Category Archives: General Assembly

Passage of Amendment 10-A

For a printable copy of this document, click here.

Dear Friends,

News travels fast. By now, many of you already know that Amendment 10-A, which proposed new language for ordination standards in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has been approved by a majority of presbyteries in our denomination. The new amendment will take effect July 10 of this year.

News travels fast. But sometimes, it doesn’t travel accurately. It’s important that we understand what has happened.

The provision that is currently in the Book of Order (G-6.0106b) is this: Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W–4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self–acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament.

The new language that will take effect on July 10 is this: Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G–1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G–14.0450) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W–4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.

In an article on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) news service website, Communications Coordinator Sharon Youngs writes, “The new provision reaffirms the long-held right and responsibility of ordaining bodies . . . to determine the suitability of each candidate for ordination. The effect of the new language also opens up the possibility that persons in same-gender relationships can be considered for ordination.” It is important to note, however, that each ordaining body (sessions for elders and deacons and presbyteries for ministers) is given the authority and responsibility to determine a person’s fitness for ordained service. In addition, each congregation continues to have both the privilege and the responsibility to determine whom it wished to call as pastor or associate pastor.

News travels fast. There are some who will find this to be good news. Others will consider it to be bad news. In the midst of such an emotional decision, there are bound to be people who identify themselves as either winners or losers. It is important that we hold one another in prayer, and that we hold our denomination in prayer. When we voted as a presbytery on this amendment in March, we refrained from cheering or jeering on the floor of assembly when the vote was announced. I pray that we will keep the same spirit among us and within us.

News travels fast. In response to this news, leaders in our denomination have issued a letter to all congregations of the PC(USA). Below is the full text of that letter, as well as a link to several resources that may help pastors, sessions and church members better understand and interpret this news.

Before I sign off this evening, I want to share with you the best news I heard today: We belong to God. In life and in death, and in all the circumstances of life, we belong to God. And we belong to one another. Thanks be to God for this blessed connection. And thanks be to God for the high calling to share this good news, in word and in deed, with everyone around us. I count it a privilege to be your colleague in this ministry.

Grace to you, and peace,
Susan C. McGhee

The Churchwide Letter from Gradye Parsons, Cynthia Bolbach, Linda Valentine and Landon Whitsitt:

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

May grace, mercy, and peace be yours in abundance (Jude 1:2).

The debate about ordination standards has been a Presbyterian family struggle for much of the last three decades. We have sought to find that place where every congregation and every member, deacon, elder, and minister of the Word and Sacrament can share their gifts in ministry while, at the same time, the integrity of every congregation, member, deacon, elder, and minister is respected.

This year, the conversation has focused on Amendment 10-A that was passed by the 219th General Assembly (2010) and sent to presbyteries for approval. While we wait for official tallies, it appears that 87 presbyteries have approved 10-A, which is the majority required for approval.

If this becomes official, the new language outlining the gifts and requirements for ordained service will say the following: “Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.”

This decision begins with an unequivocal affirmation that ordained office will continue to be rooted in each deacon, elder, and minister’s “joyful submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life.”

This action also has important effects on our life together as a church, namely:

in keeping with our historic principles of church order, each session and presbytery will continue to determine the suitability of individuals seeking ordination within its bounds.
persons in a same-gender relationship may be considered for ordination and/or installation as deacons, elders, and ministers of the Word and Sacrament within the PC(USA); and
all other churchwide standards for ordination remain unchanged.

Reactions to this change will span a wide spectrum. Some will rejoice, while others will weep. Those who rejoice will see the change as an action, long in coming, that makes the PC(USA) an inclusive church that recognizes and receives the gifts for ministry of all those who feel called to ordained office. Those who weep will consider this change one that compromises biblical authority and acquiesces to present culture. The feelings on both sides run deep.

However, as Presbyterians, we believe that the only way we will find God’s will for the church is by seeking it together – worshiping, praying, thinking, and serving alongside one another. We are neighbors and colleagues, friends and family. Most importantly, we are all children of God, saved and taught by Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
We hold to the strong affirmation that all of us are bound together as the church through Jesus Christ our Lord. “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all,” Paul wrote to the Ephesians (4:5-6).

It is Jesus Christ who calls individuals to ordained ministries, and all those who are called to ordained office continue to acknowledge Jesus as Lord of all and Head of the church. It is this same Jesus Christ who is the foundation of our faith and to whom we cling.

No doubt, there will be several news stories and other reports about this change in the days ahead. A number of resources, including frequently asked questions and liturgical resources, are available for you at http://oga.pcusa.org. In addition, for those who wish to comment on or inquire further about 10-A, please contact ga.amendments@pcusa.org or call (888) 728-7228, ext. 8202.
We invite you to join us in prayer:

Almighty God, we give thanks for a rich heritage of faithful witnesses to the gospel throughout the ages. We offer gratitude not only for those who have gone before us, but for General Assembly commissioners and presbyters across the church who have sought diligently to discern the mind of Christ for the church in every time and place, and especially in this present time.

