Moderating is more than just governance
Mid council moderators and moderators-elect learn more about the task ahead during a panel at last week’s Moderators Conference
LOUISVILLE — Last week’s Moderators Conference included a panel discussion labeled “More Than Just Governance,” which featured the helpful voices of people experienced with some of the tasks moderators and, especially, moderators-elect have in front of them. The Moderators Conference took place Friday and Saturday online and in person at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky.
“Give us what we need,” prayed the Rev. CeCe Armstrong, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), at the start of the session, “from the crown of our head to the sole of our feet.”
What the Book of Order has to say
Laurie Griffith, associate director of Constitutional Interpretation in the Interim Unified Agency, took moderators through some of their tasks as outlined in the Book of Order, including that the councils of the church are to “nurture, guide and govern those who witness as part of the denomination.” It also says that powers not allocated to other councils are reserved to the presbyteries.
She suggested the newest moderators “remain as neutral as you can with the folks you’re serving” and “know the responsibilities, written and unwritten. Respect customs and traditions.”
Equity, inclusion and accessibility
valerie izumi, a ruling elder and associated stated clerk, serves as a resource person for a pair of General Assembly committees, on nominations and representation. She spoke to moderators about equity, inclusion and accessibility “in the spirit of radical welcome.”
Asking people to serve on committees and commissions “is a difficult thing,” but “it’s about the invitation.”
She said equity is about “hearing voices different from our own.”
“It’s important we see people in their full humanity and make accommodations for them.” Those accommodations might include technology people need to serve well on bodies that meet via Zoom.
“I want you to rethink the invitations,” izumi said, “to make sure you’re giving radical hospitality so your ministry may flourish.”
The Presbyterian Historical Society
“Greetings from your national archives,” said David Staniunas, PHS’s Records Archivist. He asked: who’s featured in the 40,000 cubic feet of records housed in Philadelphia?
“High mucky-mucks, rich folks, everyday folks and ancestors,” Staniunas said. “The archives represent people who believe themselves to have a future others should take care of.”
Staniunas had two main messages to impart to moderators: think of your archives, and “we are on a mission to represent the whole plurality of the denomination.”
Some thoughts from the Rev. Jijyun Oh
The Rev. Jihyun Oh, the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) and the Executive Director of the IUA, told moderators it’s great to learn best practices, “but attending to emotions and doing internal work is important as well.”
“It’s hard to be completely non-anxious, especially when anxiety is really high,” Oh said. “A more achievable goal is being a less-anxious presence.”
“Don’t imagine you are alone in this work,” she said. She took moderators through a scenario where they’re moderating a meeting that includes “a hot topic for your mid council. People are murmuring, and the online chat is heating up,” she said. “What are you feeling? What are the relationships you need to attend to? What are some tools you might use?”
“Take a pause and pray,” suggested one moderator. “If you’re feeling that feeling, others might be too.”
“Have a pre-meeting to get a sense how people are feeling, and give them the opportunity to express themselves” to “consider the overture before it’s up for a vote,” another moderator recommended.
“It’s most often not about you,” Oh said of instances when the temperature in the room gets turned up. “It could be something that happened in the presbytery 45 years ago.”
A word from Mid Council Ministries
The Rev. Sarah Moore-Nokes, who directs Mid Council Ministries, told moderators they can be “great partners with your mid council leaders.”
“You may think they are perfect as they are, and they do have a lot going on,” she said, “but they value your partnership.”
“Also, mid councils get a new one of you every single year. You come in a variety of skill sets and experiences,” and “sometimes we make assumptions about what we think you know.”
The Book of Order states the moderator has the authority necessary for preserving order and conducting efficiently the work of the body.
“Translated into English: you have the power, but use it wisely,” Moore-Nokes said. “As you step into this work,” she said, “build those relationships with the posture Jihyun has shared with you.”
Check back with pcusa.org for additional reporting on the Moderators Conference.
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