Day 5 - Monday

More notes... there is just way too much happening for me to write an entry every day. My notes will have to entertain you for now.

These notes are a day late because I was exhausted last night, came back to the room early, took a sleeping pill and went to bed. Today was a HUGE day on the docket, and I really felt like sleeping was more important that getting my notes posted. Sorry if there is anyone who is reading this everyday looking for my boring little notes. :)

Here they are:

• Monday, June 19, 2006: 6:30am – 8:30am (PFR Breakfast)
• Dr. Mouw spoke… and he was amazing as usual. Most people made a mention to me following his message about how great and inspirational a speaker he is. He makes me smile… such a fun guy! He came up and hugged me before breakfast… and I got a hug from Phyllis as well. They’re such a cute couple and I’m excited to get to know them better.
• Monday, June 19, 2006: 9:00am – 12:00pm (Plenary)
• Welcome, Prayer, Recognition and Announcements
• Report from Bills and Overtures (02)
• Ecumenical Greeting
• Michael Livingston – President, National Council of the Churches of Christ in USA
• Confirmation and Installation of the Vice-Moderator – Bob Wilson
• Bob Speaks:
• Test everything, hold fast to what is good
• PUSH – Pray Until Something Happens
• Let God order our steps
• Stop talking about it and (do/listen)
• Let Go and Let God
• In God We Trust
• This GA needs to establish 3 things:
• Get right attitude with God
• Get right attitude with Jesus
• Get right attitude with the Holy Spirit
• Moved and seconded
• Voted by standing
• Interesting in such a large group… this seems almost a formality, as if we didn’t really have a vote… strange.
• Service of Installation
• COLA Presentation
• Gavels and bags to Moderator and Vice-Moderator
• Made of Alabama Cherry (?) and African Blackwood
• Bags are made with same material as our gift bags
• Stated Clerk’s Orientation Part II
• Review of Parliamentary Procedures
• Vince Thomas – Elder Commissioner, Moderator of 03 General Assembly Procedures
• Per Capita budget responsibility
• $12,000,000 for 2007 (missed the detail)
• $14,954,257 for 2008
• $5.57/member for 2006 – cannot be changed mid-year
• $5.72/member for 2007 (increase of 2.7% - less than CoL)
• $5.72/member for 2008
• Will provide summary each day
• Financial Implications
• 2006; $36,705; 1.55 cents (would have to change budget to find this money!)
• 2007; $198,660; 8.65 cents
• 2008; $107,417; 4.86 cents
• David Norton – Elder Commissioner, Moderator of 08 Mission Coordination and Budgets
• Recommending Mission Budgets for 2007/8
• Daily summary each day of cost so far
• Financial Implications
• 2006; $8.384
• 2007; $46,918
• 2008; $36,534
• Additional sources of funding and/or reduction of expenses elsewhere
• 15 Board of Pensions and Presbyterian Foundation – Allan Ford – Elder Commissioner, Moderator
• Words from President of Board of Pensions
• 15-01 – Amendment to 8.4 of the Benefits plan
• No discussion
• No dissent
• So ordered
• 15-04 – Pension and Medical Insurance Needs of Small Churches
• No discussion
• No dissent
• So ordered
• Words from President of the Presbyterian Foundation
• 15-02 – Endorse Foundation’s Work in Support of Mission and Ministry
• 15-03 – Directors of New Covenant Trust Company, N.A.
• 15-05 – Response Regarding Minutes of the New Covenant Trust Company
• Handle 02, 03, 05 together
• No discussion
• No dissent
• So ordered
• Special Presentation: Curtis Kerns – Director,
• “Glimpses of a Growing Diversity”
• Why are we having advertisements during GA meetings?? We have SO much to do and not enough time… why why why?? Yes, these are good things… things to celebrate… but oh my… I am concerned about our time.
• 13 Theological Issues and Institutions – Nancy Olthoff – Elder Commissioner, Moderator
• Approval of Consent Agenda
• Verbal “aye”
• Award to Catherine Gonzales
• President of Dubuque
• I have no idea what is going on at this point. This doesn’t seem to be useful!! Why are we recognizing people when we have so much work to do? More standing and applauding.
• Pittsburgh President Retiring… more speeches
• Rev. C. Samuel Calian – retiring President
