Marathon Day (aka – Slogging Through Overtures) – Part 2

After a break for dinner we continued “slogging through overtures.” The pace picked up significantly during our business meeting tonight as we considered (and ACTED ON) recommendations from the three remaining committees:

• Committee #13 – Peacemaking and International Issues
• Committee #09 – Mission Coordination
• Committee #19 – Health Issues

As we finished up the last of the items for consideration, I realized that I could quote what the Moderator was going to say. The voting sequence for commissioners is: “Commissioners, you have been advised. Please vote while your keypad is active. Please complete your voting now. Has anyone not voted? We await results.”

Also, mark your calendar now for: Big Tent – Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide. The event will be in Indianapolis, Indiana from June 30 – July 2, 2011. Join in the family reunion as ten different conferences occur at the same time and place. Think General Assembly without all the committee and plenary meetings!!

As an endnote to the protest this afternoon, the word that we were given is that the protesters were not affiliated with the PC(USA) and had not been credentialed to be on the assembly floor. When the protest began they were asked to leave by GA staff and the Moderator, which was followed by a request from building security who said if they did not leave they would be considered to be trespassing. Then the police asked each protestor to leave voluntarily or they would be arrested. Some left voluntarily and some were removed by the police and issued a citation for trespassing before being released.

So, we now have less than 12 hours left on site for the 219^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)!!

Marathon Day (aka – Slogging Through Overtures) – Part 1

Today was a day with many hot button issues on the docket (agenda), so here are my brief (I hope) views on some of the big actions of the day:

• The parliamentary excitement started early today as we considered a “Motion to Reconsider” all actions answered by Item 12-12 last evening. And, only 40% of commissioners voted to approve the motion to reconsider so our actions from yesterday stand unchanged.
• Passed – Item 14-07 “On Iraq.” – an amendment attempted to include language from the original overture related to directing the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) to study the relation to expenses in Iraq & Afghanistan and the impact on the US economy. In the end this amendment (as was the text in the original overture) was defeated.
• Passed – Item 14-03 “MRTI Report of Its Engagement with Corporations Involved in Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank.” – the report deals with several companies, but this item is close to home since there is a Caterpillar plant in Lafayette and members of the congregation are directly or indirectly employed by them. Carol McDonald (Co-Executive of the Synod of Lincoln Trails and former moderator of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley) made a very strong presentation about the impact within the synod of Caterpillar and their employees.
• Answered with action on Item 14-03 – Item 14-01 & 14-02 “On Divestment from Caterpillar, Inc.” – an amendment was made to divest the PC(USA) from Caterpillar and the amendment was overwhelming defeated by the GA (71% against). Interestingly, a YAAD (Young Adult Advisory Delegate) who was on the committee said that pastors from the Peoria area said that from their perspective while it would hurt, divestment was a better option from their perspective than continued denouncements every 2 years. Though an Elder Commissioner from Great Rivers Presbytery (where Caterpillar is headquartered) said that she was against all attempts to divest and denounce because Caterpillar has no control over what end users use their products for.
• Passed – Item 14-08 “`Breaking Down the Walls’—From the Middle East Study Committee.” – after HEAVY amending during committee the updated report (with large sections now removed and/or changed) was discussed and approved overwhelmingly during plenary today.
• Passed – Item 18-06 “On Directing the Board of Pensions to Extend Benefits to Same-Gender Spouses and Domestic Partners.” – I asked another question today because the way that people were talking about an up to 1% increase in Board of Pensions dues would be thousands of dollars more per year. The reality is that for someone making $30,000 that would be a dues increase of $300 per year and I wanted everyone to hear from someone at the Board of Pensions that the number is really that small. I felt silly asking the question (and I hope it did not come off as flippant) but people were making it sound like this would be thousands of dollars extra a year that would be breaking the bank.
• Passed – Item 05-04 “On Amending G-11.0407 and G-4.0560, and Adding a New G-11.0408b. Regarding Commissioned Lay Pastors.” – It was a surprise to me that with no debate or amendments the efforts to expand the role of CLPs (Commissioned Lay Pastors) within the PC(USA) was disapproved.

