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Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ◆ 223 General Assembly 2018

June 19, 2018

Kindom building for the 21st Century.

‘Don’t become a brick in the system,’ Bible study leader tells General Assembly participants Mark’s Gospel provides ‘space for learning what it means to follow Jesus’ by Eva Stimson ST. LOUIS — While introducing the first of two Bible studies at the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Deborah Krause, academic dean and professor of New Testament at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, talked about “space theory.” She described space theory, or space criticism, as a new way of reading the Gospel of Mark and other New Testament writings. “It emerges out of our experience here in St. Louis of the tragic shooting of Michael Brown by police,” she explained. In the wake of the shooting, “for my students and me, the Bible became a kind of pop-up book. We found the Bible could give us a sense of urgency to move us to work for social justice and transformation.” Krause titled her study “A Monumental Reading of Mark: Resisting Domination and Building the Kindom of God.” She explained that kindom, a term introduced by Cuban theologian

and ethicist Ada María Isasi-Díaz, is an alternative to the hierarchical structure implied by the term kingdom. “Mark’s Gospel offers us a new space to be transformed,” Krause said. “Mark was not written as a historical record but constructed by a pastoral theologian to provide space for learning what it means to follow Jesus.” Written in the shadow of the Roman Empire, where the Jewish people were confronted daily with monuments of their defeat, such as the Arch of Titus, Mark’s Gospel offered “a kind of virtual experience as an alternative to those demeaning structures,” Krause said. In Mark, Jesus moves from space to space — from Galilee to Jerusalem — proclaiming the kindom of God. He resists and reimagines the structures of empire as embodied in religion, households and families. For example, he chides religious leaders for allowing the temple to become “a place of exploitation” instead of a house of prayer.

Presbyterian Church on full display at the 223rd General Assembly Exhibit hall has something for everyone by Gail Strange ST. LOUIS — There has been plenty of excitement and lots of smiles at the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as Presbyterians from across the country have greeted old friends and acquaintances in the exhibit hall. The goal of the hall is to display a wide range of resources and services that support the purpose of the Assembly and advance its goals. Throughout the week various ministries and agencies affiliated with the PC(USA) have an opportunity to showcase their goods and services.

“The exhibit hall is the immediate Presbyterian family and all of our cousins,” said Andrew Yeager-Buckley, program assistant with the Office of the General Assembly. Yeager-Buckley manages the exhibit hall with help from an advisory team made up of representatives from each of the six PC(USA) agencies. “The whole community is made up of PC(USA) agencies, mid councils, nonprofits and various vendors whose products or services would be of interest to attendees at the Assembly,” he added. Out of the 118 exhibitors, 13 are See Full Display p. 8

Deborah Krause, academic dean and New Testament professor at Eden Theological Seminary, leads GA223’s Monday morning Bible study. (Photo by Danny Bolin)

And he calls his disciples to leave their households, or family businesses, to follow him. “Jesus was not a family kind of guy,” as Mark presents him, Krause said. Romans 12:1–2 offers another example of how the New Testament writ-

ings resist and reimagine the structures of empire. As Krause translated the passage, Paul tells Christians, “Do not be pressed down into the mold of this world.” “Paul is saying, ‘Don’t become a See Brick p. 4

Per Capita recommendation reduced to 10 percent increase Earliest proposal of increase to $11.95 by 2020 now down to $8.50 by Shane Whisler ST LOUIS — The Assembly Committee on General Assembly Procedures recommended a single per capita increase of 10 percent for 2019 and no increase in 2020 during its meeting Monday afternoon at the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Committee members voted 33-19 on item 03-1 for this reduction of a recently revised proposal of a 10 percent increase each of the next two years. If approved by the General Assembly in

plenary, the per capita apportionment will be increased from $7.73 to $8.50 per member through 2020. The drop to 10 percent was reduced from a revised request from Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson, II of 20 percent which itself was reduced from a nearly 40 percent hike originally proposed by the Committee on the Office on the General Assembly after its February meeting. The amended amount, if approved, will prompt the Office of General AsSee Per Capita p. 4

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World Mission lunch

Way Forward Committee

Just compensation

Hands & Feet initiative

Covenant Network

PPC resources

Kindom building for the 21st Century.