• Rev. William J. Carl – new President
• 13-08 – Approval of Carl as new president
• So ordered
• 13-11 – A New Denominational Hymnal for Corporate Worship
• Amended in relation to 13-10
• Motion passed with verbal vote.
• There were some “no”s
• 13-10 – On the Development of a Denominational E-Hymnal
• Approved verbally
• 13-15 – Election of Davis Perkins as President and Publisher (4^th 4-year term)
• Approved verbally
• 13-01 – On the Authority of Holy Scripture
• Approved verbally
• NO DISCUSSION! I’m getting uncomfortable!
• 13-04 – Invitation to Christ: Sacramental Practices
• Approved verbally
• 13-05 – “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing”
• Minority Report – Jonathan Lovelady
• Alternate resolution
• Motion Steps for Minority Report:
• Main Motion presented – Indicate existence of Minority Report
• Substitute (minority) moved
• Perfect Main motion (parliamentary perfection J )
• Perfect Substitute
• Debate on substitution vs. main
• Vote on “Shall the Substitute become the Main?”
• YAD spoke to the Minority Report J
• Perfect Main Motion
• Amendment of Main Motion
• Item 13-05 page 1 strike word “approve” insert “receive”
• “That the recommendation be approved received as amended and with comment”
• Verbal vote was inconclusive
• Electronic – 57% yes, 41% no, 2% abstain
• Amendment of Main Motion
• Line 794-801 insert “with the exception of the Baptismal Formula itself, we are free to supplement this language with additional…”
• Motion passes
• Perfect Substitution/Minority Report
• No motions/amendments
• Perfected
• Discussion of Minority Report – “Shall it take the place of the Committee Report?”
• Much discussion for and against
• Vote on substitution
• 48, 51, 1
• Motion fails! Committee Report remains in place as main
• Vote on Main motion
• 56, 42, 1
• Motion to reconsider 13-05
• Rationale – no time for discussion on main motion at end of last motion
• 46, 54, 0
• 13-02 – Overture to refer 13-05
• Motion to be addressed by action on 13-05
• So ordered
• Announcements
• Offering @ Sat = $4507
• Offering @ Sun = $25,11.54
• Blood Drive
• Memorial to Rev. Dr. William P. Thompson – United Presbyterian Church
• Former Stated Clerk
• Died April 2006
• Monday, June 19, 2006: 1:30 – 5:30pm (Plenary)
• Opening Prayer
• Elder
• Nelson Erwin – heart attack here
• Bill Swagin – Lackawanna Presbytery – Cancer
• Speak Out
• Stated Clerk explained process
• Recycle
• Coffee – from Patrick Wrisley J
• Etc…
• 12 Church Growth and Christian Education – Lee Jordan – Elder Commissioner, Moderator
• 12-04, 05. 06. 07, 09, 10, 14, 15.1, 15.2-4 – Consent Agenda
• Approved
• 12-01 – On Creating the Office of Minister of Christian Education
• Motion to refer to Office of Theology and Worship
• 93, 5, 3
• 12-02 – Creating a Fourth Office to be known as Educating Elder
• Motion to refer to Office of Theology and Worship
• 96, 3, 1
• 12-03 – Amending G-14.0701 to Name Certified Christian Educators…
• Motion (as amended by committee)
• Discussion
• Application would vary depending on state laws
• 95, 4, 1
• 12-08 – On Combating the Decline in Members of the PCUSA
• Report that precedes the motion
• Discussion of racial ethnic growth
• Motion to approve as amended
• Discussion
• Another study is a waste of resources
• 75, 23, 2
• 12-11 – On Sexuality Curricula and Other Materials Being Consistent with the Biblical and Confessional Teaching
• 77, 22, 1
• 12-12 – Older Adult Ministry Task Force
• Motion to approve 12-12.1 as amended
• Passes
• Motion to approve 12-12.2.a-d
• Approve contingent upon budget $$
• So ordered
• Motion to approve 12-12.2.e as amended
• Rehiring
• So ordered
• 12-13 Rec. 1 – Report
• So ordered
• 12-13 Rec. 2
• So ordered
• 12-13 Rec. 3
• So ordered
• 12- Rec. 4
• So ordered
• 12-16
• So ordered
• 12-17
• So ordered
• 12-18
• So ordered
• Presentations