Things got interesting this afternoon when a protest group moved on to the assembly floor and disrupted the work of the assembly. The group carried signs and moved to the front of the assembly and stood. The Moderator handled things very well and paused discussion as we joined in a hymn and then she lead us in a prayer before placing us in recess until the protestors were peacefully escorted out by a police officer.

After the protest and impromptu break we returned to our discussion of Item 05-21 “Responsibility of General Assembly to Provide Authoritative Interpretations of Book of Order (G-13.0103r)” which after a lot of debate on polity issues was approved as amended. And, we were all granted the unofficial title of “polity wonk” by the Moderator.

On a side note the: congratulations to Rev. Carol McDonald on being named to the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) by the General Assembly Nominating Committee (GANC) and being approved by the GA. While there were many people nominated to serve the larger church at the GA level, it was neat to have a friend on the list of nominations we approved!

YAAD Blog 2

I had written this blog entry yesterday-July 8, 2010, but was unable to post it due to the late night we spent in plenary, and then a YAAD worship service till 1am! So here it is now!

Hello everyone! Greetings from Minnesota! This is an update from your young adult advisory delegate-Julianne Miller. I have now been in Minneapolis for a full week, and I must say not only have I fallen in love with this city, I have made incredible friends, and become even stronger in my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Minneapolis is a beautiful city. Every time I walk up Nicolette Mall I feel the excitement of the city around me. Yet, it is not like the excitement felt in Chicago or New York. There are nowhere near as many cars or angry cab drivers here as in other cities I have been to. Minneapolis portrays itself as a young, friendly, clean, fun, and safe city within Minnesota. It is vibrant with life and offers positive portrayals of life in a city as a business man or woman.
I have met a diverse group of people from around the United States all tied to their faith in the Presbyterian Church. What has amazed me the most is the way the YAADs are not afraid to share their beliefs with each other or with commissioners. YAADs don’t hold back when it comes to defending Christ’s church.
A few hours ago we took a difficult vote on the ordination standards concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Feeling the pressure and tension in the room, four of my fellow YAADs and I gathered in the back of the room for a group prayer before the vote. This is just one example of the power of prayer that has overtaken the young adults at this assembly.
We all feel the need to keep the church united, to do the will of God, yet we are lost. We are looking for God’s guidance and are still not sure of his answer. The vote on the issue of approving the majority report was 54% approval and 46% disapproval. If that doesn’t show how divided our church is on tough issues like LGBT, I don’t know what does. I wish it were simple, but it’s not. The answers to the difficult questions we ask are unclear. I continually remind myself to have an open mind and heart when listening to either side of tough issues such as the LGBT ordination issue or the topic of civil unions and marriage, yet it is so hard to disperse pre-conceived notions on a topic. Despite these emotionally draining issues, I know God’s grace will overcome the differences of those in the church.
As we sit in plenary tonight I say a little prayer for the five of us sitting here representing the Presbytery of Wabash Valley. I pray for God’s wisdom to guide us through these challenging decisions, and for his grace to fill our hearts and minds with the love and comfort that we are the Presbyterian Church USA; our faith in him ties us together, united as one in Christ’s love.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your Young Adult Advisory Delegate !
God Bless!
Julianne Miller

Caffeine!! I need caffeine!

Getting going on the 6th day of GA had my rethinking my decision to not drink caffeinated beverages, because a Dr. Pepper or Diet Coke sounded really good this morning (but I did not give in to the temptation).

Today was a day with many hot button issues on the docket (agenda), so here are my brief (I hope) views on some of the big actions of the day:

