Greetings — I will be live blogging most plenary sessions of the PC(USA)
General Assembly.  I apologize to those with e-mail feeds or a feed
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This is not the only source on the web for this event.
The PC(USA) official webcast can be found at http://www.pcusa.org/ga218/schedule/streaming-schedule.htm
There is also a live blogging site at http://www.scribblelive.com/Event/PCUSA_General_Assembly_218

[My commentary will be in brackets]

Friday Morning, June 27, 2008
The 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

8:20 AM
The activity in the whole conference center is significantly slower than other mornings.  It was a night long on business and short on sleep and it shows.  The tables for corresponding members are almost empty.  There are still a lot of empty seats at the commissioner area.  And the observer gallery is pretty sparse.

8:33 — We are gaveled to order and opened with prayer by the ecumenical delegate from Canada

8:35 — Bills and Overtures reports and proposes the docket for the day.  They also move to make commissioner speeches one minute.  Commissioners rise to ask that if they have to have shorter time that platform presentations also be limited.

Motion from the floor to reconsider the docket.  (That is a first for me.)
Voice vote close; Fails electronically, not really that close

8:42 — Still lots of commissioners filing in.  They are missing this excitement

Advisory delegate suggests 90 seconds for speeches since that is the only substantial input they have since they have no vote.

Move the previous question

Suggestion to limit speakouts to 5 minutes, Bruce thinks the will of the body is no speakouts.  A voice vote confirms that.

Motion to approve minutes.

Concludes the report of the committee

8:46
Per capita budget implications:  [The legal reimbursement money does not seem to be in there.  I’m not sure what is up with it then.  I misunderstood the results from last night.  The extra commitment opportunity fund was approved.]
Mission budget implications:

8:53 — Election of the Stated Clerk

Speak in order of nomination
Gradye Parsons:  It is about gifts given to and by people.  People who have used their gifts to serve the church.  Stories about faithful Presbyterians who used their gifts in the service of the church and the world.
The future of the church matters to him.  That is why he is standing for stated clerk. (Finished with almost a minute and a half of his time left.) [Nicely delivered.  Story telling style. Familiar but not lively.]

Ed Koster:  For the last two years has been discerning his call.  Has heard the church say they want a stated clerk where connectionalism is about relationship.  Who is even handed.  Who has everyone at the table of discernment.  Who will advocate for the poor and oppressed and fight racism.
Comes with experience and a grassroots view of the church.  A theological background. Boldness.
Conflict is not necessarily bad.  It indicates we are diverse and hold strong views.  Can lead to beneficial change.
Time for new eyes and new perspective.  Time to set a new course to do mission and ministry rather than fight over it.  Jesus Christ is alive and well in the PC(USA).
[Good speech.  Lively and engaging.]

William Tarbell:  Four dimensions of the stated clerk’s office.  Operational duties.  Uses a systems analysis approach to address issues.  [I think he just turned a lot of people off with “systems analysis”]  Promotion and education to speak to the church:  Experienced and even handed.  Ecumenical tasks:  Experienced, has done mission work around the world.  Pastoral: Heard a story about John Knox — Two teenagers who asked John Knox what to do with their lives?  “Turn your lives to the church.”  In our lives together we need to “love one another.”

Charles “Casey” Jones:  Have a funny name.  We Presbyterians have a funny name too.  As a child he thought all the other churches had funny names.  Stated Clerk needs to be a spiritual leader.  Permeate OGA with prayer.  Will do what the Book of Order says in an even handed manner.  Seek to narrow distance between local churches and Louisville.  Bring the OGA a heart and mind that will always ask how does what we do affect people at the local level.  Need to be connected and rooted in Jesus Christ.  It is the name of Jesus Christ who unites us.
[Good speech, well delivered, engaging. On topic and understandable.  That will help him greatly.  It may now be between Jones and Parsons.  We will see.]

Q&A
1)  How will you keep faith with a GA to communicate decisions with which you may disagree
Parsons: It is the duty of the Stated Clerk.  Will be diligent and faithful to what GA asks him to say
Koster:  As Presbytery Stated Clerk has had to do it and has done it faithfully.  Will continue to do
Tarbell:  The stated clerk is your servant.  Communications should be with care, accuracy and objectivity
Jones:  Stated clerk supports the GA whether you agree or not.  Agree with Bill that the clerk is your servant.

2)  Area most needed in international outreach
Koster:  Expand outreach to wider circle of churches and other interfaith groups
Tarbell: Develop extensive contacts with international brothers and sisters.  OGA not the only international presence in the PC(USA)
Jones:  Try to speak their language. They will do more for us than we will do for them.  Cross-pollinate.
Parsons:  There are over 700 reformed body on this planet.  We have a lot to learn from them.  Not just maintain ecumenical relationships but transform them.

