General Assembly committee leaders collect on the Presbyterian Center for coaching and for enjoyable

LOUISVILLE — Seventy-three General Assembly committee leaders are on the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky by Wednesday for teaching, cooperating and camaraderie forward of the net management they may present throughout committee work of the 227^th General Assembly June 22-24.

The Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226^th General Assembly, welcomed the leaders to the Presbyterian Center, saying he and fellow Co-Moderator the Rev. CeCe Armstrong “have been traveling amongst you. We’ve seen things we don’t think we should keep to ourselves.”

Those sightings embody a four-year-old boy at a church in Puerto Rico “strumming a guitar like he owned the place, because he does,” Larson mentioned. The Co-Moderators have seen congregations of 10 folks or fewer “shift their ministry in bold and sacrificial and innovative ways.” They witnessed teenagers and younger adults gathered for Presbyterian Youth Triennium final yr, “reminding the rest of us the Holy Spirit does not retire.”

“We met with ecumenical partners in Peru and occupied Palestine who shared that our prayers are sustaining them,” Larson mentioned. “They feel our hands underneath theirs.”

“Friends, I know something of the cost that it takes to do this work,” Larson instructed committee leaders. “I know some of you are feeling the magnitude of the weight of what you’ve agreed to do.”

What is General Assembly?

The Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and Executive Director of Presbyterian Life & Witness, turned to the Book of Order, which describes the councils of the church,  “a sign of the unity of the church in its mutual connection,” Oh mentioned.

“Like all councils of the church, the General Assembly is an expression of that unity,” Oh mentioned. “We gather in councils beyond the congregation and with those beyond the church to share in the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

A handful of the overtures that committees will think about “may be on the minutia of how we live together and sometimes don’t live together,” Oh mentioned. “All those decisions help us think about the ways we nurture and guide and govern the whole church and equip the church to give glory to God in its witness. Sometimes minutia matters.”

“Some policies and statements — the way we think about how the church is being reformed at this time — is the way we act together in this time, and continue to listen to the Spirit in this time,” Oh mentioned. “We gather in councils because we have this big thing about communal discernment.”

“We’re human,” she mentioned, “and we are unable to discern God’s will for us individually.” She known as communal discernment “how we see and hear and feel more clearly the leading of the Spirit.”

“It’s not just the end that matters. It’s the process that matters, especially for you on committee leadership teams,” Oh mentioned. “Did we listen for all the ways the Spirit is guiding us? That’s why the process of the meeting matters. As leaders, you are being asked to attend to that process — to watch for people whose voice is being left out. All the ways we do that matters.”

Oh requested these current to share what they really feel about General Assembly and the lifetime of the church.

“It’s an aspirational gathering,” mentioned one, “that encourages folks to keep on keeping on.”

“People see and hear things they’ve never seen or heard before,” mentioned one other, “and sometimes it changes their mind.”

A General Assembly dwelling construct

Given a paper bag stuffed with constructing supplies together with modeling dough and chenille and craft sticks, committee leaders broke into small teams to design, from the muse up, their General Assembly dwelling. They got some steering, together with making certain that everybody can absolutely take part and be heard within the house and anticipating  who may wrestle to be heard. Small teams reported on their creations.

One group constructed a boathouse, accessible by dock, canoe or inflatable.

Another dwelling had see-through partitions, with a ramp up to make sure accessibility.

A 3rd group thought to construct a break room, for many who wanted a break throughout proceedings.

A fourth mentioned its creation “is a little messy but is still standing, like the church.” An open roof was included “to make sure everybody can get to Jesus.”

One group created a gender-neutral outhouse. “It’s where you get your business done,” a bunch member defined.

“Please don’t leave this room without seeing our structure,” one group member implored. “It will bless your life.”

General Assembly Jeopardy!

Martha Miller, Manager of Ministry Education and Support, did her finest Alex Trebek impersonation main an interactive and enjoyable session of General Assembly Jeopardy! “It’s going to be kind of free-flowing,” Miller instructed the leaders within the room.

The 5 classes had been “Arms of the Assembly,” “The Body’s Many Parts,” “Guiding ‘Principals,’” “Voices at the Table” and “Order in the Assembly.”

Among the 25 solutions and their questions: “Expert, policy-focused counsel versus giving voice to underrepresented groups, monitoring church policy for justice, and mobilizing action.” What is the distinction between advisory our bodies and advocacy our bodies?

“The PC(USA) body that reflects the conviction that authority flows from the whole church, not an entrenched leadership.” What is the General Assembly?

“Those who, by nature of their office, are identified and have the ability to speak to items of business on the floor of the Assembly and within committees.” Who are corresponding members?

“The elected body that advises the General Assembly on matters related to interpretation and amendment of the Constitution.” What is the Advisory Committee on the Constitution?

Committee leaders concluded their time collectively Monday with worship. They’ll regather on the Presbyterian Center Tuesday morning.