• Passed – Item 04-06 “On Appointing a General Assembly Commission on Middle Governing Bodies – COGA.” – after significant amending the GA created a “commission” to act on its behalf to work with, study (including the questions from the Overture 04-05 that our presbytery concurred with) and (as needed and when invited) to make changes to middle governing bodies (presbyteries and synods). There seemed to be among some commissioners a significant amount of fear and possibly suspicion of what the GA is trying to do. And, I made my first (and possibly only statement) from the floor during the debate when I asked a question (and brief follow-up) on the impact of a proposed amendment . . . I hope that the butterflies bouncing around in my stomach were not too obvious.
• Passed – Item 06-09 “On Amending G-6.0106b.” – there was a lot of debate on this item. And, after serving on this committee earlier in the week (see earlier posts here, here, and here) there were several times that I just wanted to scream that what was being said is not what the committee is recommending (my apologies to Jill and the other Bill for having to listen to me during the 1 ½ hours plus of debate). In the end after much debate and discussion the item passed: 53% – yes; 46% – no; 1% – abstaining.
• Passed – Item 11-11 “Commissioners’ Resolution. Regarding a Call to Stand with Immigrant Presbyterians in Their Hour of Need.” – after significant discussion and debate the GA voted to call for among other things for the PC(USA) to “Refrain from holding national meetings” in locations with laws similar to the “Arizona Law” on immigration. An interesting question asked, what happens if Pennsylvania passes a similar law in the next year since the 220th GA is in Pittsburgh?
• Passed – Item 12-12 “The Final Report of the Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage to the 219th General Assembly (2010) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).” The report passed and will be commended to the presbyteries for study (with the minority report to also be commended for study). Interestingly, with a single motion this report became the final answer for all the other items on marriage. The amazing thing is how fast the action went and it will be interesting to see if there is a motion to reconsider tomorrow morning when things sink in.

After being ahead or even on the docket for most of the last two days, we had such long discussions on several issues today that we had to “arrest” consideration and move on to other items to keep things moving a couple of times. Which meant I spent most of the day at my desk and it was a late evening before we finally “caught up” & finished the docket for today. Though I did get to eat a delicious lunch at Salsa a la Salsa restaurant and dinner with the Presbytery at The Melting Pot.

PS – As the day went on, the need for caffeine returned several times and while not giving in to the call for a Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper, I did enjoy chocolate (Linda – thank you, thank you, thank you for the snacks!!).

The Fun Begins Again . . .

Wednesday morning at GA is traditionally a morning of catching up . . . on reading (all the reports/actions that other committees have taken) and with friends (during the annual seminary lunches). So a room full of Princeton Seminary alums gathered at the Hilton for lunch, fellowship and catching up. Our table had alums from 1947 to 2008 and it was nice to connect with friends and meet new people.

During the lunch, President Iain Torrance updated us on recent changes at the seminary (without going into lots of detail here) the seminary is building new family housing (maybe this means no more pink tiled bathrooms) and working to make more library resources available to the church (both locally and globally) including replacing Speer library with a new Bicentennial Library.

This afternoon and evening we took final action on items from several committees (for the Assembly with several items going to presbyteries for approval). Here are just a few of the items that we addressed and my perceptions on them:

• Passed – Item 16-06 “Baptism Requirement for Participation in Lord’s Supper.” – while not amending the constitution the “statement is offered as pastoral advice” and provides guidance in serving communion to those who are not already baptized by placing the emphasis on grace and hospitality as well as beginning a conversation about the “significance of the sacraments.”
• Defeated – Item 16-03 “On Amending W-2.3008b Regarding Baptism of Children” – the debate was personally difficult for me. There were references by a pastor and a chaplain in support of the amendment about how paraphrasing a quote from John Calvin about God adopting us before we are even born is reassuring to parents who have suffered a perinatal loss (infant death in the first 28 days of life) or still birth. The debate brought back many strong emotions of when we faced this very issue as the parents of a very premature daughter who died at 23 days old. While the speakers were 100% accurate about the wonderful support that this knowledge provides, it also hurt to hear the death of infants and the pain of parents used as leverage in a larger argument that is really not related to the issue of baptism!! Particularly since the full quote from Calvin is meant to assure the faithful that infants who die are already adopted by God.
• Passed – Item 16-12 “Report of the Special Committee on the Belhar Confession.” –77% of commissioners voted in favor of referring the Belhar Confession to the presbyteries for approval. There was less debate than I expected and the number voting in favor was more than I thought it would be.
• Passed – Item 07-01 “Form of Government Task Force Report to the 219th General Assembly (2010).” – after extensive debate (and after a defeated substitute motion) the amended new Form of Government (nFOG) has been approved by the GA and will be sent to the presbyteries for approval. As a former soccer referee, I like the idea of a more streamlined constitution that provides guidance but is hopefully not bogged down with too many provisions to be easily & effectively implemented (like the difference between “The Laws of the Game” in soccer versus the huge rulebooks for football or baseball).
• Wonderful polity phrase that was heard a couple of times – “on this vote . . . yes means no” which was used when voting to approve a recommendation from a committee to disapprove an overture.

