wfn.org | GAC executive director's election not confirmed by 208th Assembly

[PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org]

04-July-1996 
 
GA96099 
 
    GAC executive director's election not confirmed by 208th assembly 
 
ALBUQUERQUE - At the end of the report of the General Assembly Council on 
Thursday afternoon on the 4th of July, l996, the 208th General Assembly 
stood to applaud the service of General Assembly Council Executive Director 
James Brown.  Minutes before, they had voted 258 to 222 not to confirm his 
reelection to a second four-year term. 
 
    During the debate on the floor of the Assembly, GAC vice-chair and 
personnel subcommittee chair Pat Niles told commissioners that the 
procedure followed faithfully in the evaluation and election of Brown by 
the Council came from the Manual of the General Assembly Council.  She said 
that 75 percent of the Council had voted for his confirmation. 
 
    The Assembly committee on Mission Priorities and Budgets, to which the 
confirmation had been referred, voted unanimously to recommend 
confirmation, according to committee chair Gordon Tower. 
 
    Minister commissioner David Henderson from Pueblo Presbytery, a member 
of the committee on Mission Priorities and Budgets, tried unsuccessfully to 
get a motion passed that would defer the confirmation vote until Saturday 
morning when commissioners would have an opportunity to hear the concerns 
attached to the committee's recommendation for confirmation as a response 
to overture 96-124.  Mark Diehl, minister commissioner from Middle 
Tennessee Presbytery, who was also a member of the committee, said he felt 
the work of the committee had been blocked by skillful political 
maneuvering. 
 
    There was a 20-minute limit on debate of each item on the afternoon's 
docket.  During that time, several commissioners spoke both for and against 
confirmation. 
 
    Minister commissioner Janice Hilkerbaumer from Miami Presbytery spoke 
in favor of confirmation.  She said there is widespread disagreement on the 
kind of leadership Presbyterians want and that we tend to take out our 
frustrations on our leader. 
 
    Minister commissioner William Craig from the Presbytery of San 
Fernando, said he recognized the wonderful pastoral gifts of Brown, but 
thought more management skills are needed in the executive director's 
position. 
 
    William McIvor, chair of the General Assembly Council, said the 
position of executive director will be vacant when Brown's term expires on 
September 16, l996.  He said that the GAC will form a search committee and 
present a candidate to the Council for election, who is to be confirmed by 
the next General Assembly, according to the Manual. 
 
 
Jane Hines 

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