PC(USA) - 217th General Assembly (2006) - For Commissioners and Advisory Delegates

So Great a Cloud of Witnesses - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 217th General Assembly; Birmingham, Alabama; June 15-22, 2006


	Q & A from Commissioner's Orientation These questions were posed at the General Assembly orientation session for commissioners at the 217th GA (2006) in Birmingham, AL. Several of these questions were not answered due to time constraints. Staff from the six agencies researched the issues raised and have provided these answers.


	For Commissioners and Advisory Delegates Your Role and Responsibility The first four chapters of the Form of Government outline the principles of representative government in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including "Presbyters are not simply to reflect the will of the people, but rather to seek together to find and represent the will of Christ." (G-4.0301d) Assembly commissioners are free to deliberate together, seek Christ's will, and by majority vote reach decisions on the business before them. Commissioners may not be instructed on how to vote nor on what positions to support. They are not the representatives of the people that elected them, but instead they represent the " . . . unity of the synods, presbyteries, sessions, and congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)." (G-13.0101) Orientation Resource The Office of the General Assembly has produced the following video resource to help orient commissioners and advisory delegates to their roles at the General Assembly. OGA encourages you to attend any orientation sessions that your presbytery or synod plans and to use this video resource as a refresher as you continue to prepare for the assembly. The video resource is divided into several segments as indicated in the list below. To view the video segments, choose the appropriate link below. (Requires Windows Media Player 7.0 or higher.) Welcome (1:58) Arrival in Birmingham (1:45) A Full Schedule of Activities (1:59) How a General Assembly Works (2:02) Job Description (1:15) Committee Work (1:36) Plenary Work (2:12) Les: How Business Will be Organized (2:23) Budget and Financial Implications (0:33) Getting Ready (1:30) Final Thoughts (1:45) The General Assembly Council video resource explains the budgeting process, including the difference between the mission budget and the per capita budget. Budget Video (4:00)


	Assembly Schedule The assembly convenes at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, and will adjourn before noon on Thursday, June 22. You are expected to attend all sessions. If you are traveling by air, select flights that arrive in Birmingham before 11 a.m. on June 15, and depart after 1 p.m. on June 22. Note the schedule of these special pre-assembly orientations for Youth Advisory Delegates (YADs) and Theological Student Advisory Delegates (TSADs), and plan your travel accordingly: YADs: beginning Wednesday, June 14, 3 p.m. TSADs: beginning Wednesday, June 14, 5 p.m.

			The schedule of events includes the official meetings and many other activities. Note that commissioners and advisory delegates have little free time.

	Many of the mission tours and other optional activities coincide with assembly committee or business meetings; these are planned for those who are not required to attend all the assembly meetings.


	Pre-Assembly Conferences Commissioners and TSADs may consider attending one of the optional pre-assembly conferences scheduled for Thursday morning, June 15. (The orientation for YADs will continue that morning.) The Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church Israel and Palestine issues The schedule of events has more information on these. Advance registration is required, available when you complete your assembly registration and purchase tickets to other optional events. The conference registration fee is at your expense, but the cost of lodging at your assembly hotel on Wednesday night will be covered for commissioners who register to attend one of these events.


	Serving on a Committee All commissioners and advisory delegates are assigned to one of the assembly committees by a random selection process. You will be notified of your committee assignment in early April. The assembly committees meet Friday and Saturday, to consider the business referred to them and develop recommendations for the assembly's action.


	Training and Orientation The Office of the General Assembly (OGA) provides assembly orientation materials to each presbytery and PC(USA) theological institution. Please plan to participate in your presbytery's or seminary's training event. In late May, additional information will be sent directly to each commissioner and advisory delegate, focusing on the issues before this assembly. The first assembly business meeting on Thursday will include the Stated Clerk's orientation for commissioners and advisory delegates; you will move through three orientation events that focus on the common mission, common work and common life of the PC(USA). The schedule of events includes information on optional pre-assembly events planned by special interest organizations. If you decide to take part in any of these, you are responsible for any additional fees and travel, lodging and meal costs.


