wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] No Subject

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8684 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Plans for 2006 Assembly begin to emerge
Cooperation with Cumberland Presbyterians will bring changes
 
by Jerry L. Van Marter
 
LOUISVILLE - The 217th General Assembly - scheduled for June 15-22, 2006, in
Birmingham, AL - will look familiar to Presbyterians who have been around for
more than 15 years, but will likely surprise those who only in recent years
have attended the national legislative gathering of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.).

	Because many of the details of the denomination's first biennial
Assembly are still "in negotiation" with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
(CPC) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America (CPCA) - sister
churches that will be meeting in Birmingham at the same time - some details,
such as when outgoing Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase will preach his concluding
sermon, have not been determined. 

	But many others, including the Assembly theme, were set by the
Committee on the Office of the General Assembly during its March 29 meeting
here. 

	The theme of the Assembly will be "So Great a Cloud of Witnesses," a
reference to Hebrews 12:1-2. 

	"The two Cumberlands both like this theme," said Dennis Cobb, manager
of the Assembly program, "although they may choose not to adopt it as their
specific Assembly theme." 

	The most striking change in 2006 will be the mid-week to mid-week
dates. For the first time since the early 1990s, the Assembly will begin on a
Thursday rather than a Saturday. That means the Assembly committees will meet
before the Assembly takes its sabbath break on Sunday, June 18. 

	The mid-week start also means that there will be no "opening worship"
on Sunday morning. Instead, Assembly participants will return to the past
practice of fanning out to worship in local congregations. A joint worship
service with the CPC and the CPCA will take place on Sunday evening. 

	Daily worship at the Assembly will move from mornings to evenings. On
the last three evenings of the Assembly - June 19, 20 and 21- the three
denominations will also worship together, with the three moderators each
preaching once. An "outside" leader will preach Sunday evening. 
 
	The Assembly will elect its moderator on the first evening, Thursday,
June 15. June 16 and 17 will be set aside for Assembly committees - one
evening less than in recent years. "The challenge will be that there's less
time for committee orientation," said Gradye Parsons, director of operations
of the Office of the General Assembly. 

	Another challenge will be the processing of Commissioners Resolutions
(CRs), Parsons said. The deadline for CRs has historically been 24 hours
after the convening of the Assembly. If that practice continues, CRs would
still be accepted halfway through the Assembly Committees' meeting time.
"That could be problematic for some committees," Parsons said. 

	In other Assembly-related business, COGA members gave feedback to
four groups looking at: how the move to biennial Assemblies may affect the
election of the stated clerk; the number and selection of advisory delegates;
the accountability of affinity groups, which are becoming more and more
sophisticated in their efforts to influence commissioners; and efforts to
utilize new technology to reduce the amount of paper used - and wasted- at
the Assembly.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to
pcusanews-subscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org or
pcusanews-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org

To contact the owner of the list, please send an email to
pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org