Live blogging the Friday morning session… If you are following along live you will want to hit refresh periodically to reload the post. (And please excuse the typos as my fingers fly.) I think I have some control on the technical difficulties with my connection. It is better but not perfect. I will do the best I can. Others have agreed that the wifi in the room is so saturated and they are also having problems with staying connected. The proposed docket for the rest of the Assembly is posted at Bills and Overtures. This morning’s schedule is complicated – Middle East Peacemaking Issues (Committee 15) was arrested last night and from yesterday afternoon afternoon we still have Mission Coordination (Committee 10). Docketed for the morning is Standing Committee elections, Review of Biennial Assemblies (Committee 4) and Immegration Issues (12)

We begin with (coffee and) singing

Brought to order by Moderator Presa and work through the prayer cycle led by the Ecumenical Delegate from the Waldasians in South America.

Bills and Overtures – We have ten committees yet to report. Suggest 1:50 for Civil Union and Marriage. Set the time for each speaker at 1 minute.

Debate ensues (even though it is not debatable) and a motion is made to set the time per speaker at one and a half minutes.
Question called approved by voice
The amendment fall 29% to 71%
Vote on the original motion to limit speeches to 1 minute – Passes 94% to 6%

Motion to make Civil Union and Marriage as an order of the day at 1:50 PM

Bills and Overtures is back – Presents commissioner to present a modified version of the motion arrested yesterday about consolidating all the groups formed by the Mid Council Review actions. Keeping the Racial Ethnic task force separate.

Question from the floor – can we hold off and make this a super-task force covering other topics?

This is a complicated formula for the 14 members of the Commission – 4 220th GA Commissioners, 4 Members of the Mid Council Commission, 4 members of COGA, 1 member from the National Racial Ethnic Ministries Task Force, 1 member representing synod executive leadership (I personally wish is said “synod leadership”), [and a partridge in a… ]
Passed 64% to 34%

[This reminds me of the Assembly Commission of the Church of Scotland made up of a subset of Assembly Commissioners to act on behalf of the Assembly between Assemblies.]

Financial Implications
GA Procedures – 2013 – added $0.08 to per capita; 2014 – added $0.05 to per capita
Excellent Junkie question from the floor – with declining membership what membership base is used to convert added cost to added per capita. Answer: based on standard projections, can be found in 03-12 in one of the COGA attachments
Mission Coordination – Added $18,420 to 2013 and $13,740 to 2014 budget

General Assembly Nominating Committee Report
There is one challenged position 00-02a3

All unchallenged positions are overwhelmingly approved

Challenge for ACC position
Daryl Fisher-Ogden challenged by Katherine J. Runyeon
Speeches supporting each nominee
Advisory delegates – TSADs and YAADs slightly prefer GANC nominee. EADs strongly GANC nominee and MADs strongly challenger
Commissioners – 64% Daryl Fisher-Ogden, 36% Katherine J. Runyeon

Nominations for the Nominating Committee – Item 00-03
No challenges
Approved 97% to 1% with 2% abstentions

Vice-Moderator Tom Trinidad assumes the chair

Motion to Reconsider 15-11 (Divestment)
It was a close vote and others, like me, may have pushed the wrong button
Question: If you vote one way but mean to vote the other is that really voting on the prevailing side? Stated Clerk- According to Roberts’ Yes.
Discussion for and against – “lets move on” versus “this is important we need to talk about it some more” (no one else saying they pushed the wrong button or I came to understand something different overnight)
Call the question – 90% to 10%, debate is closed
Main motion to reconsider “shall the minority report become the main motion?”
Advisory delegates – TSADs – 55% yes, YAADs – 43% yes, EADs – 29% yes, MADs – 63% yes
Commissioners – 38% yes, 62% no, 1 vote abstaining
The Assembly

[Based on comments from floor patience is getting thinner today and it appears from the vote that the commissioners feel they want to move on. I made some comments on a similar situation at the 219th Assembly.]

Question: (asked of everyone so really a speech) Who will stand against the continued illegal occupation of Palestinian lands?

