Teaching Elders

Carmen Goetschius

Earl Bland

Alonza Washington

Ruling Elders

Karen Cookson

Jesse Dove

Mary Robinson

WELCOMEINTRODUCTION OF CAP COMMISSIONERS

YADHannah Crosby

Opening Liturgy and Communal Prayer

Led by

Mary Robinson

OPENING LITURGY

LEADER: The God of hope, the God of reconciliation, the God of past promises, the God who makes all things new, has called us to hope.

ALL: so that we may join in one voice, and glorify God, so that we may feel hope grow again.

LEADER: God summons us to welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed us all,

ALL: so that we may join in one voice, and glorify God, so that we may be filled with hope.

LEADER: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

ALL: so that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. PRAYER

PERSONAL TESTIMONY FROM A 1ST TIME COMMISSIONER

JESSE DOVE

• Why did you choose to serve as a commissioner?

• What did you expect General Assembly would be like?

• What did you find most helpful?• What was difficult?• What was committee meetings

and plenary like?• How were your worship

experiences?

ROLL OF PARTICIPANTSCOMMISSIONERS 684 Commissioners

Elected by 172 Presbyteries 342 Teaching Elders 342 Ruling Elders

Advisory Delegates • 172 Young Adult Advisory Delegates

(YAADS)• 23 Theological Student Advisory

Delegates (TSADS)

ROLE OF PARTICIPANTSADVISORY DELEGATES

8 Missionary Advisory Delegates (MADs)

15 Ecumenical Advisory Delegates (EADs)

Corresponding Members• 100 Staff and members of the 6 PCUSA

Agencies

ROLL OF PARTICIPANTS

100 Corresponding Members

Staff and elected members of the six PC(USA) agencies

Members of the Committees on the Office of the General Assembly (OGA), and the moderators(s) or designee(s) of other GA permanent and special committees

ROLL OF PARTICIPANTS

ROLE OF PARTICIPANTS

100 Corresponding Members

The executives of the 16 synods Former assembly moderators The presidents of the 10 PC(USA)

theological institutions and the 2 seminaries in covenant relationship with the denomination

ROLE OF PARTICIPANTS

OGA Staff & Volunteer Assembly Assistants 100 Office of General Assembly (OGA)

staff and volunteer assembly assistants

360 Staff, elected members, consultants, and guests

Representatives from six PC(USA) agencies.

80 Staff of Theological Institutions

ROLE OF PARTICIPANTS

Others 70 Staff and stated clerks of

presbyteries and synods 23 Ecumenical Representatives 580 Registered Observers OVER 2,000 Volunteers and others

from the host presbyteries and the surrounding area.

What is the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church

(U.S.A.)And

How does the General Assembly work?

Earl Bland Mary Robinson Follow an Overture through

the process

It all can begin with one person on a church

committee or Session who makes a difference in the life of the greater

church

I move that…

IT ALL CAN BEGIN WITH ONE PERSON ON A CHURCH COMMITTEE OR SESSION WHO MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF THE GREATER CHURCH

I MOVE THAT…

PC-BIZ.ORG IS A GREAT WAY TO KEEP UP WITH THE GA PROCESS

Good Things to Celebrate in Our Denomination

Karen Cookson & Alonza Washington

Celebrating the connectional

church that is PC (USA)

Educate a Child,

Transform the World

Living Missionall

y

“We teach that unity given by the Holy Spirit is greater than

our own division.”

ELECTION OF THE MODERATOR

221st GA MODERATOR ELECTED

REC Heath Rada (Western North Carolina)

VICE-MODERATOR CONFIRMED

TEC Larissa Kwong Abazia

Presbyterian Mission AgencyExecutive Director Re-elected

Linda Valentine

New President of the Board of

Pensions Elected

Frank C. Spencer

President and CEO of Presbyterian

Foundation Re-elected

The Rev. Dr. Tom Taylor

SOME

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221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS The Assembly Approved Pastoral

Discretion in Same-Gender Marriage Where Legal

Please note: Same-gender marriage is not permitted by state law in South Carolina.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Recommended Redefinition of MarriageThe Assembly approved, in a 429 to 175 vote, to recommend rewriting the Book of Order section W-4.900, in which marriage is defined as between "a man and a woman". The new language being proposed for presbytery ratification defines marriage as "a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and to support each other for the rest of their lives."

