GA Saturday June 21

This image has been "taken without payment" from Bob Davis' GA blog (http://presbyblog.com/current/blogindex.html#062408apost)  If Bob becomes concerned about copyright infringement I'll attempt to pay him off with items stuffed in my GA mailbox.  

I'm writing this at midnight following a long day of meetings and orientation and the first major action oft he Assembly. The following thoughts are mine and mine alone. I am not writing on behalf of the other delegates, other members of the Presbytery of Central Washington, or the Presbytery executive. I knew there would be challenging and difficult votes during this week at General Assembly. Once again, let me remind you, I am speaking on my behalf as I share my feelings and thoughts at this point. The first two sessions were orientation sessions. The third session of the day focused on the election of the moderator of the PCUSA (Presbyterian Church USA) for the next two years. The moderator represents the PCUSA in various settings and travels the country and world to speak for, and be the face of, the church. The first vote, the vote for Moderator, troubled and to a certain extent, surprised me. Not that I ultimately thought the decision would be different than the final outcome but that the decision was made so quickly. This surprised me because the four candidates were very clear in stating their opinions. Three of the four candidates communicated their strong disagreement with the current standards for ordination to leadership within the church regarding alternative sexual lifestyles. They believed that the church should welcome all who have gifts for ministry even if their sexual life does not conform to the standards agreed upon by the church in recent years and over the past 200+ years. All three did state they would abide by the current definitions and restrictions but would like to see the church change. The question that needed to be asked of all four was, "With the positions you hold please tell us about your understanding of the authority of the Bible for your life and faith." This question was about to be asked but time ran out. (I believe that sexuality is not the central issue that divides those within the PCUSA. The issue at the core, as I see it, is a significant difference in how a person understands the role of the Bible in instructing and leading our life and the life of the church. All four candidate presented themselves well. The candidate who led the voting from the beginning (Bruce Reyes-Chow) was very energetic, passionate and seems to be a sincere, dedicated Christian pastor and strong communicator. He is very open about his disagreement with the current ordination standards for pastors, elders and deacons within the Presbyterian Church USA. I appreciated his candor but was surprised that even though three of the four stated the same position the assembly didn't seem too concerned about their position on this important issue. The Youth Advisory delegates and the Theological Student delegates both voted for Bruce on both of the ballots cast. Voting continues until one candidate has 51% of the overall vote. The second place candidate, Bill Teng, spoke graciously and kindly but was the only candidate to indicate that the current standards on ordination were the right standards for the church. After the first vote Bruce collected 48% of the vote (341 votes) while Bill received 35% of the votes (250). The second vote ended with Bruce receiving 390 votes (over the 51% mark) and Bill receiving 255 votes. It is a curious way to start the week. I wonder if other decisions that will have a huge impact on the future of the denomination will follow the same pattern as the vote for moderator. Others I've spoken to (who have seen this before) said not to get to worried at this point.

Keep praying,

In Christ,

Curt McFarland