Overture 04-24. On Amending G-13.0104 to Require Annual Meetings of the General Assembly—From the Presbytery of National Capital.

The Presbytery of National Capital overtures the 216th General Assembly (2004) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to direct the Stated Clerk to send the following proposed amendment to the presbyteries for their affirmative or negative votes:

Shall the first sentence of G-13.0104 be amended to read as follows: [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through; text to be added or inserted is shown as italic.]

“The General Assembly shall hold a stated meeting at least biennially annually.” [The rest of the paragraph remains unchanged.]

Rationale

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is rife with contention over a variety of issues.

Dialogue ought never be exchanged for dollars.

It is a central belief of the Reformed tradition that the reason we gather together in dialogue and debate is to collectively discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to be accountable to one another.

Community, unity, and reconciliation are products of communication, not separation.

Much can happen in a two-year span that the church has a moral imperative to address.