May your Spirit of peace be present with us in difficult decisions, especially where relationships are strained and the future is unclear. Open our ears and our hearts to listen to and hear those with whom we differ. Most of all, we give thanks for Jesus Christ, our risen Savior and Lord, who called the Church into being and who continues to call us to follow his example of loving our neighbor and working for the reconciliation of the world. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

Cynthia Bolbach
Moderator, 219th General Assembly (2010)

Linda Valentine
Executive Director, General Assembly Mission Council

Landon Whitsitt
Vice Moderator, 219th General Assembly (2010)

Links to other resources that may be helpful:

Results: GA Amendments Vote

This table shows the results of the vote taken at the the March 5, 2011 Assembly.

No.	Amendment Title	Yes	No	Abstain
10-1	Revised Form of Government	75	34	2
10-A	Gifts and Requirements for Ordination	77	32	2
10-B	Removing Stated Clerk or Clerk of Session	97	5	8
10-C	Requiring Sexual Misconduct Policy	97	6	7
10-D	Nominating Committees	101	4	4
10-E	Presbytery Rolls and Registers	95	4	8
10-F	Certified Christian Educators	90	9	8
10-G	Synod Function	90	4	10
10-H	Nominations Process	87	4	5
10-I	Prayer Added to Ordination and Installation Services	87	17	5
10-J	Stay of Enforcement	94	5	8
10-K	Preliminary Questions	94	5	8
10-L	Reviewing Work of Investigating Committee	96	5	7
10-M	Time Limit	61	42	6
10-N	Appeal of “Not Guilty” Verdict	87	9	11
10-O	Decision of the Permanent Judicial Commission	93	5	9

Please note that Presbytery will vote on the Belhar Confession at the June 2 Assembly.

Disaster Relief: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Image from the Associated Press

The following article is from the PC(USA) website:

Devastating earthquake and tsunami affects the region

MARCH 14, 2011

Pray for Japan: Denominational leaders have issued a Call to Prayer for those impacted by the earthquake and tsunami

You can help: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is responding

Click Here for Donation Information

Presbyterian World Mission grieves at the loss of life from the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in at least 100 years. We urge you to pray for those who have lost loved ones in Japan. We also urge you to pray for people in other countries affected by the tsunami.

Nine mission workers and their families are living and working in various cities in Japan. As of March 14, we have confirmed that seven of the nine, in three different cities, are safe. We will continue to work to contact the other mission workers and will provide updated information here as soon as it is available. None of our mission workers are based geographically close to coastal city of Sendai, nor to any of the areas affected by the tsunami. Find resources for prayer and reflection here.

We have also contacted our partner churches and organizations in Japan and are starting to hear back from them. One of our partners, Yodogawa Christian Hospital in Osaka, writes:

Thank you so very much for your kind words and prayers. Thankfully, our hospital patients and staff and their families are all safe, but our heart aches as the earthquake disasters are spreading in other parts of Japan. We are praying for God’s protection and comfort over those people in the earthquake affected areas. He is our refuge and fortress.

Would you please pass this message to our PC(USA) partners and we truly appreciate your continuing prayers for us all.

Sincerely in Christ,
Masaaki Mukubo, Superintendent
Kimiaki Fukushima, Business Administration Chair

For more information, see the General Assembly Mission Council page for Japan.

A Message from Linda Valentine: General Assembly Mission Council

Greetings to members of the General Assembly Mission Council, Middle Governing Body executives and friends,

It is my great pleasure to share the news with you that Dave Crittenden has joined our staff as Director of Stewardship for the General Assembly Mission Council. Through 20 years of parish ministry and 16 as co-executive in the Synod of Lincoln Trails, Dave’s steady leadership and constant emphasis on matters of faith and money have made him the “go-to guy” for questions about stewardship throughout our denomination. I am so glad to have him here, and to share with you this message of greeting from him.

Faithfully yours,

Linda Valentine

Greetings colleagues in mission and ministry:

Everyone knows the words of 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” But it’s the next verse which has become my mantra. “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.”

This is what drives me. When we think we don’t have enough of something – be it money or faith or courage – the verse reminds us that God has already given to us in abundance, all that we could need.

My role as Director of Stewardship is to inspire and equip presbyteries to increase their total income, and their gifts to General Assembly Mission Council. My work will focus on enhancing giving to mission as an act of Christian financial discipleship particularly in the form of “undesignated giving.” I hope to do this collaboratively – providing counsel to each other, as we share and connect each other to resources that will increase financial discipleship throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

I am sure part of the sharing will be models of financial discipleship that will inspire all of us, individually and corporately, to share our faith by sharing our financial resources. To that end I share with you what the toRev. John Van Nuys of the Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church, Crawfordsville, Indiana, shared with me after their fall Stewardship Campaign:

“Last Sunday after worship, an usher handed me a pledge card to pass along to our Stewardship Chair. I was about to routinely file it in her mailbox when I noticed the handwriting. I immediately got a lump in my throat. The pledge card was from a child. The scrawled name read Tyler Brunty. Tyler is a bright-eyed eight-year-old who loves baseball and singing in our youth choir. Then the lump in my throat got bigger and several tears welled up when I saw that Tyler had pledged in 2011 to give to God through the church $1 per week.

