Reflections on GA

Blogging took a backseat to the long days associated with the work of GA – reading and re-reading; praying and contemplating; communicating and sleeping. Despite the hours and the work required to be an effective “witness for the Kingdom” being at GA was an awesome experience. It provided an opportunity to gain in-depth familiarity with issues too often ignored in hopes that whatever is decided will neither directly impact the every day work of offering hope through Jesus Christ, nor alter Biblical truths. Admittedly, there were occasions when I wondered if only to myself -- What would Jesus do? Would Jesus show up? No, not a look-alike (and there was a person who resembled the well-recognized interpretations), but Jesus himself (or at least the Holy Spirit). While some may interpret the end result of this GA as the democratic process of Presbyterian polity, I do believe first-hand I caught a glimpse of the power of the Holy Spirit to emerge and resolve some diverse opinions (if only for a time – the next GA – or possibly the one scheduled for Pittsburgh in 2012). Nevertheless, let me share my thoughts by reflecting on a few questions -- (1) What Jesus might say about GA in San Jose? I think He might re-tell the story of the woman at the well and how (John 4:23-24)…the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (2) What might we do to further the cause of peace (and reconciliation – humanity to humanity, humanity to God) in our world today? Even in the midst of GA, I was aware of the need to filter decisions made by the words of Christ reflected in Matthew 22:37-39…“ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself… The work of GA brought clarity to the fact that honoring God needed to be from the heart and not just the lips; not based on effective lobbying or consultations, but by conviction of the Spirit. Reliance on human wisdom, understanding, and plans could lead to destruction; it may even be hypocritical to faith. (3) What is our calling to “do justice” in this time -- in our denomination, nation, and in the world? It is evident that the diversity of the denomination, the nation, and the world requires finding a way to live in harmony, sharing and caring, for one another, the land; and all that is created by God. GA Advisory Delegates (YADs, TSADs, MADs, EADs) sometimes reminded Commissioners of the calling to “do justice”… living like the people of God, with good sense, making every minute count being of utmost importance. The result of many GA actions reflects the Holy Spirit’s ability to confirm a desire for justice, now and in time (when all are on one accord). (4) What about controversial issues? I am mindful that Jesus Christ the Son of the living God… in Matthew 16:18-19 declared that the (true) Church will live… “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” …we have been given the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven… I will probably continue to ponder that passage in light of GA. However in reality, I cannot begin to speculate on the future resolution of the controversial issues that face the denomination, many apparently circulating around whom God might call (translated at the GA level into issues around confession, ordination, sexuality, and marriage). IN CONCLUSION -- GA is over. It is now time for this Presbytery and congregations to review the results and actions; to act on the resolutions (just passed and those from the past that are still applicable). I only pray that God’s Will shall be done. For, I am reminded that God will one day hold us accountable, each according to our call to serve. Jermaine McKinley, Minister Commissioner GA 2008.

Saturday Wrapup

The worship service was led by the First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu. Rev. Chun was a dynamic preacher - his message focused on humility. I am always amazed how the Spirit speaks; as I was reviewing the rolled up budget numbers earlier to be presented at the final business session, I had jotted down thoughts to express as we are challenged to fund the new mission initiatives approved during the week. Those thoughts were of our need for humbleness if we, the PCUSA, are to be seen as Christ's church attracting people to worship and serve Christ with and through the PCUSA.

Following worship we moved into our final business session. On behalf of the Mission Coordination and Budgets Committee, I presented the new budget with significant new funding planned for mission work. It was approved on voice vote. The "script" provide to me recognized that the General AssemblyMission Council may make "necessary adjustments" to the approved mission budget if giving is insufficient to cover planned mission activities. Concern for a shortfall is apparent and, as we say many times within our own congregations at budget time, we need faith to succeed.

I was invited to share my personal view of our challenge with the assembly. It goes as this:

We have too much fear and too little faith. We fear that if we seek justice it will be more difficult to attract others to our church and to give. We fear that if we show kindness to all it will be more difficult to attract others to our church and to give. We must consider Micah 6:8 as one unified requirement - we must do and seek justice with humility and not with pride, self righteousness and arrogance; we must love and show kindness with humbleness yet with boldness not withdrawing timidly; and our humility will be known. Consider the Good Samaritan - he gave of himself and just did justice rather that telling those with power who passed by of their failures and demanding their action and the Good Samaritan was not timid, showing kindness, not only by helping directly, but also by being willing to be associated with the one in need as he maintained a relationship beyond immediate care. If we can overcome pride and arrogance in seeking justice and overcome timidity in loving and offering kindness, I believe that the PCUSA can see a new era with individuals drawn to this denomination as true to Jesus Christ and with old and new members committed to giving and tithing to advance the great ends of the church.

