wfn.org | Re: [Ga212reports] News from the 212th General Assembly for Tuesday, Ju

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #16 from PCUSA NEWS to GA 212 REPORTS:

	This is Jerry Van Marter of the Presbyterian News Service with news from
the 212th General Assembly in Long Beach, California, for Thursday, June 29.

	The Assembly continued to work its way through the reports of its 16
Assembly Committees today.

	This morning the Assembly elected the entire slate of nominees proposed for
election by its General Assembly Nominating Committee.  Only one nominee,
the Rev. Joanne Sizoo of Cincinnati Presbytery, chair of the Advocacy
Committee for Women's Concerns, was challenged from the floor -- by Elder
Renee Guth of de Cristo Presbytery.  Sizoo was elected by a vote of 336-153.
 This was the second time in the last three years that the chair of the
Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns has been challenged from the floor.

	After a flurry of debate over a number of proposed amendments, the Assembly
approved, by a vote of 423-82, a recommendation from its Assembly Committee
on Christian Education and Publishing to develop "resources and tools to
assist congregations in ministries of evangelism, programming and pastoral
care with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons and their
families and friends."  The action was taken in response to an overture from
San Francisco Presbytery.  Language was added to the measure to require
formerly gay, lesbian and bisexual members of the church to be consulted as
the materials are developed as well as gay and lesbian Presbyterians.  And
the developers were instructed to consult scripture and the confessions of
the church in developing the resources. An amendment requiring that the
resources conform to the sexual standards which apply to ordained officers
of the church failed.

	The longest debate of this second day of Assembly plenaries came –
predictably – on the issue of abortion.  The Assembly fairly quickly agreed
with its Assembly Committee on Theological Issues and approved a monitoring
report on implementation of the denomination's abortion policy prepared by
the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy.  The report for the most
part affirms implementation of the church's abortion policy by entities
charged to interpret it and produce resources on it, though it does say that
in some instances church entities have relied on a more liberal 1983 policy
statement on abortion when the more cautionary 1992 policy would have been
more appropriate.  Debate on the abortion issue focused on an overture from
Santa Barbara Presbytery that would have created a new study on abortion
focusing exclusively on biblical and confessional issues around abortion. 
Commissioners rejected the overture by a vote of 338-189, agreeing with the
Theological Issues Committee that the 1992 policy on abortion is sufficient
at this time.

	And in a closely-watched vote, the Assembly rejected an overture from
Beaver-Butler Presbytery that would have declared an "irreconcilable
impasse" in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) over such issues as biblical
authority and interpretation, Jesus Christ and salvation, ethics,
leadership, sanctification and the nature of the church.  By a vote of
453-71, the Assembly voted down the overture, agreeing with the Theological
Issues Committee's argument that while differences in the church are
significant, no conflict is irreconcilable with God.  The Assembly voted to
send a letter to Presbyterians declaring, "We choose to see differences
positively and believe that differences in fact have the potential to make
our unity in Christ even stronger."  The letter also says, "Our prayer is
that we all might strive for the ‘still more excellent way' (I Cor. 12:31),
which is our mutual love and forbearance of one another."

	On recommendation of its Assembly Committee on Global Mission and
International Issues, the Assembly adopted resolutions today supporting
human rights for ethnic and religious minorities in the Molukka Islands of
Indonesia and Pakistan, for the peaceful reunification of North and South
Korea, and for reconciliation in the troubled Mexican state of Chiapas.  The
Assembly also approved a resolution calling for renewed efforts to reduce
the arms race in the world.

	Key votes on Friday include the election of the stated clerk on Friday
morning and voting on a proposed amendment to ban same sex unions in the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Friday afternoon.

	This is Jerry Van Marter of the Presbyterian News Service.  Thank you for
calling VoiceLine.  For more news from the 212th General Assembly in Long
Beach, call VoiceLine Friday, June 30, after 7:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight
Time.  Pray for peace.  Good bye.

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