Saturday, July 7, 2012

Friday was the longest day.  Fatigue became a factor, as commissioners debated Standing Committee recommendations.  This seems to be an Assembly where Standing Committee recommendations are questioned to be a greater degree than I have seen before.  The consequence is to hear motion after motion, amendment after amendment...plus debate on every motion or amendment made, all requiring time and patience.

The big issue for the day was from the report from the Standing Committee on Civil Union and Marriage Issues.  By a split margin of 28-24 the committee recommended a change in the definition of marriage from "between a man and a woman" to "between two people."

The debate on this matter began with constitutional challenges in that the Book of Confessions (Part I of our constititution) states in several places that the definition of marriage is between a man and a woman.  That challenge went from commissioner to GA Moderator to Standing Committee Chair to the Stated Clerk to the Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Constitution, who stated eloquently that our constitution is in two parts and not in agreement with each other, given that the confessions reflected the historical circumstance of the times in which they were written and that the Book of Order is changed by constitutional process.  Other parliamentary procedures were then attempted, as the lines behind the microphone grew longer and longer with commissioners who wished to speak on the issue.  There were two minority reports on the issue, both of which were given equal floor time to present, with the Assembly defeating both minority reports.  After hours of procedure and debate, the Assembly defeated the Standing Committee recommendation by a vote of 338-308, leaving the definition of marriage as it is.

News on all matters can be read from the PC(USA) website, http://www.pcusa.org/news/

The Assembly HAS to wrap up by noon today, to catch flights, check out of hotels...plus the convention center contract ends today!

Regarding recovery efforts back in WV, the projection is by Sunday most of the locations' power will be restored.  Bluestone still does not have power, but will hold on to that hope for power by Sunday and will re-open for camp.  They need two heavy duty generators, which Mark Miller is trying to find now.  Joan Stewart, who has kept me in touch with everything, relays concern for several communities and asks for food and water donations to your local food bank.

This will be my last posting.  Having never done a blog before, I knew it would be a discipline to work in, amidst everything else going on at a General Assembly.  I hope this has been helpful to you!

Blessings to you all,
Forrest

Friday, July 6, 2012

Young Adult Advisory Delegates (YAAD's) lead an energizer during Thursday's plenary, to give commissioners a needed energy boost!

A word about the Young Adult Advisory Delegates (YAAD's)....  Indeed the Assembly is blessed to have the participation and engagement of the YAAD's at this meeting of the General Assembly,  I have witnessed the YAAD's in two different Standing Committees, and in each, the YAAD's contributed to the discussion in a very positive way.  YAAD's have full voice and vote in the Standing Committees and voice in the plenary sessions, as does our Theological Student Advisory Delegates, Ecumenical Advisory Delegates and Missionary Advisory Delegates.  All advisory delegates contribute in the plenaries, and the YAAD's add an extra dimension, such as when the Moderator invited some YAAD's to come up on the platform to lead the Assembly in an energizer.  While it is not the best picture, you can see above a depiction of this moment.  After the energizer, you could sense new energy in the Assembly hall.  YAAS's are not coached on what to say in the deliberations.  They are not handed a script to read.  What you witness is their energy and thinking from a different generational perspective -- a real gift to this Church.

The question of divestment was the big issue yesterday and last night.  The Assembly went until 10:30 p.m. last night, wrestling with the Standing Committee report on the Middle East and Peacemaking.  The big issue within the committee report surrounded whether the Assembly would follow the recommendations of our Mission Responsibility Through Investments Committee, as well as missionary and others to divest from three companies - H-P, Motorola and Caterpillar.  This was not a new topic, for several past Assemblies grappled with this issue, deciding on a phased conversation approach with these companies.  How much money?  It amounts to less than 0.1 per cent of our investments, but the strategy of divestment was the hot topic issue.  The Standing Committee recommended divestment, and there was a minority report recommending investment instead in West Bank companies.  The end result was a split vote of 333-331 in favor of the minority report.  Fatigue was a factor in last night's deliberations, which makes one wonder how they will deal with the weight of today's agenda -- a day which typically runs very late into the night in that flight arrangements for departure have been made for tomorrow.  

Life at General Assembly is never dull!  We continue to pray for our commissioners....

While the Assembly has been meeting, I have been in active correspondence with Joan Stewart and others on the recovery efforts in West Virginia.  The Charleston Gazette reported that 20,000 more power outages happened with Thursday's storms and that 36% of Applachian Power's customers were without power.  Please pray for all those working to help the people of West Virginia...  Also, you need to know that our own Synod has sent us $10,000 to help with the recovery efforts.  I am grateful for the care, concern and support of this Synod.  Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been contacted, but it is till early for them to get engaged, as the focus is with first responders and the power crews working so hard to restore power. 

Prayer needs abound!

