“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” one of our Presbyterian colleagues used to say.
However, there may be a few dissenting votes on that one right now here at the PC(USA) General Assembly.
The weather has been nice, with the exception of the air quality. The morning news says that air quality will be bad again today, but especially bad at the other end of the Bay Area in the north that will get the smoke from the fires the worst today.
The Assembly moved through business well by the end of the day yesterday, probably more from fatigue than practice. However, by the end of the evening at 11 PM the Assembly had only covered one of the reports docketed for the evening session. The good news is that we have gotten through ten of the fifteen reporting committees. (Bills and Overtures has ongoing reports) The bad news is that most of the controversial items on social justice, peacemaking, polity, and ordination are still before us. Just for reference, the original docket has social justice as the only committee to report this morning, and then has them docketed for more time this afternoon. Get those cokes ready, it could be a long night of debate and a short night of sleep.
So what has happened so far? The big ones are that there will be no changes to what per capita can fund, the GAC and Foundation have found a way to be friends (for the moment), the Form of Government revision will be sent out to the presbyteries and studied and reworked for the next two year, the church will begin the process of reworking the Heidelberg Catechism and will begin the process of studying the Belhar confession, among other things.
The order of the day will be the election of the new Stated Clerk. There are four nominees, but as I read the tone of the commissioners I’m going to stick my neck out and say Gradye on the first ballot. But what do I know, I thought there would be debate on beginning the process for the Belhar confession.
So sit back, hold on tight, have your caffeine ready, and here we go on another fun filled day at General Assembly.
Commentary: I must add that my heart has been very heavy since the session last night. I have been praying over the two decisions made back-to-back last night that seem to skew our priorities. In the first, the Assembly could not come up with about $100,000 a year to fully staff an office to deal with preventing and healing related to clergy sexual abuse. In the second decision they set aside 20 times that amount for legal funds to help presbyteries with court cases related to churches leaving the PC(USA). I’m sorry for the rant, but I’m truly wrestling with how I interpret to my congregation that almost $1 of their GA per capita contribution will go to these legal fees! that we could not find the money for the first, but will ask for donations for the second when there are other mission opportunities out there.
UPDATE: Looking through PC-biz and based upon the financial implications reports it looks like I got the source of funds for the $2,000,000 wrong. It looks like it will come from extra opportunity giving. I have modified my comments above accordingly.
I understand your discomfort, but as a member of a presbytery that has been sued four times by disaffected congregations over property I welcome any aid the denomination can provide.
What I’m quickly discovering is that it is hard to have substantive conversations on the floor of GA…I mean in that 2 million dollar thing, someone ought to have raised the question, if defending these things in civil court is indeed the right thing to do. Why can’t we just work out arrangements that will allow the churches to go with some sort of financial penalty?
Thanks for the great updates. I’m really enjoying them.
How about framing the legal fees issue in a positive way for your congregation. The denomination, of which we are proudly a party, has our back. They are fighting on our behalf, and would do so here if needed. Thanks to them, we enjoy many connectional and institutional benefits.
We could use some positivism these days.
Christine-
Very valid point. As a connectional system we do have a mutual responsibility of support. And in the cases you mention where the presbytery is defending itself, then the obligation is more so. What I did not make clear was the way this was presented: There are 40 presbyteries involved in legal actions, let’s set aside $50,000 apiece for them for a total of $2,000,000. I would feel better about it if this were presented on a case by case basis like the Northern New England Presbytery request was. And members of my congregation would feel better if they knew the presbytery was the defendant in the litigation.
Sorry for being too general
Steve
A good question. In the case of my own presbytery, it was apparently more advantageous for the defecting congregations to sue in civil court than to negotiate a settlement.