heard from people speaking for and against issues of the middle east (the speakers included Jews and Christians on both sides!) I wandered through the exhibit hall today and found our own Jeanne McIver working at the APCE booth.
I want to tell you about purple cards. When someone is having difficulty with the computer and the LES system…they simply and silently hold up a purple card and a computer guru comes to help them! Wouldn’t we all welcome such service! This evening I’ll be with other Executives from the whole church. It’s a combination of networking and enjoying each others’ company. Please continue to hold us in your prayers! In
Christ’s service,
Judy’s General Assembly Blog
The nice thing about coming to General Assembly and NOT serving as a commissioner is that you can do things while the Commissioners are busy with their committee work. This morning some of us went down to the Civil Rights Institute and took a guided Freedom Walk through the park across the street from 16th Street Baptist Church, the center of the civil rights movement in Birmingham. After our Freedom Walk we enjoyed self guided tours through the Civil Rights Institute. It was a powerful experience. After a late lunch, I went back to the assembly to listen as committees continued their work. Some have finished and are ready to go to the floor…others are still striving to get through their work decently and in order. Of course, the committees bring recommendations to the floor and the Assembly makes a decision that can affirm, amend, or defeat the recommendations from the committee. Remember you can keep up with the progress of a committee’s work on LES. Tonight the Office of General Assembly hosted a dinner for Executives and Stated Clerks. We heard reports from the Executives of the Synod of the Sun and the Synod of the Living Waters about the response of the whole church to the Katrina disaster and their progress toward recovery. They told us how important it was to be a part of a family of Presbyterians and how grateful they were that people who may not agree on some theological issues, were able to transcend the difference of opinion and join energy on a work crew pounding in roof nails. Would that the church could experience that kind of unity without a calamity’s provocation!
For me, the evening ended with the ecumenical worship service. The music was wonderful and the preacher excellent. You may know that this General Assembly’s schedule is different from others. Instead of beginning on Saturday, we began on Thursday. Things that used to be on Sunday happened on Friday. I’m sorry to say that the schedule change caught me. I missed last night’s worship when Rick Ufford-Chase was the preacher and mission workers were commissioned. In former General Assemblies, most worship was a morning experience. Every evening worship is a new for me at General Assembly. But, change is good and I caught up tonight. Tomorrow is a relatively free day. Some committees will finish their work. Area churches are opening their doors to us in the morning and there is a combined worship service with the Cumberland Presbyterians in the evening. I think those commissioners who have finished in their committees will give thanks for some breathing time as well as some time for reading reports that will come to the floor on Monday morning. Peace,
Judy’s General Assembly Blog
Sunday was indeed a day of worship here in Birmingham. For the first time in many years the Assembly did not gather in a large communion service with members from area churches. Instead the commissioners and others visited local Presbyterian congregations during their regular worship services. We enjoyed true Southern hospitality with sweet tea and lemonade replacing coffee during the fellowship hour. (Have I told you that it is very hot and humid down here?) Lemonade hit the spot on a hot day. There were several activities during the afternoon. I chose to visit some committees who were still at work. The toll of intense work over many hours is beginning to show. Hopefully commissioners will get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s plenary.
This evening we joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Churches who are also in General Assembly meetings in Birmingham, in a joint celebration of worship and Holy Communion. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day in plenary. Don’t forget that the meeting is streaming on the web, so you can keep up with business as it happens if you want. Please keep us all in your prayers. Shalom,
Salaam, Peace!
Judy’s General Assembly Blog
Everyone was back in their assigned seats on the floor for plenary at 9:00 A.M. this morning. The moderator began by recognizing and thanking the chairs of the assembly committees, the makers of the nominating speeches and the other candidates for moderator and vice moderator. Other preliminary remarks about the facility followed and then the assembly got into the business for the day. After greetings, Bob Wilson was confirmed and installed as Vice Moderator of the 217th General Assembly. As usual, the first business before the Assembly is what some consider “easy” so that the commissioners can become accustomed to the flow of the plenary session. Wouldn’t you know it, Les wasn’t working and the commissioners had paper before them. Unfortunately, paper was not distributed to the Executives…not an easy way to follow business!
Among the items approved was Miami’s overture to create an E-hymnal. The evening worship service was led by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. After worship there was a wonderful celebration of women in ministry. I’ll send pictures later. We’ve had a bit of a glitch with the network at my B & B. Tomorrow is PUP (Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church). Please continue to pray! Peace! Judy
Judy’s General Assembly Blog You know, it is good to date each one of these. The days are beginning to run together. Today the commissioners are learning about the press and how the press will write the article they are listening for, not actually the article that best represents what really happened on the floor. It doesn’t matter if it is the Birmingham News, USA Today or one of the religious organs. Each will report with a bit of a slant. We all bring a lens and filter to what is going on. The best way to hear for yourself is to listen to the live stream, which you can access from www.miamipresbytery.org. Don’t forget that Miami Presbytery has five people sitting in commissioners’ chairs who, after they return home, can also be good resources for understanding some of the thinking and conversations behind the actions.
Among the first items of business for the day was the election and installation of Elder Linda Valentine as the new Executive Director of the General Assembly Council. The nominating committee report had a number of challenges to their slate. Unfortunately, without paper and with Les not reliable in my part of the hall, it was very difficult to follow the report. Even commissioners were having some problems. Eventually we did get on track and there were some challengers that replaced those nominated by the GA Nominating Committee. The report took much longer than expected and the hall was anxious to move on to the next report: the Committee on Ecclesiology that has the Peace Unity and Purity (PUP) report as part of its work. You could hear the buzz among spectators as the Nominating Report came to an end.
Our own Charles Youther helped to polish the motion before the Assembly. His amendment offered the assembly a way to review process and outcome of scrupling. (It’s a new word for us, but a very old word for the church.—please see the PUP #5.) After the approval of the Ecclesiology recommendation 1 (as amended—please see LES), the Moderator invited the commissioners to gather in prayer and there was a swell of commissioners’ singing “Cum Ba Yah.” I want to tell you that throughout the debate I felt that there was an authentic caring for each other. Mutual respect was evident even when there were extreme differences of opinion of what God is calling us to do. The assembly then returned to the committee’s other recommendations. I know that this decision will affect different people in different way. I am confident that God loves us, claims us, and will walk with us as we learn how to integrate this decision into our life together as a presbytery and as a denomination. The next committee to report was Church Orders…seemed like a heavy committee to follow Ecclesiology—everyone seemed a bit tired, including the moderator. Indeed when the Moderator announced the end of the Session, she praised the Lord! As do I –it’s been a long sit! Please pray for us all…. Peace, Judy
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