Blessings and Peace, Kears

Reflections

As I sit in San Jose airport anxiously awaiting my flight home, I reflect on the past 8 days.  I must confess that I am weary.  It is physically and emotionally challenging to spend between 12 and 14 hours a day debating weighty issues in the life of our church.  It has been challenging to me personally as I have explored my own position on these issues.  I have been blessed to spend the past 8 days with a group of wonderful commissioners from Pittsburgh Presbytery.  I think it is safe to say that between us, we most likely voted differently on many issues, yet we shared the bond of Christian love, broke bread as a group several times and nurtured each other throughout the week with coffee and candy!  Doug Portz was kind enough to break through the blockade of volunteers protecting the commissioners from others present in the auditorium to bring the Pittsburgh contingent of commissioners chocolate!  Thank you Doug!

I have received a number of inquiries as to whether I was having fun on my "vacation".  Fun is not the right word for my experience this week.  We have worked very hard as your commissioners trying to make sure we understood not only the actions that were brought before us this week, but also the implications.  The sheer volume of business that we acted upon this week is huge.  I am certain that there will be those at home (as I am sure there are those of us who participated) that will be unsettled by some of the decisions that were made this week.  I pray that we can all continue to keep the theme of this GA in mind as we work through our mutual understanding of how to apply or further study the actions taken this week.  That is, I hope we can all Do Justice, Love Kindness and Walk Humbly with our God as we continue to do God's work in Pittsburgh Presbytery.

I look forward to participating in future discussions with fellow Presbyters and congregations about this GA experience and what follow up is necessary.  I ask for your prayers for safe travel for all of my fellow commissioners as we make our way home to our families.  

Blessings

Carol

Testing Micah

It was an arduous day:Friday morning, afternoon and late into the night plenary debate on issues such as ordination examination, marriage, disunity, lobbying positions on war, boycotts, insurance, food, natural resource and environmental policy. My personally pained sense was that we severely tested the limits of our love for kindness and our willingness to walk humbly. Though floor amendments to apply goals to ourselves that support the objectives we urge upon others sometimes survived, I was particularly saddened to hear arguments that we shouldn't urge our own members to give up one meal per week and give the extra money to fight hunger or that it would be difficult to impose our will upon Presbyterian related colleges and universities to pay equitable wages because the PCUSA does not control them.

Close to midnight we finished the last overture consideration and closed with a beautiful prayer from one of our young delegates. One more meeting for my committee - we met to review and approve for recommendation to the full Assembly on Saturday morning (today) a new budget with increased financial commitment to the mission of spreading the Good News by word and action. We will urge upon all throughout the length and breadth of the land a message of hope to be backed by faithful stewardship to achieve this budget.

Peace - Kears

Plenary Meetings

Yesterday morning was spent with the others of our committee leadership writing our committee report and working with the support team to insure that PC Biz contained all the correct information for access by the full General Assembly. The hidden staff of volunteers supporting the GA is impressive. Report finished , we met with the GA Moderator and platform manager - we are to report late today or tomorrow to the full assembly. I thought I might get a nap before the first full General Assembly meeting but my cell phone rang as I walked back toward my hotel. "Come back early in suit and tie in time to meet with the financial staff tracking the financial impact of matters that are to be considered - be prepared for a report at the beginning of the plenary session."

With the GA in plenary sessions in the afternoon and evening our committee report was called, rescheduled by motion and rescheduled again and again continuing into this morning when we actually started to present and were again escorted from the stage to present after lunch and then rescheduled by motion to allow presentation of the FOG recommendation first. Well, this is my very personal view of the mechanics of process, but the work of the full GA was progressing throughout. We engaged in thoughtful debate on the overture respecting interfaith relations and the GA adopted a statement that is true to our belief in one triune God, respects that those who have differing understandings are alone those who can express their understandings (and we must be sensitive not to assert what "they believe") and yet find common ground for true interfaith dialog. We also dealt with the question of translation of the Heidelberg Confession, an overture of concurrance for Pittsburgh Presbytery.