3)  Last year the PC(USA) lost over 57,000 members, but most Hispanics know nothing of the Presbyterian Church.
Tarbell: Need to relate and generate enthusiasm (no specifics given)
Jones: Local presbytery encourages churches to have Christian groups meet there even if not Presbyterian.  Need appropriate flexibility like commissioned lay pastors.
Parsons:  Need to develop welcoming spirit to all visiting our churches.  Hispanics facing issues we can help address.
Koster:  There are plenty of connections with other groups we could develop.  Become a member of Christian Churches Together.
[Jones has been great about addressing back to the questioner.  Tarbell picked that up this question.]

4) Where do the candidates stand on the authority of Scripture and its applicability to today?
Jones:  It is an ordination vow.  Need to be congruent with the Jesus of scripture.  But our confessions form a big tent.  Need to recognize Jesus in our world today.
Parsons:  God’s great gift to us and should be our starting place.  The Book reads us as we read it.  Wrestling and struggling with God.
Koster: “I believe in Scripture.  All of it.”  What we tend to do is pick our favorite Scriptures and quote it all the time.  Rarely seen someone who rejects authority of Scripture.  It is the interpretation where we differ.
Tarbell:  “Scripture is God’s song.”  It is Holy and God’s Word and we will all have different points of view.  But taking the ordination vow we have all taken God’s song.

5)  Reflect on somewhere you might of failed and how it helped prepare you for this office.
Parsons:  “My mother is watching so I need to be careful.”  A number of years ago he had to “clerk” the call for a called GA
.  Hauled to the GAPJC because of it.  Learned to be transparent in what we do.
Koster:  Relationships with African Americans not as good as it could be in his presbytery.  Not as good as it could be.  Regrets that.  [Did not answer the application part of the question]
Tarbell: As a brand new pastor he got a call from a staff member that described symptoms that were red flags.  He was not proactive but referred her to counseling.  A couple of weeks later she ended her life.  Learned about the necessity of being proactive and pastoral.
Jones:  Sometimes God only gets your attention through pain.  He had an agenda for one of his churches and he pushed it too hard. Has developed two parts to his congregation over worship style.  Wait for the leading of the Holy Spirit

6)  How would you direct the nFOG to the next GA?
Koster:  This will require a great amount of study.  It could use testing but that overture rejected.  Will require a great deal of work.
Tarbell:  Has concerns.  Also not sure that two years will be enough.  Stated clerk can not stop it from coming back in two years, that is decided.  But a chance to find out who we are as Presbyterians.
Jones:  Shows a desire for a “breath of fresh air” to blow through the church. [Nice subtle push for new leadership]  I believe that if something is truly of God it keeps coming back.  Time is our friend not our enemy.
Parsons:  Need to read the current one and then engage the nFOG.  Like the “before and after” diet picture about what we would ideally like to be.  Need to let the Spirit work with us.  That can be scary.  Need to nail down “missional” theology.

7)  Our internal struggles has led to blind spots.  How would you address and change that?
Tarbell:  Could not agree more.  “When elephants fight the grass gets hurt.”  We have blind spots to mission and our spirituality.  The OGA needs to encourage due process to allow us to share together.
Jones: What are our children and grandchildren going to say about our blind spots.  Spoiling environment and global poverty.  OGA – Communion of the Saints include both the rest of the world as well as those before us.  Need to connect in confessions.
Parsons:  Those who disagree do agree on some things, and they fight because they have a hope for the church and what it can be.  Can not see the Christ in each other.  Need to come at these disagreements in different, fresh ways.
Koster:  Need a full view of what is around us.  Blind spots blind us from mission at our door.  We focus on who we are not the world around us.

8) There is fear about what is going to happen in the future of the church.
Jones:  “Fear not.”  As Christians we should not be afraid.  But there are things that should concern us.  Need to get into the love of Jesus.  [Didn’t really answer the question]
Parsons:  Every church has fear of not succeeding or driving people away.  But we are called to be the church and focus on Jesus because it is His church.  Where is our faith?  Get in the boat, go across the lake, there will be a storm, you will not die.
Koster:  Fear because it feels like we are coming unglued.  We have a great tradition and traditions and a great polity.  Sometimes these things don’t bring us together when they should.  Not getting along is also part of our tradition.
Tarbell:  Fear is our most destructive enemy.  Can rob us of faith.  The clerk needs to instill trust and confidence in those around us.  No thief can be successful in the face of Jesus Christ.

9)  In the midst of our divided and polarized church will you create an environment where they are respected and valued.
Parsons:  With 2.3 million people one person can not do it.  That is a people job for all of us.  Example of working together is the FOG Task Force who were people chosen that they can fight.  Need to remember that Jesus brings us together.
Koster:  We are not called to win, we are called to discern.  Need an orderly debate that gives respect to every individual.  It is the quality of the discussion and debate that we have.  Need to talk to each other.  Can begin it right now.
Tarbell:  Contact every interest group in the church and have them designate a contact person for the OGA. Need to be moments among us when we rise up and shake the hand of the persons around us and say “God bless you.”
Jones:  Like a kairos moment.  Talks about his experience of relationship with other congregations around them, one more conservative, one more liberal.