For more info about what happened at GA there are many sources online including these UNOFFICIAL perspectives: The Presbyterian Outlook, GA Help, and The GA Junkie.

Glimpses...

Our commissioners must be busy! The action is intense and the agenda is weighty today. Just some glimpses:

• Proposed New Form of Government, with some minor alternations, was passed last night by the Assembly and will be coming for Presbytery approval!
• Our wealth of diversity as PCUSA strikes me every time I come to events outside our borders. Our variety is multi-talented, multicultural, with different focuses, values, approaches, languages, styles, flashy clothing, music, dance, food, politics...it just goes on and on. And repeatedly we affirm our unity as Christ's church. What a rich experience! Last evening I attended the Presbyterian multicultural network dinner, renewing acquaintances from the May conference in Chicago.
• Each matter of business brought before the Assembly for action includes explicit calculations of "financial implications" as part of its consideration, living out Assembly's commitment to be good stewards of our church's resources.
• Formal debate continues on matters of consequence, but I hear many around me comment with gratitude at the courtesy and civility with which it is being conducted, in contrast to previous Assemblies.
• The docket for each session has moved faster than planners imagined, and sessions, at least until today, have considered additional items of routine business, or recessed a bit early.
• Today: Assembly considers matters of middle governing bodies (our presbytery concurred in a recommendation that a committee be created to study roles and relationships of Synods with an eye toward some creative partnerships- language you have heard in our Presbytery before). And "Church Orders and Ministry." And 'Civil Union and Marriage." Pray that the Holy Spirit infuses the hearts and minds of our commissioners as our church seeks to find unity in Christ amidst our diversity on these matters.

Half Way There . . .

After much discussion yesterday and discernment (as well as debate) today our committee has completed its work. Yeah!! :)

In the end, we approved one more overture today (06-09 “On Amending G-6.0106b.”) and ultimately decided to respond to all the other remaining overtures with our action on this overture.

I appreciated that whether we were considering highly complex elements of Robert’s Rules of Order (I think we were at the 200 or 300 levels instead of the 101-level today) or debating the merits of a motion, our discussion remained civil and respectful. I really think the discussion time in small groups around the tables was incredibly valuable in helping us to get to know each other; which then facilitated our deliberations today.

Thank you to our outstanding committee leadership team and to all the committee members for your hard work and dedication!!! I especially want to thank the members of my small group who journeyed with me through our committee work . . . your candid and heartfelt insights are greatly appreciated!

With the end of committee work came a time for worship & communion before we adjourned. This was followed by a time of fellowship to recharge as I had the chance to spend time with friends and classmates at a birthday party for Carol McDonald (Happy Birthday Carol!!) and at a reception sponsored by my seminary (Princeton Theological Seminary).

It is now time to call it a day because the fun starts all over again tomorrow. Discussion about COM (Committee on Ministry) related issues in the morning and then plenary in the afternoon & evening as we consider all the recommendations made by the committees!

Happy Birthday to Carol!

Thoughts from Alice...

I have been with Committee 03, General Assembly Procedures. It was not considered one of the "exciting" committees, but you couldn't have guessed that by the deliberations and painful hashing out of issues. I discovered that we could have drawn a line in the sand, almost like the civil war on any given issue. It was amazing how we seemed to polarize into similar groups of agreement and dissension. When I was celebrating the fellow next to me was groaning; and vice versa. The challenge was to stay engaged when the "other" voices spoke. We approved 16 items of business, approved 4 items with amendments or comments, referred 3 items to other committees, and disapproved 13 items.

Our committee was a "guinea pig" for using the handheld voting device, which worked quite well. We will be the only committee called into session after the plenary session on Friday night.

Alice

Fragments...

Throughout the day, some people move in packs, many wander singly...

Sounds and stunning photographs of water appear in every worship service...

