wfn.org | Diaz Tells GAC Relationships Are Going Well

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

6-October-1997 
97380 
 
    Diaz Tells GAC Relationships Are Going Well 
 
    by Bill Lancaster 
 
SAN ANTONIO--Frank Diaz, interim executive director of the General Assembly 
Council (GAC), focusing on the relationships between himself and the heads 
of other Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) entities, gave a brief but positive 
verbal report to the Council Sept. 26, stating categorically that those 
relationships were good. 
 
    When Diaz assumed his current responsibilities a little over a year ago 
-- after the 1996 General Assembly refused to confirm the Rev. James D. 
Brown to a second four-year term as executive director -- relationships 
among various General Assembly agencies were publicly rancorous. 
 
    But now, Diaz said, "let me just say that the relationships between 
Larry [Carr] and me, John Detterick, Cliff [Kirkpatrick], Ken Grant, Davis 
Perkins -- these relationships continue to be strong.  We work very well 
together.  We have no animosity between us.  We have absolutely nothing but 
good, solid work together, making decisions for the Lord Jesus Christ and 
trying to carry out this ministry." 
 
    Carr is president of the Presbyterian Foundation; Detterick is 
president of the Board of Pensions; Kirkpatrick is General Assembly stated 
clerk; Grant is president of the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program; 
Perkins is head of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. 
 
    "My relationships with my [division] directors are very good," he said. 
"We meet monthly.  We discuss openly.  We went on retreat to decide how to 
meet and to conduct our business.  I thought we were proceeding very well 
and found out at the retreat that there were certain things that we needed 
to slow down and make decisions [about]. 
 
    "We don't vote, it's all by consensus, so I think that relationship is 
going extremely well," Diaz continued.  "I think my relationship with you 
is going well.  If things weren't going well, we would have been in a 
different boat today, trying to figure out how correct problems.  All the 
work that you have done in one way or another is being coordinated through 
my office. 
 . 
    "My vision when I came in was to have a Christ-centered ministry," he 
told the Council.  "In my heart this is what I think we ought to be about. 
My vision was to enhance the image of the Council, the image of the 
[Presbyterian] Center, focusing on service to the denomination. 
 
    "We focus first on service to the Lord Jesus Christ, second on service 
to the middle governing bodies, and third on service to the congregations. 
This is what  we're all about.  It's a simple plan.  I think it's working. 
And I'd like to thank all of you and the staff, especially the support 
staff." 
 
    Diaz then pledged his support to GAC chair Fred Denson and vice chair 
Lynda Ardan. 

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