• ** Side note – I am starting to feel like we’re not actually doing work. That we are all just sitting here letting the tide of vocal opinion (not even majority, really) run over us and just following the program. There has been little to no discussion of items and I begin to think that people aren’t even really aware of what we’re agreeing to!! I don’t have a vote so I do not have a way to make a statement without taking the mic during the next SpeakOut – but I don’t know that I really want to be doing that… I’m having the opposite opinion here than the one I had in committee. My committee worked hard and considered the overtures with care and precision. In some cases, we didn’t press things to the furthest point of discussion, recognizing (assuming!) that it would be re-argued on the floor at plenary and wanted to not duplicate discussion… now… I’m not sure!
• Final Actions – no action necessary
• 07 Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
• 07-02 – Request for Interpretation of Difference between “Federated” and “Union” Churches used in C. 15&16
• So ordered
• 07-03 – Invite Ecumenical Advisory Delegates to
• So ordered
• 07-04 – Recommendations from the Report of the World Council of Churches
• So ordered
• 07-05 – Regarding “Christian Churches Together”
• So ordered
• 07-06 – Recommendations from the Report of the… (as amended)
• Approved by voice vote
• 07-07 – Adequacy of Interfaith Policy
• So ordered
• 07-08 – Framework for Mission with Ghana
• So ordered
• 07-01 – Affirming Common Abrahamic Heritage Among…
• Minority Report
• Shall the Minority Report become the Main?
• 32, 68, 1
• Vote on Main Motion
• 93, 6, 1
• CR 07-09 – On the Presbyterian Accompaniment Program in Columbia
• Minority Report
• Amend main motion
• 5.c – delete “End the aerial fumigation for coca crops and”
• 25, 71, 4
• Main motion declared perfected
• Amend Minority Report
• Following the word “Columbia” add “and to advocate with our respective representatives in the U.S. Government for peace and justice as we are led by the Holy Spirit”
• Passed
• Minority Report declared perfected
• Motion to refer to the ACSWP and the Peacemaking Office to produce a study paper as a resource and to submit the paper to the 218^th General Assembly (2008).
• Financial Implications
• Yes, there will be
• Pro – Jan Armstrong (Alan’s Dad!!)
• Motion fails
• Motion to refer only #5 to ACSWP and the Peacemaking office to include in their next Human Rights Report
• Vote for substitution
• Motion fails – Main motion remains Main
• Motion to divide Majority report: 1-4 and 5
• Motion carries
• 07-09 Action items 1-4
• 94, 5, 1 – motion carries
• 07-09 Action item 5
• Motion to refer recommendation 5 to the ACSWP and the Peacemaking Office to include a report in their next Human Rights Report
• 59, 41, 0
• CR 07-10
• So moved
• CR 07-11
• So moved
• 14 Review of GA Permanent Committees
• 14-01 – Authoritative Interpretation
• So moved
• Motion to reconsider 12-11 – On Sexuality Curricula and Other Materials Being Consistent with the Biblical and Confessional Teaching
• Motion is out of order – person bringing motion did not vote in affirmative previously
• 14 Review of GA Permanent Committees
• 14-ACL R
• So moved
• 14-ACC R
• FI $17,130 for 2 additional meetings
• So moved
• 14-CoR R
• So moved
• 14-ACWC R
• So moved
• 14-A
• For information only
• Motion to reconsider 12-11 – On Sexuality Curricula and Other Materials Being Consistent with the Biblical and Confessional Teaching
• ASK SOMEONE ABOUT THE “ORDERS OF THE DAY”
• 30, 70, 0
• Announcements
• 7pm worship
• 8.15 evening business session
• Prayer concerns will be listed on monitors during breaks
• Closing prayer

** There are some MAJOR issues regarding the pacing of this Assembly. Physically disabled folks would have a HARD time getting anywhere NEAR a mic before things are declared completed… and I’m getting annoyed. The older commissioners are struggling with the computers and are having a horrible time keeping up. Also, I feel like they are just pushing through everything, rather than us actually discussing things… *sigh* I don’t know how I feel about this whole event – which is sad because committee was so much better!

• Monday, June 19, 2006: 8:15 – 10:00pm (Plenary)
• Women’s 50^th Ordination
• Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities
• Cultural Proficiency
• Peacemaking 25^th Anniversary
• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance – Katrina Recovery
• Mission Initiative