I called his folks Sunday evening to ask them if they knew about this. Tyler’s mom Jennifer said, ‘Oh, yes. Tyler asked us to please get him a pledge card.’

After giving him the card during the Prelude, his parents explained to Tyler that their giving as a family included Tyler and his sister; that Tyler’s gift was already a part of the 2011 pledge his parents had made.

But Tyler replied: ‘I know that you give for us, but I want to give God something from me.’

He said, ‘I don’t give anything now, but if I do next year, just think of all the good things God will do through my gift! That is why I want to pledge.’ His parents looked at each other and smiled as Tyler happily put his pledge card in the collection plate.

Jennifer said, ‘On the way home after church, Tyler kept talking and talking about his pledge, asking his dad and me about the chores he could do to earn his $1 a week to give to God.’

Hearing this story Sunday night completely humbled me — and encouraged me. On Tuesday, I saw Tyler’s grandmother and asked her if she had heard of her grandson’s incredible act of faith and love.

Grandma Nanette nodded and said, ‘There’s more: Tyler hasn’t stopped talking about his pledge. He now wants to do even more chores so that he can give God $2 each week.’”

I have been thanking God for Tyler, his family and his church. They truly inspire me. Tyler reminds me that we learn by example — he is simply responding to what his family and his church taught him. May we all be eager to pledge to what God is doing in and through us before we know where the money will come from or what God will ask us to do. I look forward to our work together.

Yours in Christ,

Dave Crittenden
Director of Stewardship

The Rev. Dave Crittenden selected to head GAMC Stewardship Ministry

Long-term Synod Leader Brings Broad Experience to the Role

OCTOBER 4, 2010
Louisville, KY
(The original article is here.)

The Rev. David Crittenden, of Indianapolis, Ind., has been chosen to lead a new stewardship ministry for the General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC).

The GAMC stewardship ministry will focus on inspiring, equipping, and connecting Presbyterians to faithful financial giving as an act of Christian discipleship with a particular focus on leadership development.

Crittenden will work with elected and staff leadership to help the GAMC adapt in the changing climate of religious funding, and to engage and support the whole church in strengthening stewardship.

Crittenden has served on the staff of the Synod of Lincoln Trails for the past sixteen years — the past ten years as co-executive. Among his responsibilities for the synod, Crittenden has manager and executive of the synod’s investment and loan program, supervisor of financial activities and staff, synod representative to denominational mission funding gatherings and national consultations, and consultant to congregations in the area of stewardship and financial discipleship. Prior to his service with the synod, Crittenden served as pastor for fifteen years in Indiana and Illinois, and five years as an associate pastor in Nebraska.

Karen L. Schmidt, deputy executive director for communications and funds development, said, “The GAMC is working hard to strengthen our partnerships with middle governing bodies. One of the top priorities for middle governing body leaders in a recent survey of denominational priorities is stewardship. I can imagine no better person for this role than Dave Crittenden, who is in frequent demand as one of the leading middle governing body experts on the topic.”

“I have received five calls during my 36 years of ordained ministry; four of them specifically emphasized stewardship and financial discipleship,” said Crittenden. “It is this area where my experience and passion meet. I am eagerly looking forward to following Christ’s call, and my passion, in this new work with presbyteries, synods and the General Assembly Mission Council.”

Crittenden will begin service with the GAMC on January 3, 2011.

Stated Clerk launches “Tilling the Soil” – PC(USA)

Parsons’ first weekly video message focuses on ‘elder picking’

LOUISVILLE—The Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), announced this week the beginning of a weekly video clip for church leaders.

Gradye Parsons at a podium

Parsons hopes the approximately 5-minute clips, under the banner “Tilling the Soil,” will provide information and inspiration for the wider PC(USA), especially elders and ministers of the Word and Sacrament.

“It is a time of great change in the church,” said Parsons. “How we navigate that change depends a lot on how we discern together the direction of God’s Spirit and identify and nurture church leaders. I hope the thoughts I offer each week will contribute to and help prod a collective discussion about all of that.”

Topics will cover a broad spectrum, such as the role and work of elders and visioning for the future. Parsons will also invite an occasional discussion on a current book of interest to the life of the church.

(To read the full text of the article, click here.)

“Tilling the Soil” clips will be available at www.youtube.com/gradyeparsons. Parsons hopes viewers will take advantage of the opportunity to offer comments and share their own stories.

219th General Assembly

July 3-10, 2010

To follow the business items presented at General Assembly, go to the 219th General Assembly web site and click on the green “Login to PC-Biz” button on the upper-left side of the site. You will be redirected to the PC-Biz site. In the upper-right corner of the PC-Biz site select the “Register a New User” link.

Elder Karen Hahn and Rev. Cheryl Thorne will be discussing their impressions of the 219th General Assembly in Minneapolis, Minnesota, starting July 2. Be sure to follow their blog as they keep us up-to-date.