Tuesday June 19, 2018

YAADs want the vote in GA moderator elections

Commissioners resolution filed to back rules change by Paul Seebeck

Worshipers on Sunday morning at Glendale Presbyterian Church, Glendale, Mo. (Photo by Liz Rolf Kanerva)

Thank you to Giddings-Lovejoy congregations!

Assembly-goers experience worshipful hospitality from the General Assembly Newsroom ST. LOUIS — Presbyterians attending the 223rd General Assembly experienced the hospitality of more than two dozen PC(USA) congregations in Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery Sunday for morning worship and then lunch. We thank those congregations who welcomed Assembly participants on Sunday. Hosting churches included: Affton Presbyterian and Calvary Presbyterian, Mehlville, Mo. Cote Brilliant Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, Mo. Faith and Des Peres Presbyterian Church, Frontenac, Mo. First Presbyterian Church, Alton, Ill. First Presbyterian Church, Ferguson, Mo. First Presbyterian Church, Kirkwood, Mo. First Presbyterian Church of St. Louis, University City, Mo. First United Presbyterian Church, Belleville, Ill. Florissant Presbyterian church, Florissant, Mo. Glendale Presbyterian Church, Glendale, Mo. Grace Presbyterian Church, Crystal City, Mo.

John Calvin Presbyterian Church, Bridgeton, Mo. John Knox Presbyterian Church, Florissant, Mo. Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church, Ladue, Mo. LoveJoy United Presbyterian Church, Wood River, Ill. New Hope Presbyterian Church, St. Charles, Mo. New Horizons and endo Kenyan Congregations, Overland, Mo. Oak Hill Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, Mo. Pacific Presbyterian and First Presbyterian, Union, Mo. Rock Presbyterian Church, Imperial, Mo. Second Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, Mo. Southminster Presbyterian, Crestwood, Mo. Third Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, Mo. Trinity Presbyterian Church, University City, Mo. Webster Groves Presbyterian Church, Webster Groves, Mo. Westminster Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, Mo.

ST. LOUIS — After Saturday night’s moderator vote at the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Young Adult Advisory Delegates (YAAD) gathered in their home groups to share how their experience went. “We heard commissioners say, ‘We don’t have to listen to you,’” said Flint River YAAD, Lily Ingle. “You’re just children.” Immediately six YAAD’s — and a Theological Student Advisory Delegate (TSAD) began writing a resolution for YAADs to have a full moderator election voting rights. The resolution — which was signed by two commissioners — will be debated in Assembly Committee 3 Tuesday. YAADs are hopeful they get can get it out of committee to plenary for a full commissioner vote. Jacqueline Laybourn, YAAD from Sacramento Presbytery, spent 13 hours working on the resolution draft. It was important to her personally, because she feels “God calls us to listen to youth.” San Gabriel Presbytery YAAD Sophia Alecci says YAADs are 100

percent supportive of the moderators the commissioners elected — even though nearly 98 percent of them recommended that commissioners vote for Rev. Elina Maxim of Seattle Presbytery and Rev. Bertram Johnson of New York City Presbytery, who finished second in the contest. “We’re doing this because we felt like we were not being heard by the commissioners,” says Alecci. “We’re reduced to a 10-second bar chart display,” adds YAAD Corrine Burch of The James Presbytery, “and then it disappears and you get the real vote.” While they appreciate having a vote in committee, thereby feeling like they are influencing what gets to plenary, YAADs would like to also have a vote in the moderator’s contest, because they set the vision for the whole church. “We’ve seen a decline in membership in the PC(USA),” says Walter Manual from Southern New England Presbytery. “So, let’s turn that around starting with our generation — let us have a vote for moderators.”

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEWS Published daily, June 16-23, by Office of General Assembly Communications in cooperation with Presbyterian Mission Agency Communications Managing Editor/Publisher: Jerry Van Marter Associate Editor: Gregg Brekke

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From left to right: Jacqueline Laybourn, Walter Manual and Sophia Alecci hope a resolution they worked on seeking full moderator voting rights for YAADs makes it to plenary at General Assembly 223. (Danny Bolin)

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Kindom building for the 21st Century. 3

