The strength to transform

We Presbyterians have a lot to be humble about, said the Rev. Dan Chun, the preacher at Saturday’s General Assembly closing worship.

For 42 consecutive years, the church has been losing members. Only five churches of the nearly 11,000 in the denomination have grown every year for the past 10 years. Three in every four churches have either reached an attendance plateau or have experienced declining attendance.

“Do we despair? Do we ignore the facts and put our heads in the sand? We can say, ‘Who cares?’ or we can humbly face the facts head-on,” said Chun, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Honolulu, a church that purchased a golf course and holds services in the clubhouse there.

Chun’s prescription for Presbyterians is “a radical self-inventory of what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong.”

“We should admit before God we have made some bad decisions,” he said. “We should be saying to God, ‘Give us the strength to transform and reform before it’s too late.’ Things will never radically change for the better if we continue doing the same thing. People’s lives and souls are at stake.”

“Jesus gave us the responsibility to grow our churches, but we aren’t doing a good job, are we?” [Read more]

Assembly calls for peacemaking in Israel/Palestine

Commissioners to the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) “stayed the course” of being peacemakers around the world. The Assembly called for “responsibly” bringing the troops home from Iraq, continuing peacemaking in Israel and Palestine and supporting human rights in Zimbabwe, the Philippines, North Korea and Colombia.

Issues concerning peace, as it relates to the Middle East and other crisis areas of the world, took the majority of the committee’s time during deliberations earlier this week. Their mindful discernment helped the full General Assembly to move business quickly and collaboratively. As a result, the full assembly quickly passed overtures that affirmed immediate food aid to North Korea, civil rights accompaniment to citizens of Colombia and a careful approach to peacemaking in Israel and Palestine.

Moderator of the committee on Peace and International Issues, the Rev. Nancy Kahaian repeatedly talked about how the committee was mindful of listening to all sides, striving to achieve balance. [Read more]

Gradye Parsons elected General Assembly stated clerk

Nomination committee’s choice wins on first ballot

The Rev. Gradye Parsons was elected Stated Clerk of the General Assembly. Photo by Danny Bolin

SAN JOSE, June 27, 2008 — The Rev. Gradye Parsons, associate stated clerk and director of operations for the Office of the General Assembly (OGA), won a first ballot victory Friday (June 27) to succeed the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick as General Assembly stated clerk for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Kirkpatrick is stepping down after three four-year terms. Parsons has served in OGA for eight years after serving as executive presbyter and stated clerk of Holston Presbytery in his native Tennessee.

Parsons received 405 votes, or 57 percent. He was the choice of the Stated Clerk Nomination Committee and defeated three other applicants who also stood for election.
The Rev. Winfield “Casey” Jones, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pearland, TX, finished second with 176 votes, or 25 percent. Jones was an unsuccessful challenger to Kirkpatrick in 2000.

The Rev. Ed Koster, stated clerk of Detroit Presbytery, finished third with 110 votes, or 15 percent. The Rev. William Tarbell, pastor of Saluda (SC) Presbyterian Church trailed with 21 votes, or 3 percent.

In his speech before the vote, Parsons invoked the names of several folk who have been influential in his ministry, saying he was “standing with them for this office.” He spoke for example of a hard-working church member in Tennessee, Betty, “who taught me that faith is not a static noun, but an active verb.” [Read more]

Reyes-Chow elected moderator of 218th GA

San Francisco pastor wins second ballot victory

The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow was elected moderator of the 218th General Assembly. Photo by Joseph Williams

SAN JOSE, June 21, 2008 —The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, 39, an energetic new church development pastor in San Francisco and leader in the “emergent church” movement, was elected moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Saturday night (June 21), capturing a second ballot victory.

Reyes-Chow — who received 48 percent of the first ballot votes — won an easy majority on the second ballot with 390 votes or 55 percent.

The Rev. William “Bill” Teng of National Capital Presbytery finished second with 255 votes or 36 percent. The Rev. D. Carl Mazza of New Castle Presbytery finished third with 52 votes or 7 percent. Elder Roger Shoemaker of Homestead Presbytery trailed with seven votes or 1 percent.