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Recommended Redefinition of Marriage After several other provisions, it concludes

with two important…

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Recommended Redefinition of Marriage

"Nothing herein shall (1) compel a teaching elder to perform nor (2) compel a session to authorize the use of church property for a marriage service that the teaching elder or the session believes is contrary to the teaching elder's or the session's discernment of the Holy Spirit and their understanding of the Word of God."

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Authoritative Interpretation vs. A Constitutional Amendment An authoritative interpretation (AI) is an

interpretation of the Constitution by the General Assembly or the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission.

It can only be changed by the action of a subsequent General Assembly.

It is binding denomination-wide.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Authoritative Interpretation vs. A Constitutional Amendment Now, unlike an authoritative

interpretation, a constitutional amendment is first voted on by the General Assembly, but it must be confirmed by the majority of presbyteries before it is effective.

A constitutional amendment to the Book of Order requires ratification by a majority of the 171 presbyteries.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS The Assembly Approved

Sending Belhar Confession to Presbyteries for Ratification

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS The Assembly Approved

Sending Belhar Confession to Presbyteries for Ratification

If ratified by the 171 presbyteries it will be the only confession from the Global South in the Book of Confessions.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Divestment from Three US Companies Doing Business in the Middle East The 221st General Assembly approved a

proposal to divest our Presbyterian Foundation holdings in:

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Divestment from Three US Companies Doing Business in the Middle East

The action affirms Israel's right to exist securely.

It disavows association with or

endorsement of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Divestment from Three US Companies Doing Business in the Middle East

It does not call for divestment from Israel or economic boycotts.

The church maintains significant investments in companies that do business in Israel.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Divestment from Three US Companies Doing Business in the Middle East

It is important to also note that the Assembly stated the following concerning the controversial study called Zionism Unsettled: The General Assembly "declares that Zionism Unsettled does not represent the views of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)."

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

The Assembly Acted Decisively on Gun Violence

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

The Assembly Acted Decisively on Gun Violence By consent, the Assembly voted to address

gun violence by calling for:

Advocacy in support of state and federal legislation to regulate ammunition.

Support of legislation to ban semiautomatic assault weapons, armor-piercing handgun ammunition and .50-caliber rifles;

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Assembly Acted on Other Social Issues

On other social justice issues, the Assembly:

Approved 425-170 (71%-29%) a statement of principles and recommendations on justice in taxation, including resources for study, from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy entitled, “Tax Justice: A Christian Response to a New Gilded Age,” offering recommendations seeking a fairer tax system in the U.S.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Assembly Acted on Other Social Issues

On other social justice issues, the Assembly:

Rejected 465-133 (78%-22%) an overture calling for a special committee to review the PC(USA)’s policies on abortion and to propose new policies if needed;

Approved 317-260 (55%-45%) an overture calling for a two-year church wide study to discern how to advocate for more effective drug policies in the U.S.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

Assembly Acted on Other Social Issues

On other social justice issues, the Assembly Approved:

Measures to call for a national moratorium on the death penalty;

A study of end-of- life issues; Measures to promote “food sovereignty”-

The right of all people “to safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food and food-producing resources”;

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

The Assembly Referred Fossil Fuel Divestment Proposal to:

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

The Assembly Approved Dissolving Hanmi Presbytery

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

The Assembly Approved Expanding Peacemaking Offering

The Assembly voted to retool the annual Peacemaking Offering after 2016 to include global witness .

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

The Assembly Approved to Reduce Synod Boundaries

From 16 to between 10 and 12, including the Synod of Puerto Rico.

221st GA HIGHLIGHTS

The Assembly Approved the Interreligious Stance of the PC(USA)

The policy states that the denomination “at all levels will be open to and will seek opportunities for respectful dialogue and mutual relationships with entities and persons from other religious traditions.”

GA MIS

SION

BUDGET

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY MISSION BUDGET

The Assembly Approved a Revised Mission Budget for the Next Two years

The GA Mission Budget for 2015 is $73.7 million.

The GA Mission Budget for 2016 is $78.2 million.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY MISSION BUDGET

221st GA Actions Impact on Per Capita

The per capita apportionment will increase by five cents each of the next two years – to: $7.07 per member in 2015 and $7.12 per member in 2016.

QUESTI

ONS &

ANSWER

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The last part of our GA

Commissioners presentation