wfn.org | Special Committee on Middle Governing Body Relationships Sets Goals

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

22-January-1997 
 
 
97026      Special Committee on Middle Governing Body 
                     Relationships Sets Goals 
 
                      by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.--The General Assembly's Special Committee on Middle 
Governing Body Relationships established six goals for its work when it met 
for the first time here Dec. 16-17. 
 
     The committee was created by the 1996 Assembly on recommendation by 
the Assembly's Quadrennial Review Committee (QRC).  Responding to testimony 
it heard throughout the church that the governing body system of the 
Presbyterian Church  is in great disrepair, the QRC asked for a special 
committee to "examine relationships between and among the national office, 
synods and presbyteries; develop and review studies of middle governing 
bodies for effectiveness; and seek new paradigms for prioritizing, 
evaluating, visioning, resourcing and partnering." 
 
     Goals adopted by the nine-member committee: 
 
     *     Explore ways in which middle governing bodies can help 
           congregations effectively meet the standards set forth in the 
           "Great Ends of the Church" ("The Book of Order," G-1.0200). 
     *     Explore ways to raise the level of trust and the sense of 
           belonging among the middle governing bodies and with the General 
           Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). 
     *     Explore methods leading to better and more effective 
           communication throughout the church. 
     *     Explore ways in which middle governing bodies can work together 
           to capture the commitment of all constituents with an emphasis 
           on the younger generation and the racial-ethnic persons. 
     *     Explore ways to facilitate better training, care and nurture of 
           professional and volunteer leaders. 
     *     Explore ways for middle governing bodies to engage in "open" 
           theological discourse and spiritual formation. 
 
     The committee's plans include extensive dialogue with middle governing 
body leaders.  The Assembly created the special committee for a two-year 
period, with evaluation at the end of that time to determine the need for a 
permanent middle governing body relationships committee.  A similar 
committee was disbanded as part of the "shape and form" restructuring of 
1993. 
 
     Members of the committee are the Rev. Ed Albright (chair), 
Jacksonville, Fla.; Buddy Tate Choy (a former QRC member), San Francisco; 
the Rev. Helen Cochrane, Zelienople, Pa.; William Fall, West Lafayette, 
Ind.; James Hartman (a member of the 1992 QRC), Cincinnati; the Rev. Robert 
D. Nicholson (a former QRC member), Seattle; the Rev. Homer Phifer, 
Harrisonburg, Va.; Roonie Sellers, Hutchinson, Kan.; and Sylvia Wilson, 
Kansas City, Mo.  Staff assigned to the committee are the Rev.  Curtis 
Kearns, director of the National Ministries Division in Louisville, and the 
Rev. Eugene Turner, director of the Department of Governing Body, 
Ecumenical and Agency Relations in the Office of the General Assembly. 
 
(Information for this story furnished by the Rev. Ed Albright) 

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