Reyes-Chow is pastor of Mission Bay Community Church, an innovative new church of San Francisco Presbytery that was recently named winner of a 2007 Sam and Helen Walton Award for outstanding new church development. In his address to the Assembly, he noted that he makes as many pastoral calls by email as by in-person visitation.

Such is the future of ministry, Reyes-Chow said. Mission Bay has a state-of-the-art Web site and extensive electronic communications among members and participants, which he said is absolutely essential for a congregation that is predominantly under-40. [Read more]

Assembly proposes amendment to delete G-6.0106b and replace it with a new version

The 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted today (June 27) 380-325 to send a proposed amendment to the denomination’s 173 presbyteries that would delete the current paragraph G-6.0106b in the Book of Order — which requires church officers to live in “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness”—and replace it with a new G-6.0106b.

The proposed new G-6.0106b ties ordination decisions more closely to assent to the ordination vows currently in the church’s Book of Order without singling out a sexual conduct standard.

In the same action, the Assembly issued a new authoritative interpretation of the Book of Order declaring that interpretive statements related to sexual standards for ordination that predate the adoption of G-6.0106b in 1996 “have no further force or effect.”

The Advisory Committee on the Constitution has repeatedly said that clearing the way for ordination of sexually active gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Presbyterians requires the deletion of G-6.0106b and the removal of the authoritative interpretations that undergirded Assembly policy statements of 1978 and 1979 prohibiting the ordination of practicing homosexuals. [Read more]

Assembly starts process toward revising Heidelberg Catechism

The most emotionally charged overture from the Theological Issues and Institutions Committee came from the Presbytery of Newark asking the 218th General Assembly “to correct translation problems in five responses of the Heidelberg Catechism as found in The Book of Confessions and to add the original Scripture texts of the German Heidelberg Catechism.”

The issues surrounding this confession are complex and multi-layered. After hearing much information and debate, and defeating a minority report, the Assembly approved the overture to initiate the process to revise the Heidelberg Catechism by a vote of 436-280-11.

The United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. adopted The Book of Confessions in 1967, which included a 1962 translation of the Heidelberg Catechism prepared for and published by United Church Press. According to the overture rationale, Professor Edward Dowey of Princeton Theological Seminary chaired the committee of the General Assembly that compiled the confessions. He later admitted that a thorough check of this version was never undertaken and certain “illicit” changes made to this Heidelberg translation went undetected. After consulting the original German, as well as early Latin versions, five passages in the original text were discovered to be rendered incorrectly and key theological meanings were obscured. [Read more]

FOG revision sent for study to churches and presbyteries

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) churches and presbyteries are expected be more involved in the process of revising the Form of Government section of the denomination’s Book of Order, thanks to an action passed Thursday by the 218th General Assembly.

The Assembly passed without any changes a recommendation coming from the Assembly committee tasked with examining a proposed revision to the Form of Government. The recommendation asked that the proposed revision, crafted by the Form of Government Task Force (FOGTF), be referred to the Office of the General Assembly “for a period of consultation and study with churches and presbyteries.”

The GA action addressed widespread concerns raised in overtures to the Assembly, claiming that presbyteries simply did not have enough time to thoroughly review the overall document.

The FOGTF, charged by the 217th General Assembly (2006), crafted a proposed revision that included two documents: “Foundations of Presbyterian Polity” and “Revised Form of Government” with recommendations. [Read more]

Two church growth strategies, new sexuality resources approved

Commissioners and advisory delegates followed discussion of a human sexuality resource on Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Joseph Williams

In two separate but related initiatives designed to address the persistent decline in Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) membership as well as the church’s commitment to grow in diversity, the 218th General Assembly today wholeheartedly approved a Strategy for Church Growth for African American Congregations and a resolution to help Christ’s Church Grow Deep and Wide during the report of the Assembly Committee on Church Growth and Christian Education.