The Q&A time is over.
[I will have to back off my earlier assessment.  Based on the Q&A I think this is too close to call between Gradye and Casey.]

First Ballot
All advisory strongly for Parsons

Gradye Parsons is elected on the first ballot
Parsons: 405 votes, 57%
Jones: 176 votes, 25%
Koster: 110 votes, 15%
Tarbell: 21 votes, 3%

[I should not have made that comment above and I would have looked like a genius.]

With the usual light-show Gradye reenter the hall to applause

Service of installation.

Comments by Gradye including thanks to the other three.

10:36 — Two minute stretch

10:42 — Committee 5 – Church Orders and Ministry
Item 05-03:  Models of examination procedures
Passes

Item 05-18 answered by this passes

Prayer and singing before the controversial issues

Item 05-12: Authoritative Interpretation of G-6.0108 for proper application
The debate begins
This is a backdoor way to change the constitution
This allows us to keep together
Question about what this does to the Bush decision.  The clerk is only fielding process questions.  Defers to the ACC about constitutional questions.  ACC says that it should accomplish intent.  But will need to be tested
TSAD raises question about “partitioning the church” where his ordination may not be recognized by every presbytery.
Restores historic principle to disagree on non-essentials.  At the present time one standard raised above others
Imposes “red-state/blue-state mindset”
Call the question – Passes on voice vote
Vote on the main motion, Electronic: YAADs and MADs very close, TSADs strongly yes, EADs strongly no; Commissioners 53% yes
[I don’t have the numbers, but I think the YAADs were closer than that.]

Other items be answered by 05-12
05-01, 02, 04, 05, 07, 10
Passed on voice vote

Item 05-09 with comment:  Substituting a new paragraph for G-6.0106b
Minority Report
11:13
The church has not had time to live with the PUP report and the study guides.  Give the church more time to work with the process of discussion, understanding, and trust.  A new study guide was issued in early 2008.

Perfecting the main motion
Amendment to delete item 2 – The past AI’s are rendered moot
Debate on the amendment
Called the question on voice vote
Vote on the amendment: all no to varying degrees; Commissioners no 63%
Main motion is perfected

Perfecting the minority report
Can I ask a question about the main motion?  Bruce “You can start”
Question to the minority committee about their numbers.  They based some numbers on the number of Presbyteries that submitted overtures.  [False assumption in my opinion.  You can consider the issue without submitting an overture.]
Minority report is perfected

Shall the minority report become the main motion?
Yes – the people in the pews are not ready yet
No – We have discussed this too long already
Yes – The process of the discussion causes problems.  Unless we expect the outcome to be different this is not the
time to do it again.
No – It is time.  We have kept qualified people out for too long.
Yes – Need to engage presbyteries who have not engaged yet.
No – Need to be open to all
Yes – Need to better understand these issues
No – I know a GLBT person and they are real people with real calls from God
Yes – Need a strong witness to Biblical standards for sexuality.  We will send a shock wave through the church
No – The minority report is just a stalling tactic
Call the question and all previous questions.  YAADs didn’t quite make the 2/3.  Commissioners yes 74%
Debate is closed
Time of silence and Moderator’s prayer

Vote on substituting the minority report
YAADs 75% no, TSADs and MADs no; EADs Yes
Commissioners 54% no (319/375)

Motion to divide the motion ruled out of order
A bunch of parliamentary questions.  Several people feeling very disenfranchised because they missed their chance to do something thinking it would come later on.

Motion to reconsider
Clerk says it should be “Appeal the ruling of the chair” – Majority vote
Point of Order: The commissioner says the vote to call the question may be reconsidered
Clerk: Either way will accomplish the same thing
Sustain the ruling of the chair:  Advisory: Yes, Yes, Tie, No; Commissioners yes 56%

Question: the presbyteries still have to vote on it?  The change to the BOO goes to presbyteries.  The elimination of the AI’s would take place immediately

Vote on the main motion:  Advisory Yes, YAADs and TSADs 67%; Commissioners 54% yes.
(The hall is quiet, and then people start heading to the restrooms.)

11:55
this action answers 05-06, 08, 11, 13 passed on voice vote

(people headed for lunch as business continues)
Item 05-14:
No discussion
Passed on voice vote

Item 05-15:
No discussion
Passed on voice vote

Items 05-16, 17: (Identical in intent)
No discussion
Passed on voice vote

Thanks to committee
This concludes the committee report

Prayer

Announcement? None
Recess with prayer by a YAAD
12:02

Eleven of fifteen committees down, four more to go.

Worship after lunch.  Reports resume at 2:30. 
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