Good evening – we are up to Saturday night – the election of the Moderator. Thanks for joining in.

First, I will be live blogging this but the live blog plug-in I used at the last GA has gone silent (and with it I probably lost that content). So I am back to the old fashion method. I will keep typing and regularly hit the update button. You will unfortunately need to hit your browser refresh button to see the new content. Sorry, no push technology this year.

The times are CDT

To follow in a bit more real time you can watch on Twitter the GA hashtag #GA223, if you are OK with 280 character updates. It should be good. I will not be tweeting too much during the evening but I know a lot of others will be.

So here we go.

[Ed. Note: Edited for typing errors and clarity on 7/17/2018]

7:00 PM The house band is warming up the crowd.

7:01 PM The co-moderators call the house to order and ecumenical guests from Asia are introduced.

They are from:
Presbyterian Church in Korea
Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea
Christian Council in Hong Kong
Presbyterian Church of Myanmar

The latter brings greetings and a prayer

7:06 PM Commissioning service of the GA commissioners

7:15 PM Necrology – A time to remember all the Ministers of Word and Sacrament who have joined the Church Triumphant since the last General Assembly
Not projected on the screen but copies of the 10 page list distributed
Time to look over the list indivudually
Prayers for those saints

7:20 PM Election of the Moderator – the six candidates (three teams) are escorted onto the stage and an opening prayer is offered

7:22 PM The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly informs us that the proposed nominations of the the teams that intend to be nominated are in order

7:24 PM Nominations made from the floor
Chantal Atnip and Ken Hockenberry (CA & KH)
Eliana Maxim and Bertram Johnson (EM & BJ)
Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and Cindy Kohlmann (VCO & CK)

7:28 Speeches – order by random drawing. Each team has 5 minutes to share as they wish

CA&KH go first
CA talks a bit about her service at the local level
Talks about KH’s polity experience
Tells her story of sense of call along the lines of what is in the printed materials
Finishes by talking about the Book of Acts and the Holy Spirit providing all the early church needed
What it means to be connectional and covenantal
She takes the whole 5 minutes

EM&BJ
They each introduce themselves
EM includes how she met Bertram when he worked in Seattle
BJ talks about what led him to move from a Baptist upbringing to a Presbyterian calling
EM talks about only doing it if BJ would join her. He says he told her no, but she prevailed
EM says they see the PC(USA) reframing what it means to be church, and to see God’s church grow
BJ talks about how the PC(USA) must recapture the vision in Matthew 25
EM talks about how the church must promote justice in our communities and nations
Unison: “Here we are – send us”

CK & VCO
Start with a bilingual welcome
Tell a bit about themselves
VCO – They are bold, unapologetic women. TE and RE pairing represents the parity of the system
CK – In their partnership want to invite church into diversity. Call to embrace Jesus Christ and confront injustice. “We choose welcome”
Invite commissioners to look around at each other.
CK The stories you bring. God is not done with us yet
VCO – Look forward to seeking the will of God and love of the Spirit

7:44 PM – Questions
Stated Clerk give the ground rules: There will be 45 minutes. The teams will rotate in what order they answer successive questions. Each team has 2:30 minutes and can decide who on the team will answer

Question 1 – My small church did the previous moderators’ “One church, one book” challenge. How will you support pastors that have very little experience in handling these issues

CA – From an area that has that experience. Worked on this in a synod gathering bringing back exercises from Big Tent. KH – Continue these conversations. Example from a church where a black couple shared they were denied GI Bill benefits

BJ – Grateful this work has started and to the questioner that he is interested in continuing with his congregation. Need to have these conversations in seminaries to equip pastors. EM – The sin has run rampant for 100’s of years so it will take time and work to address it. Your context will help determine what form the work will take. Needs to happen in denominational structures as well.

CK – She took up the study in the two presbyteries she is the resource leader for. Discovered there are lots of resources – TED Talks, Belhar and C67, papers, people, listening to stories. VCO – Presbytery used Waking Up White which led to wonderful conversations. Need to keep pressing on.

Question 2 – Young adults: Over the last two days a lot of orientation and interaction with YAADs. Great experience here but friends at home don’t have any interest. Spiritual but now religious. How do you bring them back into the fold?

EM – Seattle is very spiritual but not religious. They want to be involved, they want to see it happen. How are lives being transformed. Don’t think about getting them back inside the building. Think about getting them involved where they are. BJ – Amen. (When pushed to use time) A lot of things geopolitically provide an opportunity to model who we are and draw them in.

VCO – Need to listen to each other. Listen to signs of the time. Do church differently? Go out there? We don’t see where they are and what they want. They want connection with God and we are disconnected. Her current church when she arrived. The doors were closed. Doors need to be open. CK – My step-daughters are here, and they got excited about the people who walk for fossil fuel divestment. They are excited about hearing about justice. Partners in making the world a better place.

