This past week the headlines seemed to be dominated by General Assemblies, particularly the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Ministers attending General Assembly told to ‘clock in’ or lose expenses
Scotsman, 19 May 2012 (yes, slightly out of range but I wanted to keep the GA news together)
The Church of Scotland has a new electronic voting system which doubles as an attendance system at each session. Commissioners, not just ministers, must attend 10 sessions to get expenses reimbursed. A motion to change the Standing Rules to make it 12 sessions next year was defeated.
A move to restrict the use of Church of Scotland buildings to activities not in conflict with the religious principles of the Kirk led to a couple of different stories
General Assembly: Church accused of facilitating worship of ‘false idols’
Scotland on Sunday, 20 May 2012
Hindus object labeling of their deities as ‘false idols’ in Church of Scotland assembly
South Asia Mail, 26 May 2012
In other Assembly News…
General Assembly: Cash-strapped congregations told to donate more to Kirk
Scotsman, 25 May 2012
Insurance costs are rising dramatically
General Assembly: Pay day loan firms ‘doing great damage to society’
Scotsman, 22 May 2012
Related to the major economic report presented to the Assembly
At the same time the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland was meeting and their work generated a couple of headlines
Free Church of Scotland study sees same-sex marriage as ‘social experiment’
STV, 22 May 2012
Reporting on the marriage report the Free Church adopted
New ministers admitted to Free Church of Scotland
Stornoway Gazette, 25 May 2012
Two ministers that left the Church of Scotland over the choice of trajectory to move towards the ordination of active homosexuals were received by the Free Church GA.
In other news around the world
Southern Presbyterians Lose Third of Members, But Amicably
Christianity Today, 24 May 2012
In a commentary piece it is noted that in the church dismissals I mentioned last week two presbyteries, Mississippi and Tropical Florida, each graciously dismissed about one third of their membership.
And two high-profile congregational votes to request dismissal
Church votes to join new denomination
WYFF Greenville, 21 May 2012
Texas Presbyterian Church Splits Over Vote to Leave PCUSA
Christian Post, 23 May 2012 – Although in this case there was a large enough minority that a continuing group will be organized
Mixed reactions over Malawi’s plan to repeal anti-gay law
Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2012
The proposal by the new president of Malawi to repeal laws banning homosexual practice and same-sex marriages is opposed by, among others, the Nkhoma Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian.
Church daycare fire ruled arson
WAVY, 23 May 2012
A fire at Royster Memorial Presbyterian Church of Norfolk, VA, on May 9 was ruled to be arson