223 General Assembly

Youth say “Amen!” to Hands & Feet initiative Mission teams spread out across St. Louis by Chris Keating ST. LOUIS — David Meeks, a high school student from Charlotte, N.C., aims a drill at the side of a wood bunk he’s been assembling at Mission St. Louis, a nonprofit serving impoverished neighborhoods in the city. “Need a quote, too?” Meeks asks, pretending to strike a pose. A yellow bandana tied around his head keeps sweat from falling in his eyes. He is one of 12 students from the Sardis Presbyterian Church participating in a service/learning project sponsored by the Hands and Feet Initiative. Working alongside 28 youth from the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia, the students are involved in an urban mission experience organized by Oak Hill Presbyterian Church’s Amen House ministry. Amen House’s program — “A Ministry Embracing the Neighborhood” — combines hands-on service opportunities and educational seminars on community issues in St. Louis, including “sacred conversations on race.” Those conversations are critical, says Korla Masters, interim director of AMEN House. “We want to have groups working in areas of acute need,” she says, “but we also want

the groups to know why those needs exist.” “We explore the current reality of housing segregation in St. Louis, dig into its roots here and nationally.” The format, developed by an ecumenical partnership in St. Louis — Metropolitan Congregations United — following the death of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson in 2014, has been used by congregations across the area. Masters says groups leave St. Louis ready to make a difference in their hometowns. Masters says the Hands and Feet initiative has prompted an uptick in groups contacting AMEN House to book stays this summer. The project will host a group a week throughout the summer, in addition to 10 groups that visited during the 2017-18 school year. The groups will also take part in a city-wide clean up effort and the General Assembly’s act of public witness on Tuesday. “We’re excited to be here as part of the Hands and Feet effort,” says Adrian Martin, director of youth ministries at Sardis Presbyterian. “It’s not just a mission project. We’re part of something bigger.”

Blake Collins, John Yor Nyiker, Leisa Wagstaff and Dave Carver participate in a panel on mission partnership in South Sudan. (Photo by Danny Bolin.)

World Mission lunch speakers say partnership is transformative Panelists from South Sudan, Pittsburgh talk about working in tandem by Pat Cole ST. LOUIS — Speaking at Monday’s World Mission Luncheon, the leader of a partner church, a mission co-worker, and a U.S. Presbyterian pastor talked about ways mission in partnership has transformed them. Rev. John Yor Nyiker, general secretary of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan, spoke about the deep friendships he had made with U.S. Presbyterians involved in mission partnerships in his country. He spoke about how he was supported by U.S. friends after the death of a family member. “They prayed for me and encouraged me, and it gave me hope,” Nyiker said. Referring generally to doing mission in partnership, he said, “Partnership has changed my life, given me strength and allowed me to continue the work of God.” Leisa Wagstaff, a mission co-worker in South Sudan, told about the time in 2016 when interethnic violence reached her community. A South Sudanese friend risked her life to bring water and food, and other South Sudanese called to check on her.

She eventually left the country for a time to escape the violence, she said. “Then I came back, and there was an affirmation that I was one of theirs.” Wagstaff explained that the South Sudanese knew that she had left reluctantly, and were pleased that she was one of the first expatriates to return. The Rev. Dave Carver, pastor of First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights in Pittsburgh, said participating in mission partnerships in Malawi and South Sudan breathed new life into his urban congregation. When he became pastor 25 years ago the congregation was struggling and was focused on what kind of help they could receive. Mission partnerships, he said, helped change that attitude. “It is so refreshing to learn that you can be a giver, and that you have something to share with your neighbor,” he said. All three speakers pointed out that parties in successful partnerships must have the experience of being both givers and receivers. “Look for ways to increase mutuality,” he said. “Look for ways to walk with each other.”

Young volunteers help clean up a work site as part of their Hands and Feet experience at Amen House in St. Louis. (Photo by Chris Keating)

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Kindom building for the 21st Century.

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Brick from p. 1 brick in this system,’” Krause said. She urged listeners to “resist the mashing down of empire” today by “interrogating” our spaces. “Drive the streets of our cities. Pay attention to how they are structured. Where do we see disparities? Where are people demeaned, degraded and destroyed by the structures of this world?” Structures in families, society — and even the church — can keep Christians complicit with the power of empire, Krause said. “In the process of keeping our families safe and keeping our economy robust, who are we destroying and demeaning?”

