Monday, June 19, 2006
This morning I got up earlier than usual so I could go to the PFR Breakfast and hear Dr. Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Theological Seminary, speak. I appreciate PFR for providing this opportunity and at the same time they did not push anyone to join their group. In fact I am very appreciative of all of the groups that are here at General Assembly for, in my opinion, not being too in your face. Remember, that was my opinion. Others may have had a completely different experience.

After breakfast I headed to the plenary floor where we began the day with Item 02-03 Minutes of the General Assembly were accepted. The late entry of commissioner resolutions had been approved on Thursday and the Bills and Overtures committee. The committee spent part of Friday getting those resolutions assigned to the most appropriate committee. Item 03-05 Revised Docket (http://les-pcusa.org/Business/Business.aspx) was explained and received by the GA.

The Ecumenical Greeting was given by Rev. Michael Livingston, President of the Nation Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. on behalf of the NCC & CWS.

Confirmation & Installation of the Vice-Moderator for the 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was the next. Elder Robert Wilson, Presbytery of North Alabama who is our new Vice-Moderator was introduced by our new Moderator Rev. Joan Gray. Elder Wilson spoke to us telling us many wise and good things to remember: “As long as we let the Holy Spirit guide us we will be one in the end. Get right attitude with God … with Jesus … with the Holy Spirit” amongst many others.

The GA unanimously confirmed the Vice-Moderator. Moderator Gray and Stated Clerk Kirkpatrick did the installation of Vice-Moderator Wilson. The Moderator and Vice-Moderator were then presented with a gavel especially hand crafted for the 217th General Assembly.

We were welcomed by our Stated Clerk, Clifton Kirkpatrick who went over some procedures, especially those involving what is needed to speak, parliamentary procedure, and other matters specific to doing business in plenary.

Elder Commissioner Vince Thomas was introduced by Moderator Gray. Vince is the moderator for the committee on General Assembly Procedures. Vince provided a reported on the per capita budget. He advised the floor that the proposed per capita for 2007-2008 would be $5.72. We will receive daily updates regarding the financial implications based on the actions of the General Assembly on Les. The General Assembly Procedures committee will present a final per capita report on Thursday morning.

Elder David Norton, Moderator of Mission Coordination committee spoke next and will give the total financial implications for the mission budget before the end of this General Assembly.

The financial implication reports for per capita and mission will be available on Les under item (00) Plenary.

Elder Allan Ford, Moderator of the Board of Pensions and Presbyterian Foundation provided an update on the reports from this committee. Allan introduced the President of the Board of Pensions who provided an overview of the promises that are made by the Board of Pensions as well as their services and programs. Allan then talked to items 15-01 and 15-04 and he moved for approval from the floor which Moderator Grey accepted by consensus of the plenary floor. Allen then spoke about the Presbyterian Foundation and he then introduced Robert Beach, President of the Presbyterian Foundation. Robert gave a brief overview of the foundation. More information can be found about the foundation on their website. Item 15-02, 15-03, and 15-05 are before the assembly for approval concerning the Presbyterian Foundation. All three items were accepted by consensus of the floor. Item 15-a through 15-f and are presented for information only.
Curtis from the National Ministries Division introduced a presentation, glimpses of different styles of worship, from this division that we will see over the course of the next several ways. A CD containing each of the clips will be sent to each of the commissioners following the General Assembly.

