One of 13 floor nominees wins over PCUSA’s pick
John H. Adams, The Layman, June 27, 2008
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Commissioners on Thursday challenged 13 nominations by the General Assembly Nominating Committee for financial, advisory, judicial and nominating offices in the Presbyterian Church (USA), but only one of the challenges succeeded.
In that case, Catherine Purves, a minister in Pittsburgh Presbytery, won a seat on the nominating committee by a vote of 359-315 over the committee’s nominee, William King of Beaver-Butler Presbytery.
She may have received a boost from the speech on her behalf. In their succession of electronic votes, the commissioners had punched the No. 1 button, which was used for the committee’s nominations. Her nominator urged commissioners “to break out of the rut and press No. 2.”
Purves has served as pastor of several congregations in Pennsylvania and has been a lecturer and preacher at conferences. Her husband, Andrew Purves, is a member of the faculty of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Two of the Nominating Committee’s selections were also elected to serve on the committee: Joan Carpenter of Riverside Presbytery defeated Phyllis Spielman of Los Ranchos Presbytery by a vote of 513-170. Roger Howell of Maumee Valley defeated Charles F. Youther of Toledo, Ohio, 501-203.
In the contest for a seat on the Advisory Committee on the Constitution, Stewart Pollock received two-thirds of the votes to defeat Daryl Fisher-Ogden, the dean of the Indiana School of Law and the nominee from the floor. Pollock was appointed to the ACC by Joan Gray, moderator of the 217th General Assembly, to fill a vacancy.
The commissioners elected three people — A. Bates Butler III, Bradley C. Copeland and H. Clifford Looney — to the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, the highest court in the denomination.
Butler, former moderator of Crisco Presbytery, won 456-220 over Edward R. Glady Jr. of Grand Canyon Presbytery. Copeland, of Riverside Presbytery, defeated Kenneth Working of Santa Barbara Presbytery, 375-320. Looney, of Boise Presbytery, won over Ted C. Fairfield of San Francisco Presbytery, 493-193.
Lois A. Clarke of Abingdon Presbytery won re-election to the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Foundation, defeating floor nominee James Mead, 480-200. Mead is a former vice moderator of the General Assembly.
Karen Garrett of Heartland Presbytery, a lawyer who specializes in counseling banks, was re-elected to the Presbyterian Foundation board, defeating floor nominee Oscar McCloud of the New York City Presbytery, 527-130.
Doug McArthur of Denver Presbytery and the senior officer of Oracle, one of the world’s largest software companies, was re-elected to the foundation board. He defeated floor nominee Gay Mothershed of West Virginia, 517-170.