In closing, Krause displayed a slide showing two iconic monuments in St. Louis: the Gateway Arch and the old courthouse. She pointed out that the arch is “a national monument to Westward expansion,” which led to the degradation of native people. The courthouse was the site where African American slaves Dred and Harriet Scott appealed for freedom and won their case, only to have their freedom later rescinded by the U.S. Supreme Court in the infamous Dred Scott decision.How should Christians respond? “Follow Jesus in pursuing the redemptive work of God,”

Former GA Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons discusses his new book at a dinner sponsored by the Board of Pensions. (Photo by Michael Whitman)

Gradye Parsons sees hopeful, though challenging future for PC(USA)

Book describes signs of growth in diverse congregations by Chris Keating

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ST. LOUIS — Despite challenges, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has potential to grow, the Rev. Gradye Parsons said here Sunday. Parsons, who served as Stated Clerk of the denomination from 2008 to 2016, spoke about his new book, Our Connectional Church – The Hopeful Future of the PC(USA), at a dinner and book launch sponsored by the Board of Pensions. The board commissioned Parsons to study big and small congregations for signs of growth and hope. Parsons said he noticed an ethos Presbyterians share which acts much like an underground aquifer. That ethos is accessed in various ways and

includes providing a place where people can ask questions and acting on matters of social justice. “Social justice is not anathema to evangelism,” Parsons said. “Social justice is part of true evangelism.” Following Parsons’ presentation, the Rev. Frank Clark Spencer, president of the board, offered details on the board’s initiatives to promote clergy and congregational health. Spencer noted that research suggests the church could grow, and that the board is studying how to support that growth. Additionally, Spencer said there is a “persistent gender gap” regarding salaries and benefits which needs to be addressed.

Per Capita from p. 1

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Kerry Rice, deputy stated clerk for the Office of the General Assembly, explains the rationale for a per capita apportionment increase. (Danny Bolin)

sembly to look for ways to cut about $600,000 from its roughly $14 million current per capita budget, according to Kerry Rice, deputy stated clerk for OGA. Per capita includes funding for all of the Office of the General Assembly’s budget for producing the biennial GA meetings, maintaining records and statistics, costs for the work of the stated clerk and co-moderators, mid

council relations, Presbyterian Mission Agency and shared services costs (about 30 percent of the per capita budget combined), ecumenical relations and 62% of the Presbyterian Historical Society’s costs. In other business the committee voted not to approve an amendment to the General Assembly Standing Rules that would have limited the number of overture advocates from presbyteries.

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Eight former GA moderators endorse fossil fuel divestment measure ‘No longer morally or ethically right for the PC(USA) to profit,’ leaders say from the General Assembly Newsroom ST. LOUIS — Eight former General Assembly moderators have endorsed an overture to the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that calls for church investors to divest stock in companies that produce fossil fuels. The former moderators stated in an open letter to the 538 commissioners of GA223 that they are taking their stand “because of the grave and urgent threat of climate change and the fossil fuel sector’s well-documented and unyielding refusal to change …” The full text of the open letter, dated June 17, 2018: To: Commissioners to the 223rd General Assembly Thank you as teaching and ruling elders for taking the time to serve on our highest governing body, the 223rd General Assembly. You are in our prayers as you discern the will of God and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the PC(USA) on all the issues before this Assembly. The purpose of our letter is to ask you to support and approve the overture [08-01] On Directing the Board of Pensions and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation to Divest from Fossil Fuel and Actively Invest in Securities That Focus on Renewable Energy We are writing to summarize the moral basis for this critically important act. In the past, our Church has decided that profiting from certain economic activities is incompatible with our faith. When an industry continually, over years, causes enormous harm while resisting calls for change, we have moved beyond education, engagement and advocacy to divestment. The PC(USA) has taken this approach with tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and pornography along with for-profit prisons industries. Because of the grave and urgent threat of climate change and the fossil fuel sector’s well-documented and unyielding refusal to change, it is no longer morally or ethically right for the PC(USA) to profit from companies that are creating ecological destruction and human suffering on such a monumental scale. Climate change degrades all of God’s creation. It disproportionately impacts those living in poverty and in the least developed countries; the elderly and children; and those least responsible for the emissions of greenhouse gases. The fossil fuel industry has known about these impacts, from its own research, since the late 1970’s. In re-