	The Assembly Business and Les The assembly will act on hundreds of items of business, which it receives through the reports and recommendations of various assembly entities, and through overtures from synods and presbyteries.

	This year these reports and recommendations will be available electronically, through Les. Les is the name for the new electronic system that is the primary way that commissioners and advisory delegates will access assembly business before, during, and after the assembly. Reports will NOT be printed and mailed in advance. Download and print the Les Quick Reference Guide to help you get started. As the reports and recommendations to the assembly are received and formatted, they will be available on Les for everyone to read. You will want to read as much of this material as possible before you arrive in Birmingham. During assembly business sessions, most official participants will use laptop computers to access a wireless Intranet and to read and track the business and the assembly's actions on it in real time. You will need a laptop computer (see Frequently Asked Questions for the minimum specifications) in Birmingham in order to function most effectively as a commissioner. If you do not have access to one that you may take to the assembly, please first contact your presbytery to inquire about borrowing one. The OGA will arrange to rent laptops on-site for those who cannot bring one, but in the interest of good stewardship of the church's funds, we hope most will have another source. When you register, please indicate if you will need to have a laptop provided, or if you have a laptop but will need to borrow a wireless card.


	Mailings Expect to receive many mailings from various organizations and individuals. They seek to share information or express their concerns about business before the assembly. Prior assemblies have supported the principle of enabling groups and individuals to communicate their concerns directly, trusting the wisdom and discernment of commissioners and advisory delegates in this matter.


	Commissioner Lists The list of commissioners and advisory delegates is published in PC(USA) News during the spring, and will be accessible online.


	Changes and Cancellations If at any time prior to the assembly you find that you are unable to serve as a commissioner/advisory delegate, immediately contact your presbytery (or in the case of TSADs, your seminary) so that plans for an alternate can be made.


	Travel and Housing Arrangements Please read the Expense Reimbursement Procedures and Policies carefully before you begin making travel plans. Travel: There are two ways to book your airline ticket and have the fee charged directly to the assembly: Book online at the Travel Authority. See travel information for detailed instructions, or Call The Travel Authority at (800) 634-5656. Tell the agent that you are an assembly commissioner. Make your travel plans as soon as possible (and before May 4) for the best choice of flights and lowest fares. Assembly shuttles will provide transportation from the Birmingham airport to the assembly hotels on Wednesday and Thursday, June 14 and 15, and from the convention center to the airport on Thursday, June 22. Assembly shuttles will operate between the convention center and most assembly hotels throughout the assembly. Housing: When you complete your registration (indicating your travel dates, hotel/room type preference, etc.) the GA Meeting Service will reserve your hotel room in Birmingham. Please finalize your travel plans and complete your registration by March 29. There are 15 assembly hotels, and most are not in the downtown area. Commissioners have priority for assignment to one of the downtown hotels. There are designated hotels for the YADs and TSADs to facilitate their participation in caucuses and other events. Please do not contact these hotels directly. If you make your own reservations at any other hotel, the charges are NOT reimbursable. See the Travel and Expense Policies for clarification and more information. When you register online, be sure to use the user ID and password you received by mail from the GA Meeting Service. Contact the GA Meeting Service at (888) 728-7228, ext, 2417 if you are not able to access the information and register online.


	Meals in Birmingham Some meals will be provided for commissioners during the assembly, including the GA Breakfast on Saturday, June 17. For other meals during the assembly commissioners and advisory delegates will receive a debit card loaded with the per diem amount . See the expense reimbursement policies for more information. The convention center caterer will operate a food court at the BJCC for assembly attendees. Debit cards may be used here and at other outlets in the BJCC, and at hotels, restaurants, etc. Some of the assembly hotels include breakfast in the assembly rate. Those who choose to stay at one of these hotels will not receive the per diem for breakfast.


	Questions? With any questions about arrangements and policies for travel, accommodations and meals, contact GA Meeting Service at (888) 728-7228 x2417.


	Assembly Resources

	Manual of the General Assembly Book of Order Book of Confessions List of Commisioners and Advisory Delegates Proposed Amendments Youth Advisory Delegate Permission Form


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