Committee 6      Ecclesiology

The Assembly listened to some 2 and a half hours of debate this afternoon on the report of Committee 6, on Ecclesiology, with its recommendation that the report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church.

A minority report from the committee called for the acceptance of the first 4 sections of the report – the theological background, and the rejection of recommendations 5 (offering a new "Authoritative Interpretation"), 6 (calling for a moratorium on further actions on the issue of ordination until the next Assembly), and 7. That was defeated after lengthy debate by a vote of 283 to 234.

That was followed by a motion to refer recommendations 5 and 6 to the presbyteries before final action. The plea was that the process of discernment valued so highly by the task force be allowed to be followed in the presbyteries as well.

Finally at about 4:18 PM, the committee’s recommendation to approve the Task Force report was approved by the full Assembly, by a vote of 298 to 221.

The commissioners are now standing, holding hands in small groups, praying.  And now one commissioner is encouraging commissioners to register their dissent.

Commentary on the Peace, Unity and Purity report

The committee leaders include: moderator: M; vice-moderator: V; committee assistant: A; parliamentarian/recorder: P.

Leadership:  the Rev. Blair Monie, Grace, M; the Rev. Catherine Kotfila, Albany, V; the Rev. Carl Schlich, Savannah, A; the Rev. Michael Lukens, Winnebago, P

Elder Adlai Amor, National Capital
TSAD Linda Bailey, Grand Canyon
Elder Karen Banaszak, Lake Huron
YAD Mary Immie Baylor, New Harmony
Rev. Phillip Blackburn, Great Rivers
Elder Margaret Brooks, Mississippi
Elder Debbie Buckman, Pueblo
Rev. Jack Chan, The Cascades
Elder Wilson Chen, Lehigh
Elder Alex M. Chi, Long Island
Elder Martha Danford, Coastal Carolina
Rev. Mary Davis, Mid-Kentucky
YAD Marirose Dempsey, Genesee Valley
YAD Amy Erickson, Monmouth
Elder Andrew Fellers, Greater Atlanta
Elder Marilyn Gamblin, Olympia
Elder Kermit Gay, Central Florida
Rev. David Gellert, The Peaks
YAD Glen Guenther II, Kendall
YAD Claire Harris, East Tennessee
Rev. Kurt Helmcke, North Puget Sound
TSAD Julie Hill, Charlotte
YAD Kaitlyn Hipple, Homestead
Rev. Harold Jensen, Florida
Elder Priscilla Johnson, New Hope
Rev. Tom Jones, Kiskiminetas
YAD Heather Knorr, Inland Northwest
Rev. Catherine Kotfila, Albany (Vice-Moderator)
Elder Danny Lane, Heartland
Rev. John LeHeup, Foothills
Elder Michael Magee, Middle Tennessee
MAD Roger Marriott
YAD Brenda Martens, Minnesota Valleys
Elder Sylvia Maume, Eastern Virginia
Rev. John McGarey, Indian Nations
YAD Megan McGormley, Maumee Valley
YAD Shannon Meador, Chicago
Rev. Dick Menzel, John Calvin
Rev. Blair Monie, Grace (Moderator)
Rev. Barbara Muntzel, Lackawanna
YAD Max Muska, Beaver-Butler
Elder Erika Neidhardt, Donegal
Elder Gerard Niebauer, Lake Erie
Rev. Susan Niesen, Giddings Lovejoy
YAD Alex O'Dowd, Missouri Union
Rev. Larry Olson, The John Knox
Rev. Richard Randall, Nevada
Elder Shelley Ritchie, Mackinac
Rev. George L. Rolling, Holston
Rev. Carol Divens Roth, Pittsburgh
Elder Noelle Royer, The Pacific
Rev. Paul Saleeby, Charlotte
YAD Daniel Savelle, North Alabama
Elder Meg Scott-Johnson, New Covenant
YAD Jacob Shapiro, Miami
Rev. Michael Simon, Dakota
Rev. Kathy Sizer, Los Ranchos
Rev. Howard Soehl, Detroit
Elder Hal Stahl, North Central Iowa
Rev. Kay Steele, The James
Rev. Samuel G. Strohm, Huntingdon
Elder Catherine Talbot, Hudson River
YAD Sarah Tiffany, Geneva
Elder David Wright, Mission
Elder William York, Lake Michigan
Elder Willy Zunker, Grand Canyon
Not Assigned, Hanmi YAD