In this week before the meeting of General Assembly
convenes, (the Assembly meets from June 14 to 21; I leave for Detroit this
Friday), I am reviewing the action items that are coming forward:
Marriage: Of course, anyone paying attention to this
conversation is aware of the proposals concerning the definition of marriage.
This issue will be the focus of the secular media’s reporting from the
Assembly. If you are following this debate, it is important that you understand
the difference between a Constitutional Amendment and an Authoritative
Interpretation. These are very different types of action. There are proposals
coming forward in both forms.
Middle East: There are contentious action items coming
forward concerning the church’s response to the Middle East and specifically
the ongoing tension and conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. This
debate is confounded by the larger question about the role and purpose of
social justice ministry in the church today.
Synods: At the 2012 General Assembly a bold and
innovative proposal, (which I appreciated and supported), came forward
concerning the restructuring of our middle governing bodies. That proposal was
defeated but the question itself was moved forward. Now a much smaller and less
innovative proposal is coming forward to reduce, in two years, our current
synods into eight new synods. But this proposal faces strong opposition from
the Synod executives themselves who have a written response. This will be a contentious,
internal issue for the church.
Gun Violence: There a social witness policy paper coming
forward on gun violence. This is a topic I wish our presbytery would debate.
This is a difficult and divisive national issue. Our presbytery, from urban
Harrisburg to rural Juniata and Fulton Counties, includes the whole spectrum of
convictions on this question. Should we not be discussing this?
In my mind, two important issues which may not be
highlighted in the news media should also be discussed and considered in our
presbytery:
1001 Worshipping Communities: There continues to be
strong and growing support for this movement to create new worshipping
communities. This is becoming a strategic focus of our church. Every presbytery
is challenged to engage this conversation. I am seeking a congregation that
will host this conversation in our presbytery.
The Mission Agency fundraisers: You should know the
meeting of the General Assembly and all our constitutional concerns are the
responsibility of the Office of the General Assembly (OGA). Nonetheless the
other side of the General Assembly structure, the Mission Agency, reports to
this meeting. In the report of the Mission Agency’s Special Offerings Taskforce
there is a recommendation to continue the special fundraising efforts which have
been initiated. This includes the hiring and expansion of the professional
fundraising staff within the Mission Agency. A goal has been set to stop the
decline in the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering and grow it to $20
million by 2020. For a Presbytery like ours, which has a strong commitment to
Shared Mission Giving, this new emphasis on professional fundraising undermines
our whole financial system and changes our traditional understanding of
connectionalism. Our presbytery should be aware of and pondering a robust
response to this new day of church finances.