Next up was Elder Nancy Olthoff who is the moderator on the Committee of Theological Issues and Institutions. She presented the consent agenda and moved that it be received. It was received by the floor. The report from the committee of Theological Education was presented by Rev. Jim Kitchens who is the moderator of this committee. He gave the floor to Laura Mendenhall, President of Columbia Theological Seminary, who introduced Rev. Dr. Catherine Gonzales, Columbia Seminary, and winner of the 2006 Award for Excellence in Theological Education who gave a short speech. Nancy then introduced … fingers not fast enough … from the Dubuque Theological Seminary. He introduced Rev. Dr. Samuel Calian, President Emeritus of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary who is retiring. Rev. Calian expressed his gratitude for God’s abundant grace, for his colleagues, and for his wife. He also said that although he is retiring from this position he is not retiring from life or the ministry for that comes later. The Rev. William J. Carl, President of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, spoke of his new calling to the position of President of the seminary. Nancy then moved form approval of item 13-08, the installation of Rev. Carl. It was accepted by consensus. Next item is 13-11 and 13-10 which are related. Both relate to a new Presbyterian Hymnal. Item 13-11 was passed as was item 13-10. Nancy then introduced Rev. Irvin Moxley, Vice-Moderator who spoke to item 13-15, the election of Davis Perkins to a 4th consecutive term as President and Publisher – from the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Item 13-01 was next which passed by consensus. Next was Item 13-04 as amended regarding the “Invitation to Christ” which passed by consensus. Nancy then continued the report of the committee. She began with Item 13-05 be accepted as amended. There was a minority report presented that would refer this to a committee that would report to the 219th General Assembly (2010). This then went to those speaking for and against. We then moved into perfecting the main motion. A motion was made to amend changing in line 1 “approve” to “receive” and it passed. Another amendment was made concerning the main motion which would amend the last sentence (in Section 3-B) to read: “with the exception of the Baptismal Formula itself, we are free to supplement this language with additional …” This amendment has passed. The main motion has been perfected. We then went to perfecting the minority report. There were no amendments and the minority report was then perfected. We then moved to discussion as to whether the minority report should become the main motion for which there was debate for which there were many speaking for and against the minority report. The previous question was moved and seconded and passed. We then voted to accept the minority report as the main motion and it failed. We voted on the main motion and it passed. Nancy then moved that 13-02 be taken care based on the action taken on 13-05. A motion was made to reconsider 13-05 which was then voted on and it did fail. We were then back to 13-02 and it was accepted. That concluded their report to the General Assembly.

Announcements were made.

• The offering received at the ecumenical service Saturday night was $4507 and on Sunday night $25111 was received.
• Commissioners need to fill out the Committee Evaluations and turn them in.
• 11:30-4: Blood drive in the North Exhibit Hall

A time of memoriam for Rev. Dr. William P. Thompson (Former Stated Clerk of the United Presbyterian Church) was held after the announcements.

We recessed for lunch after prayer.

Moderator Gray opened the session in prayer. We then moved to 15 minutes of speak out. Each speaker is allowed up to 1 minute to speak about whatever they chose to.

The first item of business was the Report of the Assembly Committee on Church Growth and Christian Education (12) lead by Elder Lee Jordan, Moderator of the committee. There were no objections to the Consent Agenda 12-04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 10, 14, 15 (rec. 1 & 2) and it was passed by consensus. The committee was not convinced that there was enough support for the (12-01) Office of Christian Education and would like it referred for further study and the motion to do this was passed. There was a motion to refer 12-02 to study already under way in the Office of Theology. The motion was carried. It was moved that the GA approve 12-03 as amended. There was a question if state requirements taken into consideration and they were not able to this. The motion was passed. The next item of business was concerning 12-08. James Thomas of the Evangelism Office gave a short presentation on racial ethnic growth that was very informative as to how it compared when this began 10 years ago. He then turned it over for a presentation on this issue that was also very informative. My personal thanks go out to those who put this information together, especially the PowerPoint. The Phase 2 portion of the Here and Now campaign was then talked about. The motion to approve as amended was then made and voted on. The motion passed. The next item was 12-11 and it was moved that it be accepted as amended. The item passed. 12-12 recommendation #1 was then moved to be accepted as amended and it passed. The committee recommended that item 12-12 2 a. - d. and 2 e. as amended and they were accepted on consensus. Item 12-13 recommendation #1 was moved and accepted on consensus. Item 12-13 recommendation #2 was moved and accepted on consensus. Item 12-13 recommendation #3 was moved and accepted on consensus. Item 12-13 recommendation #4 was moved and accepted on consensus. Item 12-16 was moved and accepted on consensus. Item 12-17 as amended was moved and accepted on consensus. Item 12-18 was moved to disapprove and passed on consensus. When then watched a video on the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program. The rest of their report was for information only.