Finally, the Mission Coordination and Budgets Committee reported its recommendations. Rev. Sevier and I had the joy of sharing the presentations of the recommendations with the recommendations grouped into four overall themes: Commitment to Mission, Organization & Stewardship Obligation to Support Mission, Review of Mission Stewardship Effectiveness and Maintaining Our Historic Trust Relationships. With the exception of adding a special PCUSA-wide offering for mission, all recommendations were adopted. Most significant in my view are two: Expanding Partnership in God's Mission (an increase in mission workers in the field for the first time in fifty years) and the establishment of a means to review and resolve ambiguities respecting restricted funds and donor wishes that maintains appropriate checks and balances between the role of protecting assets and that of spending to carry out mission.

Peace, Kears

2 1/2 Days in Committee

The Form of Government (FOG) Committee met for two and a half days, and I am happy to report that we ended our deliberations last night (Tuesday) at 10:30!  These are long, hard days, but I have been blessed to have my eyes open as to the wide diversity of our church and its representatives here in San Jose.  We decided to refer the FOG report to yet another task force to chew on our thoughts, comments and recommendations so that they can in turn develop a new improved version to share with the Presbyteries and congregations, hopefully with sufficient time for them to study it prior to coming back to the next GA.  There is a lot of good work and new ideas in the FOG report, we just need to give people time to study and review it so that there is trust in the process.

Yesterday I met Rev. Joey Lee, who is Executive Presbyter of the San Jose Presbytery(SJP).  The SJP allocated all of the GA Commissioners as prayer partners.  I received a letter from Joey before leaving for San Jose that explained that he would be praying for ME, personally during GA.  I tracked Joey down to tell him how much this meant to me and we struck up an immediate friendship.  This is just one of the spiritual connections I have made while here.  Thanks be to God!

We have the morning to study the actions of other committees before we reconvene this afternoon in plenary session.  As a banker by day, I am not used to working this hard for our Lord on a daily basis and it makes me appreciate those who do, such as our pastors and those who work in our churches and Presbytery!

Have a blessed day

Carol Hunley, Elder from Southminster, Chair of Council 

Maintaining an Historic Trust

Expecting to have a busy day, I arrived early to the committee room. One other member was early as well. a quietly distinguished, white haired southern gentleman from Louisana, who had been one of the volunteers to do extra work for the committee. I thanked him again for his extra work and asked him what most affected him before coming. He told me of a teen who needs our prayers as he is now being mentored and surrounded by caring individuals after having experienced the effects of taunting, beating, being blamed as the sole perpetrator of violence and being convicted without due process of malicious crime. As my new friend acknowledged with humbleness, he was the intervening lawyer to appeal the adult conviction in the Jena Six case (and the modern equal of Gregory Peck in "To Kill a Mockingbird"). His full focus now is to help one young man grow up strong in faith and capability.

When the subject of managing different views on how best to further mission while protecting the integrity of restricted and designated giving, both the Foundation and the General Assembly Council (GAC is the mission agency) presented proposals. After moving these mutually inconsistent proposals as well as one initiated within the committee to the floor of the committee, we had to consider if we would endorse the originally referred proposal or replace it with any one of three substitute motions. What an opportunity to test Roberts Rules - I handed the gavel to my Vice Moderator! We moved into quasi committee of the whole and with 60 members working cooperatively together (though necessarily disrupting planned dinners with an extra evening session) the committee fashioned a good substitute from the committee members' motion. We exited to normal debate, voted to perfect the original referral, perfected the good substitute, replaced the original, struck the remaining two sproposed substitutes and rose to sing the doxology with enthusiasm. That's exciting - then we passed the new recommendation without a single vote against it. Before passing the recommendation, both the Foundation and the GAC agreed that this approach will keep the faith with both mission and with donors and our own John Matta representing the Constitution Advisory Committee advised that this new approach satisfies constitutional requirements.