Moderator calls on Moderator of the Middle East Peacemaking Committee
Committee Moderator proposes that items 15-03, 15-05, 15-07, 15-08 and 15-10 be answered by the Assembly’s action on 15-11
Motion to consider items separately
Advisory Delegates say no except MADs slightly yes
Commissioners – 15% yes, 85% no [ Commissioners want to keep moving ]

Motion to vote on 15-03 separately – The Clerk explains that the body has declared them a unit and would need to vote down this current motion.

Debate –
Trust the work of the committee which overwhelmingly recommends these items. Vote down this motion and consider, discuss and vote on these individually
Motion to call the question – debate closed with 91% in favor
Vote on the main motion
     Advisory delegates: Strongly yes except MADs at even yes-no
     Commissioners: 76% yes, 24% no

Item 15-02 Boycotting Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories and Hadiklaim
Approve with Amendment
(Boycott Israeli products produced on occupied lands)
Substitute motion: To insert the divestment language from 15-11
Moderator rules it out of order – Stated Clerk reminds us that having addressed it and failed to reconsider we can not consider it again this Assembly

Debate

[Got to pass on the Tweet from @AllisSeed: #ga220 A new view of purgatory–the Assembly that never ends.]

Call the question – Approved 92%
Commissioner asks for info from the ACREC [I think this is out of order since the question was just called. That did not strike me as a procedural question.]
Vote on main motion
     Advisory delegates – all strongly yes
     Commissioners – 71% yes, 28% no, 3 abstentions

Stretch break

Item 15-01 On Recognizing that Israel’s law and practices constitute apartheid against Palestinian People
Recommend disapproval
Comment from committee – While the situation is significant and a problem, there are specific definitions of apartheid and this situation does not fulfill the definition
Question: what is the definition they are using for apartheid? Resource person says UN definition is in resources for the report
Comment: Commissioner points out the advocacy after the question was called in the last action. Moderator acknowledges that and says that he will be more aware of that
Debate – People trying to get 2 minute speeches into 1 minute limit
Commissioner asks approval because the definition of apartheid involves two racial groups
Commissioner asks disapproval because the strength of the word and the presence of the wall
Commissioner who is native South African says he has been to the wall and it is not apartheid

Question called (and tech crew has that on the screen as requested earlier by a commissioner and adds “you’re welcome” when thanked by the Moderator.) Approved 97%
Vote on the Main Motion
     Advisory delegates – strongly yes excepts EADs 80% no
     Commissioners – 72% yes, 27% no, 2 abstentions

Item 15-06 Call for economic solidarity with Palestinians
Recommendation to answer with action on items 15-02, 15-10 and 15-11.
No discussion
Advisory delegates very strongly approve except MADs 67% no
Commissioners – 89% yes, 11% no, 3 abstentions

Item 15-09 On human rights and religious freedom of Arab Christians
Recommendation from Committee to disapprove – language is not helpful
No discussion
Advisory delegates – TSADs evenly split, YAADs yes, EADs Yes, MADs evenly split
Commissioners – 72% yes, 27% no, 5 abstentions

Item 15-12 Commissioner Resolution on Prayer and Action for Syria
Committee recommends approval with amendment
No discussion
Advisory delegates – Very Strongly yes
Commissioners – 96% yes, 3% no, 5 abstentions

A final brief comment: This committee’s work has attracted the attention of the world. While the close vote has disappointed some and encouraged others, it is a disagreement about stratigy and tactics. We know that we all want to work  for peace in the Holy Land.

“And that concludes our report”
Assembly gives the committee a standing ovation
Moderator prays

Motion from the floor – Commissioner moves that the Board of Pensions be directed to create a relief of conscience plan for those plan members “troubled by the choice to continue holding… assets in Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions, and Hewlett Packard.”

No discussion
Advisory delegates strongly yes
57% yes, 41% no, 16 abstentions

Comment from the Board of Pensions – Due to how securities are managed the “proposal is impossible.”
The Moderator is left speechless… “Well…”, “With God all things are possible”
Commissioner points out that the Assembly can request but not direct the Board of Pensions
The Stated Clerk points out we have reached an order of the day for Worship and the Assembly should take up this again in the afternoon.
Any announcements? Clerk “It is time to worship”

We move to worship and I will resume live blogging at 1:30 with the afternoon session.
[Note a correction – the order of the day for Civil Union and Marriage is 1:50 PM]
And boxes of coffee are starting to appear