Joining Hearts and Hands gets surprise $8 million boost
Presbyterian News Service, June 27, 2008
SAN JOSE, Calif. — In a surprise report Thursday to the 218th General Assembly, the Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands honorary campaign chair, the Rev. Tom Gillespie, announced that the campaign had raised pledges totaling $33 million as it nears the end of the $40 million effort to renew the church for mission.
According to a press release distributed after the presentation, the tally of donations jumped by a total of $8 million in new gifts and pledges since May 31. The growth to $33,059,998 from the previous total of $25,483,640, reported on May 31, is accounted for as follows: $29,060 in direct mail gifts, $510,456 from an anonymous individual designated for new mission personnel, seven new church commitments for a total of $1,621,000 and five new presbytery commitments for a total of $5,415,842.
The campaign will continue to receive pledges toward its $40 million goal through the conclusion of this Assembly, with payments accepted through Dec. 31, 2012.
Assembly rejects fifth special offering
Presbyterian News Service
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The 218th General Assembly on Thursday rejected by a 5-to-1 margin a recommendation from its Mission Coordination and Budgets Committee that the Presbyterian Church (USA) institute a fifth churchwide special offering to support mission personnel. The proposal from Shenandoah Presbytery had narrowly passed the committee.
In other actions, commissioners:
- Passed by hand vote “An Invitation to Expanding Partnership in God’s Mission,” commonly known as the Dallas Covenant, which calls for increased partnership and coordination in mission work.
- Voted to recommend to the presbyteries a constitutional amendment changing the name of the General Assembly Council (GAC) to the General Assembly Mission Council
- Reinstated the Office of Environmental Justice in the GAC
- Set aside a season of mission interpretation beginning in 2009 for the church to interpret and promote its work in the context of the mission programs of the local, regional and national governing bodies of the PCUSA
- Approved continuation of four special offerings: the Christmas Joy Offering, One Great Hour of Sharing, the Pentecost Offering and the Peacemaking Offering.
- Adopted a proposal to change uses of the Church Extension Fund – which had been established for new church development – to include transforming existing congregations and developing congregational-based social ministries.
- Directed the GAC to create a review committee to review the service of the whole of the PCUSA and its permanent advocacy and advisory committees as related to the GAC. The review committee is to examine the interaction and cooperation between the committees, as well as the scope and authority of the committees.
- Approved an overture from Eastern Virginia Presbytery that called for adding a representative from the National Council of Presbyterian Men to the GAC.
Belhar Confession to be studied for inclusion
Presbyterian News Service
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The 218th General Assembly approved Thursday an overture from the Advocacy Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns to study the Belhar Confession for inclusion in The Book of Confessions.
A committee will be appointed to consider the inclusion. They will report to the 219th General Assembly (2010).
The Belhar Confession emerged out of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and speaks to the persistent reality of racism. It calls the church to unity and reconciliation as marks of faithfulness, the unity of God’s people in a prophetic witness of the gospel by confronting the sin of racism and the work of justice in church and society.
The Assembly also:
- Approved an overture to commend a study of the Trinity for PCUSA congregations. The Office of Theology and Worship has made available a DVD resource and study guide, titled “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing,” to assist church members to deepen their understanding of and practices in response to the Trinity.
- Approved the Rev. Brian K. Blount as president of Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education
- Approved the board of director nominees to the Mountain Retreat Association Inc
Revisions OK’d to ordination exam descriptions, timing
Presbyterian News Service
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The 218th General Assembly approved late Thursday two recommendations that call for the revision of the Book of Order descriptions of the Open Book Bible Exegesis and Theological Competence ordination exams, the order in which the exams are listed, and other wording in G-14.0431.
Included in the approved recommendation is a proposed change in the timing of the four main ordination exams. The proposal would require that the four exams “shall ordinarily” be taken “only” after two years of seminary and after the committee on preparation for ministry has attested that the candidate has “completed adequate academic preparation.”
In line with the advice of the Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examination of Candidates (PCCEC), which has responsibility for the written exams that are among the requirements for ordination to the office of minister of Word and sacrament, both recommendations were approved.
Also:
- After a thorough review of the self-study, relevant surveys and hearing a full description of how the Advisory Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) does its work, the committee recommended to the Assembly a series of recommendations on ACREC. Motions on all four recommendations passed.
- Similar recommendations on the work of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) were also made. All five recommendations contained in the committee’s report passed.
- The Assembly approved the committee’s two-part recommendation on the work of PCCEC.
Geographical boundaries continue to be norm for presbyteries
Presbyterian News Service
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The 218th General Assembly on Thursday evening approved the recommendations of the Committee on General Assembly Procedures. Its consent agenda, which also was approved, included an item honoring outgoing Stated Clerk Cliff Kirkpatrick with emeritus status.
In items offered for debate, commissioners voted not to allow churches to form presbyteries based on theological beliefs or mission preferences. Geographical boundaries will continue to be the Presbyterian norm.
Exceptions are non-geographical presbyteries, created to meet needs of immigrant groups, such as Hanmi Presbytery, which exists for Korean-speaking Presbyterians. The General Assembly voted to extend indefinitely the life of this 25-year-old presbytery.
Also:
- An overture from San Francisco Presbytery that would have established a national office on sexual misconduct was answered by a compromise worked out between the overture writers and staff from both the Office of the General Assembly and the General Assembly Council. It calls for the PCUSA, particularly among its presbyteries and synods, to gather, strengthen, develop and publicize a pastoral and preventative response to sexual predation within the church.
- The system of p
er capita apportionment to support the administrative functions of church bodies beyond the congregation remains in play, despite four different overtures that would have either changed its use or ended the practice altogether.
- An invitation was accepted from the Presbytery of Detroit to host the 221st General Assembly in 2014.
- Two current staff members of the Office of the General Assembly were elected as associate stated clerks. The Rev. Marcia Myers will have responsibilities concerning church vocations, and the Rev. Jill Hudson will work with synods and presbyteries. They were both elected to four-year terms.
- The Assembly approved the joint 2009 and 2010 budget proposals of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the General Assembly Council.