We celebrated a time of worship together and departed from our confining home of two full days at some late hour - too tired to check and perhaps suffering a bit of Stockholm Syndrome.- Blessings - Kears

A Day in Committee

Mission Coordination and Budgets began with a brief worship time and then in good Presbyterian order adopted its agenda and received the past two years of GA Council and agency minnutes (special thanks to the four members who read them in advance) and the audit reports covering OGA and GA Council. Our first big item was to consider the work of the mission consultation group held earlier in Dallas. The committee unanimously endorsed the "Invitation to Expanding Partnership in God's Mission" and then in an act of individual and combined support used the full text as a litany of commitment. We also advanced to the floor of the Assembly a call for a season of interpretation for mission (going into all the world) and for a new churchwide offering to support added mission workers in the field. We heard from our headquarters staff that if the matters that were advanced by committee are adopted the PCUSA for the first time in fifty years will be increasing the number of mission workers - what a testament to the will of our church and what faith that it can be accomplished!

Before our evening committee meeting we had an inspiring and challenging message in evening worship - to seek those places and times where we can experience our faith in both the simple and the profound.

Our committee leadership is working late tonight, hoping that the differences over the resolution of ambiguities and expired purposes in past designated and restricted giving can be resolved in a unified way before the committee takes up this issue tomorrow.

Hopeand Peace, Kears

Mixed Emotions

Greetings all

Now that Kears has walked me through how to post to this blog, I will try to relay a summary of my experience to all of you at home.  I arrived on Friday in order to attend the Racial Awareness Training that afternoon and then an overview of the Form of Government proposal (I am on this committee, aptly named the "FOG" committee) that evening.  Both of these sessions were great.  Saturday was a full day of business meetings which culminated in our election of a new moderator, Bruce Reyes-Chow, as described already by Kears in his post.  I am excited by his energy and passion for our church and I am looking forward to the right opportunity to introduce myself and speak with him personally.

Worship yesterday was awesome.  My mother-in-law is here with me.  She is Roman Catholic and accompanied me to worship Sunday morning.  Fortunately we ran into Don Dilley who sat next to Mom and explained all of the details of the service, including that she was welcome to partake in communion as a fellow believer - that was special.  Mom commented that this service was even more beautiful that the latin mass we had attended at the Vatican last year when visiting my daughter in Rome.  There is nothing like sharing an intimate, spiritual experience like that with literally thousands of fellow Presbyterians (and perhaps a few other believers, like Mom!).  I was also amazed that worship was scheduled for 2 hours and by gosh it ended in exactly two hours (that is a jab meant for my pastor!).

The first meeting of our committee - FOG - was last night at 7:30.  We didn't adjourn until close to 10:00 (that is 1AM your time!).  Then it was back to work this morning at 9:30 for a full day.  Clara, one of our youth advisory delegates led us in "prayer" to start our day - she led us in an African song, complete with bongos, Which we sang and then hummed as she read a psalm in English while one of her fellow YADs from Puerto Rico read the same passage simultaneously in Spanish!  Wow!  It is wonderful to have the young people here with us and I am thankful that Megan Reith is here with the Pittsburgh contingent.

The mixed emotions come in because it warms my heart to experience such love and faith among my fellow Presbyterians, but then it is likewise frustrating and disappointing to see evidence of mistrust among these same wonderful people!  Maybe we need a committee to study the source of our mistrust!  

All in all, this has been a wonderful experience, although a bit tiring!  I am honored to be here representing my fellow Presbyterians in Pittsburgh Presbytery.  Thank you for that honor.

More to come now that I have the technology figured out....

Blessings

Carol Hunley 

Mission Coordination and Budget

Following an afternoon plenary session and commissioners dinner our committee had its first full meeting. We began with prayer and a short worship time led by Rev. Melissa Sevier (Vice Mod) and then spent 45 minutes of sharing time to get to know one another (often proving that we are connected by fewer than 6 degrees of separation). Observers then joined us and we began our more formal business activities. We recognized the four volunteers who have spared the rest of the committee from reading two years of GAC and various standing committee and task team minutes and the audit reports for the period since the last GA.
The leadership of the GAC (Linda Valentine and Curtis Kearns) described the organization and mission areas of the PCUSA and we viewed a video illustrating several examples of mission work. Our own Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community was featured in the video as one example of newchurch development. We then reviewed the logistics and process for our business meetings and closed with prayer at 9:45
Peace, Kears

