When I posted yesterday on the third and fourth nominees standing for the Moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) I thought that I would be waiting a couple more weeks to present the fifth candidate until his presbytery endorsed him.  But I changed my mind when I considered that 1) starting next Monday I want to devote as much time as possible to following the Assembly meetings that will be in progress and 2) a Presbytery endorsement this late brings up some interesting timing issues in the Standing Rules.

Let me briefly point out the timing described in Chapter H of the Standing Rules of the General Assembly.  First, section H.1.b.(1) gives a far limit for endorsing a Moderator candidate and that is not before the previous Assembly adjourns.  But note that there is no minimum time before the Assembly that a nominee must be announced and endorsed.  The implication is that at the time of the election of the Moderator at the Assembly a new name of a commissioner may be brought from the floor.

But there is a big advantage to being endorsed ahead of time and that is your inclusion in the document produced by the Office of the Stated Clerk described in section H.1.b.(3)(e).  This has specific deadlines for inclusion including submission of all materials not less than 45 days before the Assembly convenes and the Office of the Stated Clerk publishing the final “booklet” electronically 15 days before the Assembly.  It should also be pointed out that under section H.1.b.(2) “ordinarily” each Moderator nominee needs to submit the name of the commissioner they will put forward to be confirmed as their Vice-Moderator 45 days before the Assembly.  (But how does that work if they are nominated from the floor? I guess that gets by in the “ordinarily.”)

So what does that mean this year?  If I did the math correctly next Thursday, May 19, is the 45 day deadline for materials and Vice-moderator names.  The packets will be available no later than Friday June 18.  So, with this in mind consider the fifth nominee for Moderator of the 219th General Assembly…

The Rev. James A. Belle has been nominated to stand for election as Moderator with the anticipation he will be endorsed by the Presbytery of Philadelphia at their next stated meeting on May 25.  According to the Presbyterian News Service story, since 2005 he has been the pastor of Holy Trinity-Bethlehem Presbyterian Church.  The announcement is brand new and I have found no formal announcement, web presence, or social media site so there is not a lot more information.  I will update here when I find those.  There is an article from The Layman with a bit of research they have done.

The PNS article provides a bit of background telling us that Rev. Belle is a second career minister having his first degree in music and employment in the army for 10 years using his musical talents.  Training for his second career for the church included not only an M.Div. from Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary but a master of church music from there as well.

He does make a statement quoted in the PNS article (and probably drawn from his Q&A for the info booklet) that – inserting my bias here – resonates with me:

“I see biblical and confessional ‘illiteracy’ as the major obstacles facing our church today,” Belle wrote in a statement on key theological issues. “I hold ministers of the Word and Sacrament directly responsible within the last 20 years for the lack of confessional and polity training to and for our laity. Without an understanding of the Scriptures and their historic linkage to the confessions, the Book of Confessions is difficult to understand.”

Based on that, I look forward to reading more.  And if the Assembly elects him as their Moderator, and if the Belhar Confession is sent to the presbyteries, with his expressed passion for the confessions it will be interesting to hear him interpret the Assembly’s actions.