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August 2003
Reflections of a GA Commissioner
by Kathryn Baker
Conflict Management 101
by Susan R. Andrews 
Indian Hill Visit
by Dan Krutz
Racial Ethnic Women and PW: Bringing Wholeness to the Table
by Catrelia Hunter
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Reflections of a GA Commissioner

Kathryn Baker

Since I have been involved in the larger church for a number of years, I might think that there would not be much at General Assembly that would surprise me. Conversely, since I come from a small church (100 members), I might expect that everything about General Assembly would be astonishing. Yet, my experience as a commissioner to the 215th General Assembly provided me with both familiar and fresh appreciation of what it means to be Presbyterian.

As expected, I found quality leadership. I served on the Peacemaking Committee. Our work was facilitated by the excellent guidance of the chair, vice chair, and parliamentarian. I also expected to encounter good worship and preaching. I wasn’t disappointed. Worship, whether on Sunday morning or in committee, was uplifting.

What did surprise me at General Assembly was the myriad of opportunities to witness to the Good News. We Presbyterians are truly faithful and generous in our witness:
  • The offering from Sunday morning’s worship service totaled $33,638. Recipients of the offering include Atlanta Ministry with International Students/National Christmas International House (outreach to international students), children of Palestine, children of Iraq, and theological education.
  • Commissioners, advisory delegates, and staff who donated the cost of their meals one evening ended up providing $6,787 for a local hunger program in Denver.
  • $3,980 was collected during the ecumenical worship service to support the Decade to Overcome Violence (2001-2010): Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace, an initiative of the World Council of Churches.
  • Fifty-five attendees at the assembly donated blood at a blood drive.
  • The Global Marketplace in the Exhibit Hall featured crafts and food from all over the world, all produced by artisans and farmers who receive fair payment for their labor.
  • The Backpack Project, initiated and coordinated by the Committee on Local Arrangements, received over 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies for needy children in Afghanistan and in the Denver area.
  • Over 170 AIDS home-based care kits for AIDS patients in Africa were collected, with around seventy coming from congregations in the Presbytery of Los Ranchos alone. The kits were prepared in response to last year’s call from the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel, Moderator of the 214th General Assembly, to prepare them.

Despite debates and differences of opinion on issues, I am gratified to know that Presbyterians are united in our desire to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in very concrete ways. The 215th General Assembly provided for me a place to see diversity in action and served as a visible sign of that which binds us together as we work through concerns that divide us.

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