sponse, it has used its enormous political and financial power to fund the climate skeptic movement, to prevent climate change legislation from passage in the US Congress through its lobbying efforts, and continues to receive billions in government subsidies while spending billions searching for new sources of fossil fuels that we can’t afford to burn. This is not an industry that is demonstrating an intention to change at anything approaching the scale needed to create a livable future. The time to engage with the industry, the time to wait for them to change incrementally, is up. PC(USA) must continue to press for climate change legislation, to conserve energy and reduce our carbon footprints. These actions are already PC(USA) policy, but they are not enough. We urge the PC(USA) to divest from our holdings of fossil fuels. We are aware that many of our members are themselves caught up in the fossil fuel industry. We have jobs there, we have financial investments there, we support our congregations with dollars that are not green, and we ourselves are complicit in the use of fossil fuels every single day. Our practice of confessing our sin with one another is the first step toward meaningful change. We have seen the church offer a witness that is both prophetic and pastoral in similar circumstances. We can take the lead in extending a moral call to imagine a different future, while simultaneously working to develop communities of faith that explore the practical use of alternative energy. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be also” (Matthew 6:21). Because we believe in a just and loving Creator, and God’s creation is at critical risk, we urge you to be a prophetic assembly by supporting and voting in favor of divestment. We remain faithfully yours in the service of Jesus Christ. Harriet Nelson, moderator, 196th General Assembly John Fife, moderator, 204th General Assembly Fahed Abu-Akel, moderator, 214th General Assembly Susan Andrews, moderator, 215th General Assembly Rick Ufford-Chase, moderator, 216th General Assembly Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator 218th General Assembly Heath Rada, moderator 221st General Assembly Denise Anderson, co-moderator 222nd General Assembly

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ON THIS DATE IN SAINT LOUIS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HISTORY

1900 For its first General Assembly of the 1900s, the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. chose to meet in St. Louis, and the burgeoning new century was very much on attendees’ minds. A year before, the assembly had appointed a Committee on the Celebration of the Twentieth Century, moved by “our gratitude for the mercies of the past and our consecration to the opportunities of the future.” In addition to designating a week of thanksgiving and prayer in January 1901 and planning a public celebration at the following assembly, commissioners in St. Louis established the Twentieth Century Fund to raise money for Presbyterian educational institutions, missionary efforts, church buildings, and the general work of Presbyterian boards. The committee appointed to oversee the fund, initially set at six

ministers and five elders, was expanded to 31 members to aid the national campaign. Although the effort fell short of its $20 million goal, the Fund did raise $12.5 million through 1903. The day-long celebration of the new century took place inside Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, as part of the 1901 GA. —Nancy J. Taylor, Director of Programs and Services

Kindom building for the 21st Century.

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Covenant Network celebrates 20th anniversary

Still more work to do, says group dedicated to fuller inclusion of all by Eleanor Ferguson ST. LOUIS — Guests of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians’ 20th anniversary luncheon recognized former General Assembly Moderator Susan Andrews, Executive Director Alex McNeil of More Light Presbyterians, and former and current board members of the Covenant Network. The group was created in 1998 to work for the full inclusion of all Presbyterians in the life of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), particularly as ordained church officers. Later, the group also worked on behalf of rights of same-gender couples to marry. The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, a board member who was General Assembly stated clerk when the group started, said, “We should be glad we’re not the main item of business,” referring to the fiery General Assembly debates over LGBTQ ordination and same-gender marriage. Kirkpatrick said he wants “religious liberty that is truly religious liberty, not a license to discriminate.” The recently adopted Belhar Confession, he added, “has never been

needed more than it’s needed now.” The Rev. Patty Snyder, pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge, announced network plans to engage the church in “covenant conversations” intended to “meet people where they are” and to “walk alongside folks who are feeling the early nudgings of the spirit.” The first covenant conversation about how to continue to move the PC(USA) toward greater inclusivity will be in Boise, and the next, Snyder said, “might be in your presbytery.” The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, II, General Assembly stated clerk, told the celebrants that “we have a chance, a significant chance, after all these years of fighting … to take a leap, and make a big stand. …of making a tent that is big enough for all God’s children.” Nelson thanked Presbyterians for “not letting the church off the hook … continuing to open the eyes of those that need to see.” He said he is “convinced that when we get to see God, we’ll get to say we did our best to try to make the river’s water broader.”