Committee considering the proposed new Form of Government is working through the proposals, paragraph by paragraph, pondering everything from who is responsible for the mission of the church-- Is it God's mission, or it is the responsibility of the session?--to punctuation. Nearly every motion gets an alternative developed as a substitute which is then "perfected" before each vote, after debate, of course, and requests for advice from resource people in the room...Committee on church polity is pondering 53 items pertaining to discipline, mediation, authoritative interpretations, and other proposed changes to Book of Order and the proposed Form of Government provisions... All of this is most preliminary to shape the agenda for the plenary sessions for final decisions. Progress so far: approvals for resolution seeking to reestablish the Office of Collegiate Ministries...formation of a Middle Governing Body Commission...Special committee report on civil union, marriage issues goes to the full Assembly, the key being "to further study the issues and stay in covenant with each other"...

Check out the revised, colorful and more navigable PCUSA website! http://www.pcusa.org/

Everywhere, old and new friends gather

Left to right Gradye Parsons, Jill, Cindy Bolbach, Mike and Susan Lukens (Mike is the longest serving Presbytery Stated Clerk in PC(USA), and Susan Zencka (one time WV COM person). Fellow behind Cindy is her chosen Vice Moderator, The Reverend Landon Whitsitt (Heartland Presbytery)

The Longest Day!

July 5th

So begins the day... Breakfast to hear Phyllis Tickle then our morning worship. Grayde Parsons, our Stated Clerk, gave the sermon. Pretty interesting way that he read the scripture... expanding upon it and describing the background as he read it. Have to remember that...

Committee work began at 9 AM. My committee is #19 out of 19 committees. We are assigned a room not on the lower level... the level below the lower level. Can't even raise a phone signal there so no messaging going on.

The committee moderator got thrown into the role at the last minute and he looks like a deer caught in the headlights. I sit in the front row and couldn't hear him even with the microphone. Had to ask him and everyone else on the front table to "eat" the mike so we could hear! Now everyone has to use a mike to talk. Much better to hear. Gee... maybe I'm going deef! (sic)

Bill M and I got together for a brief supper before returning to committee meetings. Nice to kick back and not talk GA for a while.

Lunch was with the Covenant Network today. I was late getting there and spotted a fellow I had sat next to at Sunday worship. Sat at the empty seat next to him and then learned that not only was he a Presby Exec but everyone else at the table was a mucky muck. Oh well... once again ... in way over my head. Nice group though.

Trotted over to the Hilton to make sure all is set for tomorrow night's birthday party for Carol Mc Donald.

Gotta run... work to do.

Jill

Committees

Today was all about committee work. The GA is divided into committees made up of Commissioners (Elder and Minister) and Advisory Delegates (Young Adult, Theological Student, Mission Co-Worker, and Ecumenical) who all have BOTH voice and vote during the committee meetings. Each committee is assigned a series of overtures (requests/petitions/etc.) from Presbyteries and Synods for the GA to take some type of action and/or amend the constitution.

In Committee #06, we started our work with about 50 people openly and honestly sharing their personal views on the overtures before our committee during an open hearing period. The stories helped to give important context and perspective to the overtures we have been assigned. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and their opinions, your perspectives are greatly appreciated!

After the open hearings, we considered our first two items of business:

• 06-01 “On Amending G-11.0407 and G-14.0730 to Affirm the Role of Certified Christian Educators.”; and,
• 06-19 “On Establishing a Process to Evaluate the Current Call System”

For those who are interested in the procedural details, we heard from overture advocates, resources persons and then after a motion was made we had a period of discussion and questions before voting. Our action at the committee level is to make a recommendation to the full General Assembly on how it should act on the overture. Click on the links above to see the details on what our recommendations are to the full GA.

We also heard from the overture advocates and resources persons related to the 18 other items before the committee related to ordination standards. The presentations were very thorough and very respectful.

Then our committee broke into small groups (we sit at 7 round tables with elders, ministers and advisory delegates at each table) to discuss what we heard. For me, the discussions were very helpful and provided a way for us to begin wrestling with these complex issues in a non-confrontational way as we process the information shared today.

During our first round of small group discussion, I had to slip out for a short period to wear my overture advocate hat when one of the committee staff came up behind me to say that I was needed now in Committee #04.

