As the month closes out there are a couple of significant updates in the business for the upcoming General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

First, there is a fourth and probably final nominee for the Moderator of the General Assembly.  The Presbyterian News Service is reporting today the Elder Roger Shoemaker, a member of Southern Heights Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the Homestead Presbytery, was endorsed at the February 16 Presbytery meeting to stand for election as Moderator.  The news article lists his past service to the denomination as including vice-moderator and moderator of Homestead Presbytery and vice-moderator of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies.  His work with a partner church in East Germany led to his current service as Co-convener of the PC(USA) Czech Mission Network. On his web site he emphasizes both his distinctive and perspective as the only Elder in the group of nominees as well as his international experience.  (I will say that while the web site looks nice and has good information, there are some bugs and formatting issues to be worked out so it looks like it was thrown together quickly.)  On the site he talks about mission being a long-term commitment and partnership, and about building a strong spiritual foundation in the membership of the PC(USA), not a weak foundation made of sand.

I should also note that the first candidate to be endorsed for Moderator, the Rev. Bill Teng, has also gotten his web site up, running, and publicized.  I like the simplicity of it with the “Why Bill?”, “About Bill”, and “Ask Bill” tabs.  In addition, he talks about “unpacking” his thoughts so I expect we should keep watching the site for more of his thoughts and theology.

As for business, it looks like the GA Business page may be dead because the information keeps accumulating on www.pc-biz.org with no updates to the Business page.  The PC-biz system is now up to 72 overtures with a couple of interesting ones in there.

First, there are now two overtures from Philadelphia Presbytery to amend the new Form of Government in the FOG Report.  Each overture asks that the material in the Additional Recommendations of the report be swapped with the proposed language in the main report and the main report language become the Additional Recommendation.  The first, Overture 71, would make the language that any temporary pastor except an interim could be eligible for the permanent on 3/4 vote of presbytery.  The main proposed language now is that the interim would be eligible in the same way as the others.  The second, Overture 72, makes the language that governing bodies above the session may establish committees to advocate for diversity in leadership the main report language.

There is another recommendation, Overture 67 from Foothills Presbytery, that would send the FOG report to the sessions and presbyteries for a two year study and bring the recommended changes to the next GA.  It would also commend the Task Force for its work and emphasize that the spirit of the report is in line with what the PC(USA) needs.  Interestingly, it neither dismisses the Task Force nor explicitly keeps it active.

In the list Overture 68 is missing, but if you look this one up it is also from Foothills and is on Amending the proposed FOG.  No further details.

The remaining three are polity issues.  Overture 66 from Central Washington Presbytery would have the Office of the General Assembly and the General Assembly Council examine the synod structure with an eye to streamlining.  Overture 69 is very similar to Overture 60 and would replace G-6.0106b with a paragraph that makes the examining body responsible for determining suitability for ordination and removes old Authoritative Interpretations against the ordination of practicing homosexuals.

And Overture 70 may be the most interesting of the bunch.  It is titled “On allowing provisional amendments to the Book of Order.”  It would allow the General Assembly, by a 2/3 vote, to authorize a “field test” of a proposed amendment in up to six presbyteries and to have them report back at the next GA, at which time if the results are positive the GA would send it to the presbyteries for the customary vote.  However, the field test would only be applicable to changes to the organization, structure, or operation of governing bodies.  Because of the flexibility build into the FOG report this is one overture that does not strike me as carrying over to the proposed Form of Government.

So there we have it.  And I can tell you that the information machine is starting to roll at the Office of the General Assembly.  My son, who will be a YAD, has started getting the e-mails and the letters preparing him for it, but no business yet.  The commissioner/delegate training session has been scheduled so that is now on his calendar.  It is getting closer.