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Veronica Goines, vice-moderator, and Cynthia Jarvis, moderator of the Assembly Committee on the Way Forward. (Photo by Michael Whitman)

Way Forward Committee tackles controversial reports Commission, PMAB clash on several proposals by Mike Ferguson ST. LOUIS — As it wrestles with reports from The Way Forward Commission and the All Agency Review Committee that propose significant changes in the way national church agencies relate to each other and with mid councils and congregations, the General Assembly’s Way Forward Committee also heard from people Monday who want more or less than those reports call for. Jo Stewart, a member of The Way Forward Commission, said the commission’s recommendations “fall short of what the church needs today.” Block out the rhetoric they’re hearing — even hers, she suggested to committee members — and “think about how (the recommendations) meet the changing needs of congregations.” The Rev. Sue Krummel, Presbytery of Chicago’s executive presbyter, compared the current power dynamic to four siblings living in the same building — but one, the Presbyterian Mission Agency, owns the building, and other pay that sibling rent for some of the services they receive. “What is the right way for this family to move forward and manage the business side so that we can spread the gospel,” she said. “Find a way to make power consultative and broad,” said the Rev. Jan DeVries, general presbyter of Grace Presbytery. She said the committee should recommend the General Assembly delay implementation “to give (stated clerk) J. Herbert Nelson, II and (Presbyterian Mission Agency president and executive director) Diane Moffett time to build a relationship. Challenge them to bring back a collaborative model,” including consultations for mid councils and proposals on distributing per capita funds — and “identify the core values of how we govern and communicate.” As they did during Sunday’s plenary, members of All Agency and The Way Forward laid out their proposals

and answered questions, clearing up such committee queries as “What is the A Corp.,” the corporate entity of the Presbyterian Church (USA) that dates back more than two centuries. The Way Forward’s proposal is to reduce the size of the A Corporation while increasing the breadth of its representation. Currently, the membership of the A Corporation and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board is the same. “Our proposal is about freeing the mission agency to do mission in the 21st century,” said Jim Wilson, an All Agency Review Committee member, “and we vitally need that.” The co-chairs of the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Governance Task Force, Melinda Sanders and Conrad Rocha, asked the committee to remove two proposals currently before it: the task force’s own request for permission to divide the A Corporation into two corporations, and The Way Forward Commission’s and All Agency Review Committee’s recommendations that the General Assembly alter the A Corporation’s board composition and create a Moving Forward Implementation Commission to ensure compliance with and implementation of whatever reform action the General Assembly takes. “This is not a power play on the part of the PMA board,” Rocha said. “Rather, it’s a sincere and honest desire to have the tools to do the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.” According to Rocha, The Way Forward/All Agency proposal would populate the A Corporation with people nominated by the denomination’s six agencies and not the general church population, and “that’s inconsistent with our polity and church theology,” he said. “That should give us all pause.” The committee took no action Monday on the proposals put forth by The Way Forward Commission, All Agency Review Committee, or the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

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Committee approves guide to just compensation for ministers

Document includes comment addressing gender disparity by Eva Stimson

David Gambrell of Theology, Formation and Evangelism Ministries introduces new Presbyterian Publishing Corporation resources. (Photo by Danny Bolin)

A bountiful buffet of books

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation dishes up new resources at breakfast by Erin Cox-Holmes ST. LOUIS — Are you looking for a great new book to help a child who is experiencing bullying? How about a confirmation curriculum big enough for the faith questions of youth? Does the worship liturgy seem rather stodgy and stale? There’s a resource for that. David Dobson, associate publisher for Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, served up a gourmet buffet of new publications at the PPC Breakfast on Monday as part of the meeting of the 223rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Highlights include the new Book of Common Worship. For history buffs, the first BCW was published in 1906, with Henry Van Dyke — of “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” fame — as the editor. It’s been refreshed every 25 to 30 years. The new edition features shorter, simpler services, as well as resources that reflect changing mission and society. The new worship resources are available in print and electronic formats. “We’re also thrilled to introduce Connections,” said David Gambrell, associate for worship in the Office of

Theology and Worship of the PC(USA). The nine-volume lectionary-based series will provide fresh connections between the texts of the Bible, current culture and the sermon. “You asked for confirmation curriculum to be meaningful and relevant,” Meg Rift, associate for curriculum development, said via video. “And here it is: Big God, Big Questions.” The new approach places the confirmation process in the center of the life of the congregation. Youth encounter the big questions that they must answer to be confirmed into the Christian faith and prepare to give their big answers. “It’s a high expectation curriculum — of everyone,” Rift said. Younger readers are also included in this feast of new books. Flyaway Books (www.flyawaybooks.com) is the new imprint for children’s books. Flyaway focuses on themes of diversity, inclusion, self-esteem, kindness, compassion and care for our world. The books by world-class authors feature breathtaking multicultural illustrations that will help kids deal with tough issues.