The Report of the Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations (7) was next. Items 07-02 through 07-04 were moved and accepted by consensus. It was moved to accept item 07-05 and then put to a vote. The motion passed. It was moved to accept item 07-06 as amended and then put to a voice vote that passed. It was moved to accept item 07-07 and was accepted by consensus. It was moved to accept item 07-08 and was accepted by consensus. It was moved to accept item 07-01 as amended. There is a minority report. Both were perfected after much debate. The question has been called and passed by a hand vote. We then voted on whether the minority report should become the main motion and it failed. We then had the main motion before us and it was moved as amended and it passed. We then moved to the 3 commissioner resolutions. Item 07-09 as amended and a corresponding minority report were first up. We then began perfecting the main motion. An amendment was made to strike “Ending the aerial fumigation for coca crops and focusing” from 5 c. and debate followed. The amendment then came to a vote and failed. We then began perfecting the minority report. An amendment was made to the minority report. “Add to end of the Minority Report: following the word “Columbia”: and to advocate with our respective representatives in the U.S. Government for peace and justice as we are led by the Holy Spirit.” We then voted on this and it passed. The minority report was declared perfected and we moved to debate as to whether the minority report should become the main motion. The was a motion to “Move to refer to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy and Peacemaking Office to produce a study paper as a resource and to submit the paper to the 218th General Assembly (2008).” The previous question has been moved and seconded and passed by a hand vote. The motion went to a vote and was defeated. We now back to determining if the minority report will replace the main motion. A motion to refer only recommendation 5 to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy and Peacemaking Office to include a report in their next Human Rights Report. There was a sidebar and the motion was declared out of order. We had to decide which motion is the main motion and then this motion would be in order. We are back to whether the minority report should be the main motion. The question was called and approved by hand vote. We then voted on the minority report and it failed. We were then back to the main motion. In order to get the study on recommendation 5 done we would need to divide the question. This was carried by hand vote. We then began work on item 07-09 items 1-4 and the question was called and carried by voice vote. We voted on 07-09 items 1-4 and it passed. We then began work on item 07-09 item 5. A motion was made to “Move to refer to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy and Peacemaking Office to produce a study paper as a resource and to submit the paper to the 218th General Assembly (2008).” There was debate on this amendment by both sides of the issue. I should note that this motion was made based on comments of Rev. Rick Ufford-Chase, Moderator of the 216th General Assembly. The question was then called, seconded, and passed by hand vote. The motion came to a vote and passed. We then moved to commissioner resolution 07-10 for which the committee moderator moved for a vote and it was accepted by consensus. We then moved to commissioner resolution 07-11 for which the committee moderator moved for a vote and it passed by a hand vote. This concluded their report.

The Report of the Assembly Committee on Review of GA Permanent Committees (14) was presented by the moderator of the committee Elder Tom Burleson. Item 14-01 was their first order of business which passed by hand vote.

A motion was made to reconsider 12-11 which was seconded. This has been declared out of order. We moved back to the Report of the Assembly Committee on Review of GA Permanent Committees (14).

It was moved that accept the Report on Review of the Advisory Committee on Litigation (14-ACL R). We received a brief description of what this advisory committee does. It was moved and accepted by consensus. Item 14-ACC R – Report on Review of the Advisory Committee on the Constitution was next and there were 4 recommendations that went with it. This item was passed by consensus. Rev. Laura Stellmon, Vice-Moderator of the committee moved item 14-COR R and then spoke to it.

A motion was made to reconsider 12-11 which was seconded. A motion was made for the orders of the day and seconded. The Associate Stated Clerk advised that we would return to the orders of the day and then address 12-11 when finished.

Item 14-COR R (Report on Review of the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns) was accepted by hand vote. It was moved to receive item 14-ACWC R and spoken to. This item was accepted by hand vote. Rev. Stellmon then concluded their report with the acceptance of Item 14-A Minutes, General Assembly Committee on Representation.

We then moved to the debate to reconsider Item 12-11. The question was called and seconded and was approved by hand vote. We then voted whether to reconsider our previous action on Item 12-11 and it failed.

We concluded with announcements and closing prayer.

The worst thing about plenary is the line for the elevator at the hotel. Don’t count on everyone saying that though. There are several that are not happy with what has happened so far and there are others who are. Big surprise right that the answer is 'wrong.' We are all well away of human nature and no one likes to lose. We need to look at the big picture instead. If everyone was happy, would we really be happy? I doubt it. We would find something to disagree. The one thing we do agree on is Scripture, let’s just agree to disagree on everything else and remain friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. I was just about to skip worship tonight when I felt that familiar gentle nudge. Having learned that it is a really good idea to pay attention to God’s nudging so off I went to the Joint Worship led by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. I could not have been happier that I paid attention. It was a wonderful service. I especially liked the Bethel Renaissance Singer. They electrified the concert hall. The sermon by the Moderator of the 175th General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Rev. Linda H. Green was wonderful. I stayed for the rest of the evening enjoying the program celebrating Women’s 50th Ordination. The rest of the presentations were more on the advertisement / cheerleading side but were also informative. There were: Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, Cultural Proficiency, Peacemaking 25th Anniversary, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance – Katrina Recovery, and the Mission Initiative.

The next few days will undoubtedly be interesting, but with God’s help and the leading of the Holy Spirit we will fulfill God’s plan for this the 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). Good night and God Bless!

Because of Him,

Terry