CA – Need to claim we do good things because we love Christ. We gave an offering this morning and Tuesday we are going to walk because we love Jesus. Need to claim that. KH – His daughter asked that question as she advanced to candidacy. Her answer: seek justice. Seeking justice in local community is attractive. I don’t know if 1001 New Worshiping Communities is still in existence [ed note – it is] but some groups that made things real

Question 3 – Why some co-moderator, and one moderator/vie moderator?

VCO – We portray parity in our equal standing. CK – Important to me as well. Pastors come and go but ruling elders stick around. Also important to have diversity as equals

CA – Told you the story of my call. Heard that she needed to stand as moderator. Call old enough that before co-moderators. Over the years looking for the right person to stand with. God in his/her infinite wisdom led me to Ken late in the process. We are a team, similar view. KH – I got a phone call and I had no desire to serve as a moderator but wanted to support her. May be more sharing than in past. And again, TE/RE parity.

EM – I have always flourished in collegial relationships. Knew I would need to do it with someone I trusted and could call me out. BJ – Had not thought about this, EM drew this out. My ministry has been partnership so a co-mod relationship makes sense.

Question 4 – What is your greatest strength and weakness as a team?

KH – I enjoy parliamentary procedure – I know that sounds weird [ed note – no it doesn’t] – but I enjoy the process. CA – My strength is my relational abilities. KH – Weakness – resist temptation to get burned out and get cynical. CA – This position is way out of my comfort level. Thrilled and excited, but out of comfort level

EM – I love people and move easily between different groups. Weakness, I can over do it and need trusted people to call me out on it. BJ – Strength as a team – work well together and not afraid to call people out. Personal weakness – not always trust myself

CK&VCO – We get in our heads a lot. We both do it. VCO – strength as a team – we are very loving. And I cry a lot. Is that a weakness? CK – vast experience we have – 42 years of ordained ministry. Weakness we have as a team is we forget what it means to be in someone else’s shoes.

Question 5 – In San Francisco Bay area we have people who are third, or even fourth generation out of the church. So we have some evangelism to do. Speak to your theology around that.

BJ – Many mission fields available to us right now. We need to meet people in their needs. Need to pay attention to the community and see what they need. EM – We are not the church of building large buildings anymore. The church of Acts was concerned with building relationships and not buildings. Have people ask “Why to they care about people others don’t care about.” We have to embody it.

CK – God called me to Massachusetts to be of service. Reminded by a friend that they are in the top five of unchurched communities. Talk about an intentional effort to put churches in places with no center place. Took locks off door and became a gathering place. People think of it as their church even if only for community building, and not worship. VCO – Ditto. Need to rethink structures that we have.

CA – We are in a time of Acts again. Ate, prayed, shared all things together. Vision for sharing that with people who are not part of the church. Her church is starting an initiative for community education in parenting. KH – What breaks God’s heart? That is the starting point for ministry.

Question 6 – (Last question) In a society divided by so many issues and believing that if we don’t agree we can’t be in relationship. Who will you handle times when people don’t agree.

VCO – A loss for words because I am often different. But need to concentrate on what we have in common. Need to be able to listen. Continue striving and showing up. CK – Repentance. For breaking down instead of building up. Need reconciliation. Build new bridges. How can I not do that again.

CA – need to set the table. Presbyterian polity says we can have different opinions and worship together. We can share our God and Jesus and break bread together. KH – And then be ready to stay at the table. Stay engaged, stay in relationship. Shift conversation from difference to their stories. Probably find common ground in stories.

BJ – Speaking personally, I often are in settings where I know people disagree with me. I am also a pastor and sense responsibility to speak truth. A burden and a calling to speak to my siblings in Christ about what it means to love God and neighbor as yourself. Put our relationship through lens of Christ, but it is hard work. EM – Our center needs to be Christ but we fill it with other stuff. I want to be in relationship with people who are different than me.

8:37 PM – Announce that Peg, a GA attendee from National Capital Presbytery, fall yesterday and passed away today. Prayer is offered with GA holding hands and gathering around the commissioners from National Capital.

Time is closed with singing Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, candidates are dismissed.

