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210th General Assembly Will Meet
From
PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>
Date
15 Jun 1998 20:47:23
Reply-To: wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>
13-June-1998
GA98005
210th General Assembly Will Meet in
Region Rich in Presbyterian Tradition
by Nelle Carter McCorkle
The Presbyterian Outlook
CHARLOTTE,N.C.-When the 210th General Assembly comes to Charlotte, N.C. in
June, commissioners will find themselves in an area rich in Presbyterian
history.
Alan Elmore, general presbyter and stated clerk for Charlotte
Presbytery, cites a quotation from 1760 by North Carolina's colonial
Governor William Tryon: "Virtually everyone between the Catawba and Yadkin
rivers is Presbyterian."
While that's not necessarily true today, Charlotte Presbytery has the
denomination's fifth largest number of members, approximately 43,000 in 141
churches. Since they're compressed into a relatively small area, it is
probably third - behind Pittsburgh and Philadelphia presbyteries - in
Presbyterians per square mile, according to Elmore.
And it's not a position Charlotte is likely to lose. "The churches are
strong and we're growing," adds Elmore.
In a region which is also growing, Presbyterians are active principal
players. Two of the largest banks headquartered in Charlotte are led by
Presbyterians: NationsBank by Hugh McColl and First Union by Ed
Crutchfield.
Local arrangements for the 210th General Assembly are being made by a
34-member committee led by Moderator Charles L. Norwood of First Church,
Monroe, N.C., and Vice Moderator John Willingham of Matthews Church,
Matthews, N.C. More than 1,500 volunteers are being mobilized to serve as
greeters, airport luggage handlers, information booth staff, ushers and
registration packet assemblers.
Susan Hickok, an elder in Covenant Church, Charlotte, is the executive
coordinator for the Committee on Local Arrangements. A Charlotte native
and lifelong Presbyterian, she was hired
in December and will serve eight months, overseeing all local aspects of
the Assembly.
"We are a natural choice [as a location for the Assembly], because we
have a rich Presbyterian presence," she said. "Charlotte is known as `the
city of churches.' We also have a rich African-American heritage, and I
believe we have the most-integrated presbytery, in terms of numbers."
Commissioners and visitors may participate in several trips to area
sites during the Assembly. These include Charlotte's revitalized
neighborhoods; historic Cabarrus County churches; Montreat and the
Swannanoa Valley; and four Presbyterian-related colleges - Barber Scotia,
Davidson, Johnson C. Smith and Queens.
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