In other major business, the Assembly also concurred with the committee’s recommendation to approve, with comment, an overture from the Presbytery of Grace to direct the General Assembly Council (GAC) to produce adolescent sexuality resources. After the failure of several amendments, the original motion passed by a vote of 509-188-5 (for-against-abstain). [Read more]

Assembly approves revisions to descriptions and timing of ordination exams

Commissioners and advisory delegates followed discussion during Thursday evening’s business meeting. Photo by Joseph Williams

As the hour approached 11 p.m. following a full day’s business on Thursday (June 26), Susan Gieser, elder commissioner from Elizabeth Presbytery and moderator of the Assembly Committee on Review of General Assembly Permanent Committees, presented the committee’s report to the 218th General Assembly.

On behalf of the committee Gieser moved, and the Assembly approved, two recommendations that call for the revision of the Book of Order descriptions of the Open Book Bible Exegesis and Theological Competence ordination exams, the order in which the exams are listed, and other wording in G-14.0431.

Included in the approved recommendation is a proposed change in the timing of the four main ordination exams. The proposal would require that the four exams “shall ordinarily” be taken “only” after two years of seminary and after the committee on preparation for ministry has attested that the candidate has “completed adequate academic preparation.” [Read more]

Mission Initiative campaign announces surprise $33 million

In a surprise report to the 218th General Assembly, the Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands (MIJHH) honorary campaign chair, the Rev. Tom Gillespie, announced that the campaign had raised pledges totaling $33 million as it nears the end of the $40 million effort to renew the church for mission.

According to a press release distributed after the presentation, the tally of donations jumped by a total of $8 million in new gifts and pledges since May 31.

The growth to $33,059,998 from the previous total of $25,483,640, reported on May 31, is accounted for as follows: $29,060 in direct mail gifts, $510,456 from an anonymous individual designated for new mission personnel, seven new church commitments for a total of $1,621,000, and five new presbytery commitments for a total of $5,415,842.

The campaign had a significant boost in June with the anonymous $510,456 check, “a $1 million commitment from Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, and a multi-million dollar commitment from Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery,” said Bob Thompson, interim director for funds development for the General Assembly Council. [Read more]

Assembly rejects fifth special offering to fund mission personnel

The 218th General Assembly on Thursday (June 26)rejected by a five-to-one margin a recommendation from its Mission Coordination and Budgets Committee that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) institute a fifth churchwide special offering to support mission personnel.

The proposal from Shenandoah Presbytery had narrowly passed the committee.

Elder commissioner Raymond Morris of Foothills Presbytery, speaking against a fifth special offering, said that special offerings have had a negative effect on his congregation’s every-member canvas, noting members “hold off for special offerings.” [Read more]

Commissioners and advisory delegates discussed items from the Committee on Church Orders and Ministry report on Friday. Photo by Danny Bolin

Assembly leaves definition of marriage unchanged

After much docket delay, the Church Polity Committee gave its report to the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) late Friday afternoon (June 27). It included a lively discussion on the definition of marriage, civil rights for same-sex couples and a gracious response to congregations wishing to leave the denomination.

Definition of marriage
Item 04-08, which generated the most discussion of the evening, was an overture to change the definition of marriage in W-4.9000 of the Directory for Worship to include same-sex couples. The committee recommended disapproval of this overture, and the Assembly agreed after defeating a substitute motion.

Minister commissioner the Rev. William Myers of Great Rivers Presbytery offered the substitute motion that proposed the Assembly approve the original overture with the addition that the Office of Theology Worship and Education, in consultation with Presbyterians for Renewal and the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, study the issue of the definition of marriage. [Read more]

Assembly approves new social creed, the first in a century

By a 5-to-1 margin, the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on Friday approved “A Social Creed for the 21st Century,” exactly 100 years after the “Social Creed” of 1908 spoke to the harshness of industrial life at the turn of the last century.

Commissioners defeated a alternate motion that would have sent the 2008 creed to churches for study before the 2010 Assembly.

According to its language, the creed provides “a message of hope for a fearful time” by “offering a vision of a society that shares more and consumes less, seeks compassion over suspicion and equality over domination, and finds security in joined hands rather than massed arms.” It calls for equal pay for comparable work, protection from dangerous working conditions, criminal rehabilitation through restorative justice, an end to the death penalty, tax and budget policies that reduce disparities between rich and poor, affordable housing, sustainable use of resources and just immigration policies. [Read more]