8:43 PM – Stated Clerk gives voting instructions

YAADS – CA&KH – 10   EM&BJ – 90     VCO&CK – 33
That’s a winner if YAADs are the usual good predictor

Commissioners – CA&KH – 45   EM&BJ –  250    VCO&CK – 229
No Majority – vote again – Need 262

YAADs – CA&KH – 5   EM&BJ – 98     VCO&CK – 30
Migration to the leader, a usual pattern

Commissioners – CA&KH – 18   EM&BJ –  256    VCO&CK – 248
No Majority – vote again

YAADs – CA&KH – 4   EM&BJ – 101     VCO&CK – 30

Commissioners – CA&KH – 9   EM&BJ –  255    VCO&CK – 261
No majority – Moderator confirms still one vote short

YAADs – CA&KH – 4   EM&BJ – 99     VCO&CK – 29

Commissioners – CA&KH – 9   EM&BJ –  253    VCO&CK – 266
We have Co-Moderators

Interesting to note that this is one of the rare times that the YAADs did not predict. In addition, the shift to another team as voting went on is seldom seen. I fully expected the YAADs to have called it and the migration would be to the leaders in the first round that agreed with the YAADs. Welcome to GA – never know what you will get.

9:10 PM – The new co-moderators enter and we move to the installation of the co-moderators
The affirmations
The questions
The prayer of installation

The symbols of office – the stoles and the crosses – are passed.

Brief comments by the new Co-Moderators.

Presentation of Communion Sets to the outgoing Co-Moderators from the Committee on Local Arrangements

Presentation of gavels to the incoming Co-Moderators from the Committee on Local Arrangements

Thanks to the outgoing Co-Moderators from the Stated Clerk and a memento and moderator’s cross replica presented to them

After the closing prayer from a YAAD the General Assembly is in recess until 2:30 PM tomorrow afternoon. (Using the newly presented gavel)

Good evening. I am comfortably seated in the press section and the house band is getting rolling and encouraging us to sing. Launching into Soon and Very Soon now.

The live blog system I was using had technical issues that may be related to the WiFi system here. Not sure but not troubleshooting for this particular session. So, sorry, but please hit refresh to stay current.

Opening Presentation

7:04 PM – And we come to order. Don Shaw and Linda-Jackson Shaw open us with their story about their work in creating diversity and racial justice. They read from a bit of the Confession of 67 (first appearance in business sessions of that) and conclude with the opening prayer.

Introduction of Ecumenical Delegates from the Caribbean and Latin America

7:15 PM – Introduction of delegates, greetings from the Guyana Presbyterian Church delegate, and prayer from the delegate from the Dominican Evangelical Church

Presentation on the Role of the Belhar and the Book of Confessions in the life of our church from the Presbyterian Historical Society

7:24 PM – In the UPCNA 1967 was a milestone as C67 was approved and the church adopted a Book of Confessions as its confessional guidance.

Election of the Co-Moderators

We have reached the Order of the Day

Taking a few moments to reset the platform for the election process.

7:35 PM – Margaret Elliott, Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, announces that the candidates expense reports have been checked and are in accordance with the Standing Rules.

Nominations

7:36 PM – The floor is open for nominations. Julia Hill makes the nomination of Adan Mairena and David Parker. Karen Sapio makes the nomination of Jan Edmiston and Denise Anderson.

Candidate speeches

7:40 PM – Candidate Speeches – Parker and Mairena go first and Adan Mairena speaks first.

Adan speaks of his parents coming to the US from Honderas and first his father and then his mother going to McCormick Seminary. The Presbyterian church supported them and helped them. The connectional nature is important and the ministry to the marginal.

David speaks briefly about his being a lawyer and “only a ruling elder.” [Sorry, there is no such thing as only a ruling elder.] He also speaks about his service as chairman of the NC state Democratic Party and his experience moderating conventions larger than this.

They conclude by tag teaming, at times finishing each others lines, and speaking about their differences and how the church must mirror very different people working together.

7:46 PM – Edmiston and Anderson are up. Denise begins speaking about how there are 104 weeks until the next General Assembly and they pledge to work throughout it to reflect the actions and decisions of this assembly.

Jan speaks about the uncertainty and changes in the PC(USA) this week and in the time ahead. But says it is out of times of chaos that the greatest opportunity arises.

Denise concludes talking about working together.

Questions to Candidates

Note: I will be using their initials – JE, DA, AM, and DP – to make my blogging speedier.

7:51 PM – Gradye tells the process. Importantly each team can decide who will answer each question for them.

Q1: If you had the opportunity to speak directly to pastors, elders and churches considering leaving the denominations.

DP: This is one of the few places you can speak directly and honestly. Please stay because you can not hear the will of God without a voice of disagreement.

AM: We are a people of relationships and we have to keep relationship going.

JE: One of the recently dismissed churches in Chicago is a Japanese American Church that has a strong history and was sheltered by Fourth Pres during the internment in WWII. Need to maintain relationship and maybe they will come together again.

DA: Sometimes congregations discern they have to go another way. The important thing is that Christ be glorified. We can dismiss and remain in relationship

Q2: Is Jesus Christ the only way to salvation?