So, it was a quick walk around the block of rooms to the other side and as I walked in (less than 3 minutes after being told I was needed) I see the other two overture advocates already up front making our presentation. Joining them in mid-presentation, I arrived in time to make my ~1 minute presentation. As of heading back to the hotel for the day, I am not sure of the recommendation on the overture, but will update tomorrow when I know more.

At the end of the day, my overture advocate work is complete and our committee has 2 of 20 overtures addressed with only one day of committee time left. So, tomorrow will be a busy (and possibly long) day.

Images from Sunday worship

Saturday evening session

Sunday at the General Assembly

Sunday began as Sundays do when you are a pastor . . . with worship. But, this week rather than serving as the pastor I got to serve as a participant in a wonderful opening worship service at the 219^th General Assembly. From the liturgical dancers and opening processional to the 250+ person choir and the sermon by Bruce Reyes-Chow (the now former moderator) the worship service was full of energy.

We celebrated both sacraments (communion and baptism) during worship, including the first baptism ever during worship at General Assembly. The baptism was a wonderful and moving experience; and on a personal note my former upstairs neighbor during seminary (Rev. Kara Root) provided the introduction to the baptism.

During the service there was a time of special recognition for military and veterans affairs chaplains thanking them for their dedicated service to the men and women who serve our country. Thank you to all who serve and have served as military & veterans affairs chaplains!!

Also, those Ministers of Word and Sacrament who have died and joined the great cloud of witnesses in the church triumphant since the last General Assembly were acknowledged. Among those acknowledged were several members of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley, including the Rev. Jim Rankin who served at First Presbyterian – Delphi where I now serve.

The worship service was a wonderful experience and it was only after the service that I realized we had worshiped for 2 hours and 10 minutes (and that Bruce’s sermon was about 30 minutes long).

This afternoon found us beginning our committee work. I am serving on Committee #06 – “Church Orders and Ministry” which will be considering overtures related to Christian Educators, ordination standards, evaluating the call process, and behavior of ordained officers.

Today was a short day of committee work that focused on getting to know each other, orientation to the committee procedures and approving our docket. So, tomorrow we will move forward with three working sessions as we dive head first into the 20 overtures assigned to our committee.

I am also serving as an “Overture Advocate” in support of the Presbytery’s concurrence to Overture 04-05 “On Creating a Special Committee to Explore the Roles and Relationships of Synods and Presbyteries to Each Other, to the Agencies, and to Congregations.” So far, there has been very little advocating but the overture is on the docket for tomorrow evening so this will change tomorrow.

We capped off the 4^th of July with a “picnic” (and if you wanted to stay fireworks) on Nicollet Island in the middle of the Mississippi River.

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4^th of July!!

Hello from Minneapolis!

Julianne Miller-YAAD
Upon arrival in Minneapolis, I was welcomed with open arms into the beautiful (and surprisingly clean) city of Minneapolis. There are 173 YAADs, young adult advisory delegates, who were given Thursday evening to get to know each other and explore the city for ourselves. Friday-the real work began.
Orientation for YAADs began with group building activities and energizers for those of you who have participated in Triennium. Energizers are a fun, upbeat way to get the blood moving and people excited to be where we are! I’ve met young adults from all over the country: California, Alaska, Iowa, New York, Idaho, Georgia-well you get the picture! Each of us comes from different homes, different cultures, different ages, yet there is one thing that unites us, Presbyterianism.
We are all one in Christ. Unity is the ongoing theme among the youth of this general assembly. There are worries about the tough, controversial issues that face the church. We each wonder how we can accurately do God’s work, when there are no clear answers to the issues such as civil unions and marriage or peacemaking in the Middle East. In our YAAD gatherings we consistently pray for the grace to go into committees with open hearts and minds. We pray that commissioners and advisory delegates alike will be able to listen to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and not be obstructed by our personal beliefs.
There are four wonderful YAAD advisors who lead YAAD gatherings every evening-sometimes into the wee hours of the morning!- as a time to allow YAADs to converse and reflect on the day. Each time we meet they remind us that we are here to explore our own faith, and to make a voice for our personal beliefs. Their wisdom and encouragement is a blessing as I explore my personal beliefs on troubling issues, and work towards discovering God’s purpose for me at this assembly.