Blessings to you all,

Forrest 

Thursday, July 5, 2012

The work of the Standing Committees has concluded and the work of the full Assembly is going on now.  Each of the 20 Standing Committees will come before the full Assembly to make its report and recommendations.  Many of these reports you will never read about in the news - things like approving minutes, celebrations, recognitions, ecumenical missions and so forth.  What grabs the news are the controversial matters, and, as I have mentioned in a previous blog, each reporter, news agency or politicial group reports on the matter from its own point of view.

This morning, the commissioners were still disturbed from a surprise action from yesterday, when the Vice Moderator resigned.  I do not recall witnessing something like this ever before, and the emotional impact it had on the Assembly was great.  To relay to you what happened, I will copy what Sheldon Sorge (former Pastor of Davis Memorial Presbyterian in Elkins and now Executive Presbytery of Pittsburgh Presbytery) wrote in his presbytery blog:

A swirl of reports and judgments about the actions and motivations of Rev. Tara McCabe flew around the General Assembly during moderatorial elections last week, gaining in intensity over the ensuing days. It was exceedingly difficult to sort out hyperbole from fact. She had been selected by moderator candidate Rev. Neal Presa as his "running mate" early in the year, based on their long personal friendship, and Neal's desire to have someone at his side who is on the "other side" of major issues with which the church is struggling - one of the hottest of which right now is whether the church may bless same sex weddings in states where they are legal. Neal is against it, Tara is for it. He knew that when he chose her, and it was one reason he made the choice. He wanted their candidacy to bear witness to his commitment to the church's fundamental unity amid our differences.

Subsequent to his choice of Tara, and unknown to him until after the fact, she stood as a minister to witness and bless the wedding of two women in a D.C. restaurant. (Such weddings are legal in D.C.) The church has not extended permission to its ministers to officiate same-sex weddings, and when Tara's action became public knowledge, she faced calls to step down from being a vice-moderator candidate. Neal stood by her, and together they were elected by the GA last Saturday.

The firestorm of opposition and defense intensified over the ensuing days, and yesterday afternoon she stunned GA with an unprecedented action as she resigned from office just four days after being elected. She cited her desire not to embroil the church in a debate over her when it has much more important business to do. Neal accepted her resignation with regret, but the assembly remained deeply divided on whether she should resign. Yesterday evening, amid the process of seating Neal's second selection for vice-moderator (Rev. Tom Trinidad), a commissioner asked for a changing of the rules to allow a period of plenary deliberation about Tara's resignation. The assembly voted NOT to reopen that conversation by the slimmest of margins - 323-322. Clearly the church has yet to find anything close to a common mind about the issues at stake.


The New Vice Moderator, Tom Trinidad of Colorado Springs and Moderator Neal Presa took turns moderating today's plenary sessions.  The Assembly voted to refer Mid Council matters to a new task force, while taking a stand against forming non-geographic presbyteries other than existing language specific non-geographic presbyteries (such as Korean).


Divestment comes up this afternoon -- whether or not to divest from particular companies related to business in the middle East, as recommended by the Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI), reflecting conversations that have been going on for years between MRTI and particular companies.  As I left the convention center, I saw placards being worn by young Jewish persons, urging the PC(USA) to vote for divestment.


As the Assembly deliberates, relief crews continue to work to restore power in West Virginia and in other states.  FEMA is present, as are other relief agencies.  Churches and individuals are collecting food and water.  Joan Stewart is involved in the relief work conversations and coordination despite being on generator power herself.  She has kept the presbytery office informed.  Our prayers continue to go out in support of all who are working so hard to restore power, clear downed trees and provide relief to those needing food and water.


Forrest  

Elizabeth Campbell

Elizabeth Campbell, from the Presbytery of West Virginia and Pastor of Waverly Bethel, joins with other Presbyteriuan musicians in leading worship one day!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012 - Standing Committees

Exhibit Hall at the 220th General Assembly, looking toward the Global Market and Self Help Crafts

Following worship, Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to the work of the Standing Committees.  Our Presbytery of West Virginia Commissioners and our Young Adult Advisory delegate are given their Standing Committee assignment in advance of the Assembly.  The selection is totally computer generated -- random selection.  One cannot request a specific committee, therefore each Standing Committee reflects the diversity of the PC(USA).  Having been a volunteer representative of the Office of Stated Clerk, serving as a Committee Assistant, I can appreciate those who are called to assist in the process of helping the Standing Committee to deal with all the matters assigned to it by the Office of Stated Clerk and the Bills and Overtures Committee.

For this Assembly, I was asked to be a "Process Observer."  I sat in two different Standing Committees yesterday, observing process and filing a report, which will be shared with the Office of Stated Clerk and the Committee on Representation.  The first Standing Committee I observed was dealing with its business with quickness, moving forward on their docket quite rapidly.  The second Standing Committee was just the opposite, as I witnessed them trying to re-write recommendations from a report, offering amendments and amendments to the amendments.... Perhaps you have been on a committee like that one time in your life! Some Standing Committees will struggle into the night, and the Committee Assistant and Standing Committee Moderator will have to stay up in the a.m. hours writing up their report to the full Assembly.  

