wfn.org | Presbyterian Church USA daily summary from 212th General Assembly

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

6-22-00

This is Jerry Van Marter of the Presbyterian News Service with news
from the General Assembly Council meeting in Long Beach, California, for
Thursday, June 22.

The General Assembly Council today, on recommendation of its
Congregational Ministries Division Committee, endorsed the election of the
Rev. Laura Mendenhall, a pastor in Austin, Texas, as president of Columbia
Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Mendenhall was elected by
Columbia's board of trustees June 17 to succeed the Rev. Douglas Oldenburg,
who is retiring at the end of June. Mendenhall, pastor of the 800-member
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Austin, has served as an adjunct
professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is currently
moderator of the General Assembly's Permanent Judicial Commission. She was
heartily endorsed by Oldenburg. Her election must still be confirmed by
the 212th General Assembly.

On recommendation of its National Ministries Division Committee, the
Council forwarded to the 212th General Assembly the winners of the 2000
Walton Award for outstanding New Church Development (NCD). The recipients,
who will each receive $45,000 to expand their ministries, are Iglesia
Presbiteriana Canto de Esperanzo in Chicago Presbytery; Riverside
Presbyterian Mission Church in National Capital Presbytery; Grace
Presbyterian Church in Mission Presbytery; Kwanzaa Community Fellowship in
Twin Cities Area Presbytery; New Harvest Presbyterian Church in New Harmony
Presbytery; and Providence Presbyterian Church in Foothills Presbytery.

The Council agreed with its Worldwide Ministries Division to send a
resolution to the 212th General Assembly calling for the lifting of
economic sanctions against Iraq and on the Iraqi government to agree to
compromise United Nations resolutions that may resolve the conflict between
Iraq and much of the rest of the world. Noting that the sanctions do the
most damage to innocents in Iraq, the resolution calls on the offices of
the General Assembly to use all existing means to send humanitarian aid to
the people of Iraq.

The Council awarded certificates to a number of presbyteries in
recognition of their financial giving to the work of the church in 1999.
Philadelphia Presbytery was recognized for its total giving to General
Assembly mission; Alaska Presbytery was honored for the highest per capita
giving to General Assembly mission. Donegal Presbytery was honored for its
total and per capita undesignated contributions to General Assembly
mission. National Capital Presbytery was recognized for its total giving
to churchwide special offerings; Alaska Presbytery was recognized for the
highest per capita contribution to special offerings. Philadelphia
Presbytery and Hanmi Presbytery were recognized for the highest total
giving and per capita giving, respectively to specific financial appeals,
such as disaster relief. And Pittsburgh Presbytery and North Central Iowa
Presbytery, respectively, were honored for the highest total and per capita
giving to Presbyterian Women.

This is Jerry Van Marter and this concludes these reports from the
General Assembly Council meeting in Long Beach. Daily VoiceLine reports on
the 212th General Assembly will begin Saturday, June 24. Good bye.