Opening session July 3, 2010

A glorious day in the Minneapolis area and we are about 1000 strong with 750 commissioners to the 219^th General Assembly and 140 Youth Advisory Delegates plus our presbyteries and synods staffs.

The four commissioners plus our Youth Advisory Delegate (YAD in Presby acronym language are seated together in the middle section and only 9 rows back. As we arrived in our seats this morning, there were goody bags from our Stated Clerk, Linda Long. She knows our abiding love of chocolate and the anticipated need for sustenance as the meeting continues into the evening hours.

We are being introduced to the 6 candidates for moderator of the 219^th General Assembly. Unfortunately, politics has invaded the process which I guess is inevitable. I’m sure they are all sincere in their commitment to the position.

The current moderator is a very young man, Bruce Reyes-Chow, who has brought us into the techie age with his proclivity to social networking, that is Twitter and Facebook. Having created a following who have become addicted to such a means of communication, we have been somewhat surprised that we do not have Internet access while here in the Assembly Hall. Of course, some who shall remain nameless, but is a minister commissioner serving on COM, have skirted the rules by using his phone to Tweet.

Now that the introductions are done, we hear the candidating speeches.

…. A couple of hours later… We are now into the question and answer period with the candidates. I had limited by decision to two candidates but now, there’s a third one added. We vote electronically… eventually… and the final number on the voting pad is the one that counts. These are the times the Holy Spirit really is among us.

During yet another techie glitch break… I mentioned the goody bags from Linda Long….included besides the food were tiny little bottles of bubbles. The five of us from Wabash Valley were blowing bubbles that wafted up to the dome of the Convention Center and the commissioners all seemed to delight in the diversion as well… except for the lady in the row ahead of us who complained that the bubbles were destroying her hairdo… believe me… the hairdo was begging for destruction!

Some time later… The Holy Spirit has now intervened and the electronic voting has been accomplished. It took a couple of votes, but the leader all the way is the Ruling Elder Cindy Bolbach. The term “Elders Rule!” has become the hot phrase tonight! She has quite a sense of humor and the leadership of the church will be in good hands.

Found Ginny and Darryl Baker in the observers gallery this evening. They are here as volunteers and will be assisting with communion at the opening worship, which I understand is really going to be memorable.

Long day… Committee work begins tomorrow.

Jill

from Alice Yacullo, Elder Commissioner

It is a great honor to be a small drop in that flowing river of believers. Last night's experience was grand. Getting to bed at midnight was a small price to pay to be a part of it all. I can honestly say I didn't decide on my vote until after the candidates gave their 5 minute talks and answered questions from commissioners. I must have changed my mind several times before that. But it was during last evening's speeches that the curtain parted and a clear vision of the leadership of Cynthia Bolbach opened. That is not to say that the other candidate weren't gifted but for me the decision became clear.

Alice

We Have Begun!

Beginning with worship the elders, ministers, young adults, seminary students, mission coworkers and ecumenical representatives were commissioned to service as Commissioners and Advisory Delegates to the 219^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). So, it has begun . . . we are now officially commissioners and officially doing “business”.

After commissioning came orientation when we heard a series of presentations about the range of programs of the denomination and other items we should be aware of (including the always fun “Financial Implications Report of Proposed Actions” and how to use the wireless voting system).

We heard from the Stated Clerk (Gradye Parsons), Committee on Local Arrangements, Moderator of the 218^th GA (Bruce Reyes-Chow), Vice-Moderator of the 218^th GA (Byron Wade), General Assembly Mission Council (GMAC) (Linda Valentine – Executive Director), General Assembly Nominating Committee (GANC), and the Committee on Business Referrals. And, we had our first official actions of the GA when we approved assignment of overtures to committees.

The orientation continued with an open time in the exhibit hall for commissioners and advisory delegates only. When we had an opportunity to visit with the various agencies of the PC(USA) and have a light buffet dinner.

Then we reconvened in the plenary hall for the major item of business for today . . . election of the Moderator of the 219^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Each of the six candidates for moderator had someone give them a five-minute nominating speech. Then the candidates got to give their own five-minute speeches before there was a 90-minute period for Q & A of the candidates.