DA: YES! (emphasis hers)

JE: It is what the Gospel of John says. But there is also a passage that says there are other flocks. The good news is that God gets to sort it out.

AM: Yes, Jesus is my Lord and Savior. But we live in a different time.

DP: I am a lawyer. I have a lot of clients that are Muslim. And a business partner is Jewish. I believe Jesus is the only way. But I have talked with Muslims who are sincere and it is a challenging conversation. We need to be respectful of reach other.

Q3: It is often in time of struggle that we learn the most. Tell us about a time you failed.

AM: As an intern at Bryn Mawr I learned a lot and had a great mentor. I then went to Kensington which is a place of scarcity. I went around in a suit and tie. My mistake was not being relevant to those to whom I wanted to minister.

DP: I can not tell you about my failings as a lawyer because of client confidentiality. What a convenient excuse. But with the Democratic Party I led change that was probably too rapid and tendered my resignation but it was not accepted.

JE: I have failed so many time. Scripture “You intended it for ill but God used it for good.” Was personnel chair for the presbytery and had to fire as many as eight people and did not do it well.

DA: Said so many things I regret. But biggest is I have failed myself.

JE (again): Did not show up for a wedding due to misunderstanding about date of wedding.

Q4: I struggle with patriarchal language of our church. How do you blane and how should we treat it going forward.

DA: In my life I appreciate the masculine language but God more often has appeared to me as the feminine. Need to alternate or use gender neutral.

JE: Need to understand scriptural feminine references but use language a church may be comfortable with.

AM: Fortunate to be in a family that did not have traditional gender roles. Need to understand God is neither and God is all.

DP: God has no gender but we can say God has every gender. God is all things. Need to preserve political gains women have made.

Q5: Why is the Belhar important to you

AM:  Written from a context of people of color were suffering. (That was all he said)

DP: Belhar is a compliment to C67. C67 says go out into your neighborhood and love your neighbor. Belhar goes beyond and says we need to forgive our neighbor.

DA: Wrote a piece one year ago related to Charleston shootings about people remaining silent afterwards. Belhar reinforces our commitment to stay in the fight so the playing field is level.

JE: Honored to be in a denomination that accepts Belhar. We need to remind ourselves that racism is systemic and needs to be dismantled.

Q6: How do we be a church that is welcoming and encouraging of all ages, particularly younger members

DA: We need to respect them. Youth ministry is not to be babysitting.

JE: Have to take each other seriously and listen to each other. Co-mentoring – learning from each other in relationship.

AM: Don’t treat them as empty cups where my teaching gets poured in. Need to read scripture together. Don’t just give them pizza. They are hungry for opportunity and relationship. Value them.

DP: I am 61 and in the younger half of our denomination. What everyone else has said is that it has to do with mutual respect. When we have mutual respect everyone does better. Need to address the question of who will remain behind and what will the church look like in 25 years.

End of questions.

Heath thanks them for “putting themselves out” for the call to this position. Standing ovation.

The candidates are dismissed.

[Personal note – it is a tough call after the speeches and questions but if I had to handicapped it I am leaning to Anderson and Edmiston as having made a better presentation.]

We move to voting:

Young adult advisory delegates: 115 to 26 favoring Anderson/Edmiston. If they are the predictor as they usually are we know the result.

The commissioners have voted. The result is: Anderson/Edmiston 432, Parker/Mairena 136

The election is declared

A bit of a wait before the Co-Mods are escorted back into the hall. Includes singing of the Doxology.

The Co-Moderators and their families are escorted back into the hall to a standing ovation. While they are being greeted at the platform Spirit of the Living God is sung spontaneously by the Assembly.

Installation of the Co-Moderators

8:45 PM – The installation service progresses with the regular liturgy and including the singing of Called As Partners In Christ’s Service, the recitation of the six Great Ends of the Church and the questions.

Prayer for the Co-Moderators by The Rev Fred C. Lyon II (husband of Jan Edmiston) and declaration of their installation.

Passing of the signs of the office: There is only one moderator’s cross so handed to both. Each is given a moderator’s stole.

Microphone is passed to them and Denise says “We haven’t talked enough?”

Denise also points out that on this 60th anniversary of the ordination of women in the mainline Presbyterian church it is the first time that there has been a moderatorial team of two women.

Heath and Larissa are thanked and given mementos of the office.

And now Gradye is coaching the new Mods through the process.

Very brief announcements – just to leave the voting pads at the turn-in tables for recharging.

Denise closes the session with prayer. And we are adjourned.

Thanks for following along. I will probably live blog tomorrow afternoon again and then it will be articles related to the committee meetings for a few days.