Opening Worship

Our Call to Worship began,"On this blessed day in San Jose..." and indeed it is. The short walk through the park to the Art Deco Civic Auditorium was lighted by a blue sky, cooled by a pleasant breeze and brightened by the flowering branches overhead. The music was uplifting and beautiful with a choir drawn from the churches of three California Presbyteries, orchestra and organ. The sermon by outgoing Moderator Joan Gray challenged the divisiveness we Presbyterians experience and allow to harden into dislike, distrust and disunity. It was Christ who commanded us to do what is humanly impossible - to love one another as he has loved us - if we are to be Christ's followers we must seek His help and do as He commands. Communion was shared in a spirit of great fellowship. Recognition and commissioning of mission workers and military chaplains followed with one recognized, retiring mission worker being Re. Dr. Joanne Brown, a member of Pittsburgh Presbytery who served in Africa (Lesotho and Madagascar).

More work this afternoon preparing for committee and our first full committee meetings tonight - I had a partial committee meeting yesterday to review GAC and OGA audits in anticipation of their full committee receipt tomorrow.

Peace, Kears

GA 218 Moderator

Rev.Bruce Reyes-Chow has been elected and installed as Moderator of General Assembly. He represents a new generation of leadership and reminds me greatly of the several new ministers that I have had the opportunity to meet as they have been received as candidates and ordained in our own Presbytery - there is clearly a new wind of fire in the church evidenced by young pastors whose lives have been turned to Christ in dramatic fashion folllowed by their sensing a call to full time ministry. We are witnessing new church development advancing with these Christ driven new ministers. Bruce who has visited Pittsburgh and is, I sense, one of the "club' of new ministers reaching out to those who might never be willing to enter the open doors of churches that look like traditional churches and he is currently reaching the otherwise unchurched in Mission Bay,CA. Like many of these young outgoing and aggressively hopeful ministers of our church's future ,Bruce is a sports nut, rides a motorcycle is a techie comfortable with being on Facebook and can be found online at http://www.mod.reyeschow.com/.

I loved two things in particular that I observed in the election process and the installation service that followed the election.

First, each of the four candidates told me how greatly their own faith grew as they travelled with and talked with the other three over the past few months.

Second, I enjoyed watching the second of Bruce's three daughters sing the hymn before his constitutional questioning as she proudly stood in front of her Dad (I wish he could have seen her enthusiasm and pride).

Blessings, Kears

ORIENTATION AND ELECTION

Today was mostly spent in orientation of commissioners - lots of good information by people excited about the PC(USA). We were cool inside while temps rose to 103 outside - there is supposed to be a break tomorrow.

We had some computer system glitches this morning and afternoon that has slowed the work a little - like the man said, to err is human, to really foul things up it takes a computer.

I'll let Kears tell you who was elected Moderator. It took two votes

Don

2008 General Assembly A Powerful Spirit Filled Experience

Hi--My Name is Elder Robert H. Wright,Jr and I am an Elder Commissioner from Pittsburgh Presbytery. My home church is thye Aspinwall Presbyterian Church which is located in Aspinwall Pa. On Palm Sunday 1999, my church was destroyed by fire. But through the grace of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, we re-builded our church.

This is my first General Assembly. What a powerful Spirit filled experience this has been. I have met so many beautiful "Children" of God. This is indeed a beautiful church. While there are some issues that I do not agree with, it is important to me that the powerful WORD of God be preached and proclaimed.

In the days ahead, I hope to share more of my feelings and observations. In the meantime, Please keep me and my fellow commissioners in your daily thoughts and prayers. Also, please uplift our pastors, lay leaders, and congregations(local, national, and global) in your days thoughts in prayers.

Elder Robert H. Wright, Jr

Getting Started in San Jose

Still on EDT time I had no trouble being at the registration desk when it opened. I toured the convention center to get a lay of the land and visited the Fair Trade Marketplace where the coffee from the independent small growers was strong and good, the weavings, pottery and art objects beautiful and the message of mission impressive, especially that of entrepreneurship support through small loan programs and buying agreements.

I met with my committee vice moderator and resource person to share meeting venue logistics.

The afternoon session on confronting racism was deeply moving with several individuals sharing personal experiences ranging from hurts imposed to pain felt by some left out or disregarded and disrespected to the awaking to such realities by "recovering" racists. We also viewed the video "The House We Live In" showing how federal mortgage practices from the thirties New Deal and post WWII urban renewal projects had the effect of institutionalizing segregation by race. The workshop included table team sharing and the diversity of persons at my table led to instructive insights.