After some glitches with the electronic voting system and several ballots (special thanks to Linda Long for the bubbles which helped to fill the time), Elder Cindy Bolbach from the National Capital Presbytery was elected Moderator of the 219^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Rev. Landon Whitsitt from the Heartland Presbytery was elected the Vice-Moderator. Congratulations to Cindy and Landon as well as all the other candidates!

As their parting gifts, Bruce and Byron were not only given the traditional official gifts for their service they were also both given neckties since they both avoid them as much as possible.

We have begun our journey together. Tomorrow (or is later today . . . either way on Sunday) we will start with an opening worship service which will include communion and a BAPTISM! So until the morning may God be with you all!

PS – There is no internet access in the plenary hall or the committee rooms (only intranet access), so postings will probably be limited to a single post at the end of the day.

The Calm Before the Storm

After an early morning (Friday, 7/2), I have arrived in Minneapolis and am enjoying the calm before the storm.

It has been a full day, but since the General Assembly (GA) does not convene until tomorrow there were no committee meetings, plenary sessions or votes today. Just an opportunity to get settled in and take a deep breath.

So, I have checked into my hotel, officially registered for the GA, wandered the exhibit hall, found where my committee will be meeting, participated in a discussion on “Raising Leaders for the Mission of God”, attended overture advocate training, and even had time to eat two meals & pick-up snacks at Target.

Tomorrow the pace will pick-up as we begin the day with Riverside Conversations in the morning, convening of the GA in the afternoon, and then election of the Moderator in the evening.

There are six candidates for the moderator so the election may take a while. I visited with the candidates this afternoon and am looking forward to hearing more from them tomorrow at the Presbyterian Outlook Luncheon and then during their nomination speeches.

Would love to say more, but it is time to call it a day because tomorrow is going to be full . . .

Friday, July 2- Settling In

Miles are behind us on this beautiful day, suitcases are in the room, tickets for events are in hand, and internet access is in place. In the afternoon at GA 219, I have run into Bill McLean, Rebecca Kirkpatrick, Ray Fancher, and several Stated Clerk colleagues, and we saw Alice Yacullo walking down the street. My daughters and I explored the Exhibit Hall to gather a few items from the Global Market.

This afternoon, I attended training for floor assistants who serve during plenary sessions--at microphones, handling paperwork for motions and resolutions, and the like. Bill McL said he will attend the conversation sponsored by Lee Hinson-Hasty, Coordinator for Theological Education and Seminary Relations, about identifying needs and nurturing leadership skills in clergy. This evening: off to a concert hosted by the Westminister Presbyterian Church in its sanctuary.

Tomorrow: 219th GA convenes for two working sessions, including election of our GA Moderator.

Watch for entries about our journey through the Living Waters of GA 219

As our elected Commissioners, Youth Advisory Delegate and others from Wabash Valley prepare and participate in the PC(USA) General Assembly, we will post messages about our experiences. Those attending, known to us, are:

• Alice Yacullo, elder from First, Michigan City
• Jill Kitowski, elder from The Presbyterian Church of LaPorte
• Bill Hudson, pastor of First, Merrillville
• Bill McLean, pastor of First, Delphi
• Juli Miller, YAD from Sunnyside, South Bend
• Carol McDonald, Council Moderator and Synod co-exec
• Rebecca Kirkpatrick, associate pastor of Sunnyside
• Linda Long, elder from First, Valpo and Stated Clerk

Participants begin to gather the week previous to July 3 through 10 for pre-Assembly conferences and meetings. Most of us will arrive in Minneapolis on Friday, July 2, for orientations. Assembly convenes after lunch on Saturday, with another business session after dinner. Sunday morning Moderator Bruce Reyes-Chow will preach at the Service of Opening Worship and Communion.

Before then, you may read about the extensive reading, webinars, and conversations it takes to prepare for committee work that begins Sunday afternoon and continues through Tuesday evening. Following ecumenical worship on Wednesday morning, there are several specialty group luncheon meetings. General Assembly reconvenes Wednesday afternoon to consider the committee work of the previous days. Final business meeting and closing worship are Saturday morning.