This week starts PC(USA) General Assembly!

 

Did you know that the PC(USA), the denomination that Prospect is a part of, holds a national convention every other year to make decisions? This event is called General Assembly and it began on Monday. 

 

Since the pandemic, the assembly has included a week of Zoom meetings for the committees to meet and make decisions that then will lead to the discussions and votes at the national assembly in person the following week, this year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. See the basic schedule here. This process may change this year as a proposal to hold fully in-person meetings is one of the many things the body will discuss this week and next. 

 

here is a Frequently Asked Questions doc about GA. Here is a Presbyterian Outlook resource document about GA. 

 

There are  ten committees meeting this week:

• Climate and Environmental Justice

• Constitutional Interpretation

• Financial Stewardship and Witness

• General Assembly Operations

• General Assembly Relationships

• Gender and Sexuality Justice

• Theological Education and ordination

• Racial Justice

• Reformed Identity Around the World

• Reformed Identity in the United Stats

 

Each committee will meet 8+ (more like 10-12) hours a day this week to deliberate, hear from experts on the topics at hand, from those who wrote the proposed overtures, those who disagre with or want to change the overtures, and others. Each team has a lot of work to do and their deliberations are important to the future of our church. keep them all in prayer this week. 

 

Some of the major topics being discussed

• Every assembly a new moderator or co-moderators are elected to serve as the leaders for the following two years. This year, there are four candidate pairs running. You can find their information here. 

• A new confession for the PCUSA book of confessions was commissioned a few years ago, and the team that worked on it brings the final confession and recommendations to this assembly. An article about how it was written. The language of the proposed new confession.

• The denomination restructured over the last few years and there are ongoing needs related to that restructuring.

• Many justice issues will be addressed on a wide variety of issues. This includes how we invest our money as a denomination, climate action, LGBTQ+ inclusion, healthcare and gender-affirming care, confronting Christian Nationalism, Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel, racial equity, and others.

• A new structure for the Ordination Exams that every pastor must pass to become ordained is proposed. This would allow for a portfolio project in place of the seated exams, offering more accessibility for those with disabilities, test anxiety, and those whose primary language is not English.

• Discussions will happen about the way that the mission-coworkers (formerly known as missionaries) were dismissed in the midst of the restructuring of the denomination over the last two years. 

• There is one highly controversial overture that involves an Authoritative Interpretation (think of a Governor or Presidential Executive Order) instructing that only monogamous relationships are appropriate among ordained people (elders, deacons and pastors). Most of the advisory committees have rejected this overture as poorly written or going beyond the scope of what an Authoritative Interpretation is for. Others have named that the LGBTQ+ Equity Advocacy Committee rejects it for being vague and that they are already proposing to undertake a study and conversation with the denomination about family structure and power that would address, among many other dynamics, polyamorous families. See the Overture about requiring Monogamy here. See the request to do a study on family structure here. This overture has already led to a lot of online discussion in the denomination and outside it, including an article on Fox News. 

 

And that all just scratches the surface of all that is happening these two weeks. The gathered assembly will also do acts of service, fellowship together, worship, pray, and probably dance (there are commonly dance breaks to get bodies moving during long assembly meetings). It is wonderful to be a part of such a careful and caring body. Let us pray for our fellow Presbyterians as they gather, deliberate, discuss, and make decisions that will impact us at Prospect, our church as a whole, and the world.  

 

Gracious God of the church,

We pray for our siblings at the 227th General Assembly of the PC(USA). Be with all of the individuals as they work, listen, share, and make decisions for our church. Give them strength and stamina for long meetings. Nourish their bodies with food that sustains them. Allow them to be heard when your spirit moves them to speak, and allow them to listen with the heart of Christ when they disagree. Be with each delegate, staff person, advisory member, and observer. May they enjoy one another's company and share in holy conversation when there are breaks. Be with us all as we hope for good decisions, just actions and worshipful deliberation. In the name of Christ who sustains us. Amen.