june 28, 2008
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The 218th General Assembly adjourned just a few short hours ago. Even now, 973 commissioners and advisory delegates are making their way back home from San Jose, Calif., where they worshiped daily, discussed and debated overtures, and celebrated the countless ways Presbyterians are engaged in ministry near and very far away—all with a focus on discerning the mind of Christ for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and seeking ways to live out this assembly’s theme: “Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).
Beginning today and continuing over the next two years, elected commissioners will be about the task of interpreting the actions they took at this assembly. Already, their decisions have been broadcast across the church and, in this Internet world — with information received in real time, live blogs, and more — many people have already weighed in on the assembly’s actions, sharing their thoughts and feelings about the implications of those decisions on our life together in the PC(USA).
Read the rest of this letter.
Reyes-Chow elected moderator of 218th General Assembly
San Francisco pastor wins second ballot victory
by Jerry L. Van Marter
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.
Continue reading.
Nutured by our past, embracing our future: read the blog
In January 2008, Bruce Reyes-Chow received an endorsement from the San Francisco Presbytery to stand for moderator of the 218th General Assembly. With this announcement he began the blog, Nutured by our past, embracing our future, to chronicle his experience standing as candidate for moderator. With his recent election he has now turned his focus to his new role and how he will serve.
A church for future generations
Bruce Reyes-Chow responded to a series of questions published in
a booklet distributed to commissioners and advisory delegates
prior to the convening of the 218th General Assembly. Here’s
the Moderator’s response to the question:
In what new ways can the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its congregations place a focus on
ministry to and with youth and young adults to ensure a church for future generations?
First we must decide if we truly wish to be a church for future generations. I am not sure that we see our roles as preparers for the future, but rather we are more focused on our role as caregivers of the now. To be compelling to young folks would require us to admit that others discover, connect with and live out their faith in Christ in ways different than our own. To be authentic, we must embrace these realities and find joy in the ways future generations experience the church. Not an easy task, but transformation is not easy.
Continue reading.
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Subscribe to receive occasional email updates from the GA moderator. These messages will be similar to what a pastor might write to a congregation in the weekly newsletter, only in this case, the denomination is the congregation. These communications will reflect on the experience of being moderator as well as thoughts, readings, meditations on scripture and experiences in mission throughout the church.
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