Dinner comprised more training and prep work for committee leadership as we worked to finalize meeting agenda and met with overture advocates to establish time allotments for their presentations to our full committee. We worked late trying to shoehorn the audit review in for the weekend before the work of the full committee begins.

Peace, Kears

Arrived at SanJose

Having spent most of yesterday in airplanes and airports (along with Larry Ruby) we arrived in San Jose about 8:30 last night (11:30 at home) and were greeted by wonderful hosts at the baggage claim area. They welcomed us at a special GA218 desk and organized our baggage by assigned hotel - quickly there were arrivals from many locations and we were bused to our hotels, where again we were welcomed at a GA218 desk sharing detailed logistical information. With no difficulty waking early by CA time this morning I reflect on the work of the many volunteers from congregations in the Synod here who aresmoothing the way for us. Iam reminded the promise we all have that the path will be made straight and pray that inthe substantive work of this GA that all will be open to the Spirit to sek and see the straight path of God's will for PCUSA.

Today will be busy. In addition to further review of materials for consideration (I still had to bring two very large binders of overtures, advocacy material and support information with me despite review and winnowing received stuff for the past month) I have a moderator/vice modeator update and training session, an all commissioner session on antiracism, a meeting with the leadership team of the Mission Coordination and Budget Committee which I will moderate and a hoped for opportunity to meet the candidates for GA Moderator.

Blessings and Peace, Kears

Mailbox and head filling up fast

If PAM group send me one more letter about their opposition to the nFOG I think I'll scream. I have received no less than 4 different letters from local, national, friends, etc. I have to say, they are well organized.
On another note my friend in CA reminds me that gay marriages begin 4 days before GA starts. She shared this web site with some local info http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9503004?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
Back to reading.
Don

My mailbox is Full

I am experiencing the deluge of mail that every commissioner must experience. Persons and organizations supporting and opposing overtures are aggressively lobbying their positions. It would be difficult to read everything I have received, much less analyze everything intellectually. I am thus grateful for Presbyterian theology and polity. I intend to prayfully read and listen to all who advocate but more importantly to prayerfully listen for the Spirit so that, while I may not know myself how I may vote on an issue yet to come, I can in good conscience have the peace and belief that my personal limitations of understanding can be overcome as Presbyterians meet and work together at GA to address many difficult matters.

The most appreciated communication I have received is a letter from a congregation in another Presbytery stating simply that their members would be praying for all commissioners throughout GA. Will you join them in their continuing prayers - we need them.

Peace, Kears Pollock

Social Justice Issues

I'm on the Social Justice Committee (#9) and we're looking at everything from nurturing partnerships with churches damaged by the 2005 storm, to US energy policy and global warming, to Creating a Climate for Change Within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Report to the 218th General Assembly, to urging use of non-disposable food service items. Looks like we're busy till about Tuesday night.
See you all there - by the way I'll have my cell phone with me 412-303-3291
Grace and peace
Don Ewing

Preparing to serve on a Committee

I spent four days last week in Louisville along with many others scheduled to serve as committee moderators, vice moderators, parlementarian-recorders, assistants and staff support personnel. I have been assigned to moderate Committee 08, Mission Coordination and Budgets and have discovered that we will have a very full agenda. Our small team spent considerable time and effort shoehorning the many items to be considered into the alloted committee meeting times and will be working with our full committee to hear advocates and others as we seek to discern God's will for the church on the matters before us when we all get to San Jose. I feel blessed to be working with the talented individuals who are assigned to this committee team: Rev. Melissa Sevier from Kentucky, Rev. Craig Howard from Wisconsin (and McCormick), Rev. Robert Conover from California and Dr. Beth Basham from Louisville. ---- Kears Pollock

Pittsburghers at GA 218

The purpose of this blog is to provide a journal for the Pittsburgh Presbytery commissioners to the 218th General Assembly to share their experiences, inspirations and blessings with the full "congregation" of Pittsburgh Presbytery. Each commissioner has access to add their own daily observations to this journal and visitors to the site are invited to comment.

We are deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve as commissioners and ask for your continuing prayers that each of us will be guided by and listening for the Holy Spirit throughout our participation in the work of the General Assembly.