Today at GA • Bible study, led by Raj Nadella, 8:30 a.m. • Assembly Committee meetings, 9:30 a.m. • Presbyterian Historical Society lunch, noon • Public Witness March and teach-in, 3:00 p.m. • Witherspoon Dance, 9:00 p.m.

ST. LOUIS — A guide to just compensation for ministers was approved unanimously Monday by Assembly Committee 13 of GA223. Living by the Gospel: A Guide to Structuring Ministers’ Terms of Call was prepared by the Board of Pensions (BOP) for mid-councils, committees on ministry and preparation for ministry, search committees and congregations. Committee 13 is addressing items of business involving four of the six national agencies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): the BOP, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program (PILP), Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) and the Presbyterian Foundation. Included in the document is a strategy to address the growing number of small churches that can’t afford pastors and ministers ordained to calls that do not provide BOP benefits. It offers substantially reduced dues for pastors under 40 who have not previously been

enrolled in the benefits plan and who are called by a congregation of 150 or fewer members that has not had an installed pastor in the past two years. This makes sense for “ecclesiastical and economic reasons” alike, said John McFayden, executive vice president and chief of church engagement for the BOP. “It encourages development of leaders who will provide many years of seasoned leadership in the church.” The focus on younger members reflects the lower cost of providing benefits to this group, he added. “Economically, it just works.” Living by the Gospel notes that, over the past 10 years, more women have been ordained than men, but men have received benefits at a far higher rate. To address gender disparity, Committee 13 also approved a comment urging presbytery committees on ministry to study and adopt the theology of benefits included in Living by the Gospel.

Members of Assembly Committee 13 discuss just compensation proposal. (Danny Bolin)

Kindom building for the 21st Century.

A little GA silliness is good for the soul

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Full Display from p. 1

Yukon Presbytery commissioner pens a poem by the Rev. Matt Schultz, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Anchorage, Alaska I am the very model of a modern Presbyterian. My mastery of language has been rated near-Shakespearian. My worship style is orthodox, eschewing the heretical. My preaching’s not exciting but at least it’s exegetical. My 3-point sermons never leave a point that’s unattributed. And my communion elements are properly distributed. All hymns composed since 1800 I consider “recently.” I never make a motion out of order or indecently. I’ve walked with silent patience in a hundred robed processionals. I call the church connectional and also quite confessional. In short, in things pertaining to ecclesial criterion I am the very model of a modern Presbyterian We often hold a modern major General Asemble-y And it is as dysfunctional as any modern family. Our polity is lib’rally conservative sectarian. The breadth of our perspectives makes us quasi-Unitarian. My capital campaigning raises funds for the facility. My pleas to raise attendance have the flavor of futility. And though I’m anti-sexist to the best of my ability, I think that my tall steeple is a symbol of virility My youth group is outnumbered by my surly centenarians. I cite the Greek and Hebrew to impress the Seminarians. In short, in things pertaining to ecclesial criterion I am the very model of a modern Presbyterian.

An exhibit hall visitor helps put the finishing touches on a rendering of the PC(USA) seal. (Photo by Michael Whitman)

Global Marketplace Partners. These partners are excellent sources of responsibly made products. Purchases from the partners benefit not only the people who use and enjoy the items, but the people around the world who make them and desire to live in dignity rather than poverty. Rahab’s Rope, one of the vendors in the Global Marketplace, was created to spread awareness and to help eradicate sex trafficking. Funds from items sold during GA help the organization provide education and vocational training to those who are at risk or have been forced into the sex trade. Partners for Just Trade, another Global Marketplace vendor, was

birthed from the Joining Hands Network and the Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery. Many of their products are made by Joining Hands partners in Peru, Cambodia and Haiti. “This is a way for the family to teach the family what tools and resources are available to them through the church,” Yeager-Buckley said. “And while it’s not every resource in the church, it is a great representation not only of printed and digital materials, it also allows individuals to find out what people resources are available. The exhibit hall allows for people to forge relationships not only with the national staff but with Presbyterians from across the country.”

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