(By Leslie Scanlon, The Presbyterian Outlook). The All Agency Review Committee and the Way Forward Commission have jointly decided not to recommend a merger of the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
The All Agency Review Committee announced that decision Aug. 21, following a two-hour closed session.
Both the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review held closed sessions during their most recent meetings to discuss personnel matters.
After the Way Forward’s closed session Aug. 9, moderator Mark Hostetter said the commission had taken the following action: “The Commission empowers the Way Forward–All Agency Review coordination committee to create a joint WFC-AAR joint statement regarding a PMA-OGA matter.” No details were given, but the announcement today clarifies what was involved.
Deborah Block, moderator of the All Agency Review Committee, said one reason was a “concern for the level of anxiety” such a merger might bring. The decision is being announced now, she said, because a search is ongoing for a new executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, so the decision may bring “some clarity about what the job of that person will be.”
Tony De La Rosa is sent to end his term as interim executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency at the end of November.
Block’s comments came after the decision had been made in closed session to approve the recommendation. There essentially was no public discussion of the proposal, with both groups citing personnel issues.
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Was anybody really expecting any different outcome? As recently as 2012 the PCUSA had the option to reduce the administrative footprint and bloat of the regional synods and realign and right size the Presbytery’s and that report was voted down in Pittsburgh in 15 minutes. Same affect as the Foothills Presbytery proposal, which went over like a lead balloon.
At every choice the PCUSA had to get its house in order, it chose status quo and maintain a house built for 5 million when less than one currently occupy. It choose the cowards way of ducking the essencial responsibility they were chosen to serve for in the first place. Or in essence kicking the can down the road a bit more. But the remarks by the Board of Pensions was most telling of the process. The Holy Grail of the activist and tribal, identity Left is to get its hands into the Pension pot and use that vehicle to pursue their own version of Social Justice issues and causes. As the old saying is true, follow the money.
The end result today is that the PCUSA is smaller, older, less resourced, far more dysfunctional than the 2016 version that chartered the 3 current boards and committees. After flying about the globe for their meetings and closed door sessions, nothing really happens, so expected, so PCUSA.
Oh there’s a shock…………….