The Presbytery of West Virginia Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegate will gather together today for lunch to share experiences and observations.  Another thought that will run through their minds is "how can we describe what we experience back to the people in the Presbytery of West Virginia?"

Yes, the news media is here, as are the various political groups who will all describe what they perceive from their various points of view.  I always try to caution those back home to take news accounts with a grain of salt.  Remember that what you read is from the perspective of that particular reporter or that particular political group or news agency.  Folks will "spin" the news to fit a purpose sometimes.  Enough said!

As with every church Session -- and Presbytery -- and Synod -- the General Assembly has a process that allows for broad input.  Open hearings are a time in which every Standing Committee listens to the voice of the people, whether you are Presbyterian or not!  I have seen Jewish people, wearing signs around their neck, related to the conversations of divestment of funds - pro divestment and con divestment.  The Standing Committee takes all of this into account, as well as recommendations from various agencies and committees. The Standing Committee, in discerning what God is saying to them at this particular time -- and then they will make their recommendations as a Standing Committee to the full Assembly -- and then the Assembly as a whole will debate the Standing Committee recommendations and vote!  And then, you will read about it in the news....again, from the perspective of that particular reporter or political group or news agency!

Please continue to pray for your presbytery Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegate -- and for all those in the state still grappling with the loss of power and storm damage.  

Blessings to you all,

Forrest

Monday, July 2, 2012 - Brian McLaren

Brian McLaren speaks during worship

Monday, July 2, 2012

The question, "Who are we, as Presbyterians?" is a question often heard at the General Assembly.  Do we define ourselves by what we do?  what we believe? by the community in which we live? ....  When you listen to the various responses possible out there, you will encounter such a variety.  As you look around those at the Assembly, you will see a variety of people - old, young adults, youth, children, Caucasian, African-American, Asian, African, Hispanic....all who are Presbyterian.

Monday began, as every day begins, with worship at the General Assembly.  The speaker on Monday was Brian McLaren, noted speaker, author, futurist....he too has many "labels" one might give!  His speech began with a variety of humorous signs, posted outside of the church buildings...all which define the church to the public.  His final sign was a church depicting a church activity and adjacent to that sign was a public street sign that said "Dead End."  Is the Church at a dead end, was the question posed to the worshipers.

Brian then went to the PC(USA) website, for websites are our internet "signs" that the public see.  Would our website depict a building?  An issue?  Staff?  People?  What Brian pointed out is that the PC(USA) webitie depicted the church in action - the hunger program, was one such featured sign, indicating that this is a Church which cares about those who are hungry.

Brian congratulated this denomination for focusing forward -- toward that which God is calling us - toward engaging the community around us - for making a difference in the lives of people.  This is what Brian said about us on his webpage:

"I had the privilege of speaking to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Pittsburgh ... a day full of stimulating conversations, hopeful people, and signs of grace."

Let us think and pray together, as the Presbytery of West Virginia, about the call of God in our lives - a call that can make a difference in the lives of our communities - and in our lives together as the people of God called - as signs of grace in our lives...

Blessings on you all,

Forrest

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Moderator Neal Presa, Forrest and Barb Palmer

Following a breakfast hosted by the Presbyterian Foundation, Jim and Karen Robinson, Claire Butler, Barb and I went to First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh for worship.  First Presbyterian is a 240 year old cathedral style sanctuary, with beautiful Tiffany stained glass windows -- and NO air conditioning!  (I thought about so many in West Virginia and Virginia who are having to deal with this heat, with no power, no air conditioning or even a fan.) The sanctuary was packed, including the balcony and overflow area.  In each pew rack were a couple of hand held fans, and one could see a sea of waving fans throughout the entire service, in the 94 degree heat!  The church staff had been planning for months how to best host the many people coming into the city for the 220th General Assembly.  In fact, every Presbyterian Church hosted visitors from throughout the denomination, from First Presbyterian to the Hot Metal Bridge new church development.  Each church provided their guests a lunch after the worship service, in a gracious act of hospitality.

The afternoon brought about some Assembly plenary business, including the re-election of Gradye Parsons as Stated Clerk.  Gradye led our CLP/ALP polity training in June, in Charleston, and hosted some of us who asked him to stay on and entertain questions.  This was the first time since reunion that a Stated Clerk has run unopposed, which speaks well of how Gradye has served this denomination.

Following the plenary session, Pittsburgh Presbytery hosted a reception for the Moderator at the David Lawrence Convention Center.  Barb and I were fortunate to have our picture taken with the Moderator with my iPhone camera, thanks to a local volunteer.  I asked the Moderator to please come visit us in West Virginia, and he mentioned that he has been in contact with Joan Stewart about a WVMAW visit, with his congregation (if I heard that correctly).  I was encouraged by his immediate receptivity to coming to visit our presbytery.

The evening brought an orientation and training for me, as I have been asked to be a process observer for two standing committees.

Standing Committee work began this evening, with community building. Tomorrow, the standing committees will work on the matters assigned to them from the Office of Stated Clerk and the Bills and Overture Committee.

Forrest