He is now responding to what he calls "Myth 1: We Threaten the Unity of the Church."   After all, he argues, LGBT Christians have been serving in ordained and non-ordained status since its beginning.  Now it is becoming more possible for them to serve and witness openly, and that is a step forward, not backward.  So, he explains:

The presence or increase of LGBT people in ordained and leadership roles in this church is not a threat to its unity. What is a threat to the unity of this church is the misleading of its members. It is a misleading teaching that insists upon diminished status for the LGBT community, in order that the church remains "whole." This great error is at the core of the threat to the unity of God's church, not those of us who are LGBT. It is an error that has taken on a near-mythological status. And, there are other myths.  More >>

People will be coming to San Jose from east and west, from north and south – and also from right and left and center. It might be helpful to approach the Assembly with some awareness of the concerns and proposals that our fellow Presbyterians will be bringing from the conservative side of the denomination.

[posted by Doug King, 4-1-08]

We have not yet had time to gather our own information on the many overtures that have been submitted for consideration by the General Assembly.

For now, though, we are happy to offer links to discussions elsewhere – on the websites of some of our progressive sponsoring groups, on the PC (USA) website, and elsewhere.

You can help us build this resource for the Assembly!

If you’re aware of overtures that deal with issues of peace, justice, the stewardship of creation, or other matters of concern to all us of, please send a note and we will do our best to add them to this listing.

As soon as possible, we will add links to the texts of these overtures on the GA’s PC-Biz website.

About overtures to the 218^th GA – It may not be too late to act!

Overtures which call for amendments to the Book of Order (such as the deletion of G-6.0106b, the “fidelity and chastity” clause which effectively bans ordination of lesbian, gay, and bisexual members of the Presbyterian Church) can no longer be submitted, since the 120-day deadline of February 22 has passed.

But overtures having financial implications for current or future budgets, which have a 60-day deadline, can still be submitted until April 22.

All other overtures must be submitted by May 7.

GA guidelines for the submission of overtures >>

Where are all those overtures??

For all official GA business, including overtures and reports, this year’s Assembly will be using a new electronic data system dubbed (or baptized?) PC-Biz.

For frequently asked questions about the system >>

You do not need to be a Commissioner to use the system; you don’t even have to be registered for the Assembly. (Hey, if they’ll let your WebWeaver in, they must be pretty tolerant!)  But registering to access PC-Biz will, however, allow you to make notes of particular items and return to them easily.

Finding things on PC-Biz –

Click here to enter the PC-Biz site >>

Log in (or not - you don’t need to for this job, anyway)

At the first screen, click on “Explorer”

You’ll get a search screen. But don’t mess with filling in the “keyword” box. (I.e., don’t do it the way I did!)

Just click on the “search” button toward the right side of the screen. A drop-down list will appear of everything available so far – overture and some reports. Click on the one you want, and up it will pop. We hope.

Right now (April Fool’s Day, as it happens) there are 86 overtures and 35 recommendations on the list.

Some of the major overtures

Now, here are a few bits of helpful information on some of the more pressing issues coming to the Assembly through overtures that have already been submitted to the Office of the General Assembly.

Overtures dealing with sexuality and ordination, including the Authoritative Interpretation approved by the 217^th GA, which allowed candidates for ordination to declare their “scruples,” or conscientious reservations, regarding particular requirements for ordination.

More Light Presbyterians provides a very helpful list of “delete-B” overtures, which in one way or another would remove G-6.0106b from the Book of Order. Their list describes some of the variations among these overtures, and provides links to many of them.

This page also lists some of the overtures that would correct a mis-translation in the Heidelberg Catechism which has been used as one basis for condemning same-sex relationships.

Covenant Network has not yet posted comments on the overtures for this year’s Assembly, but does offer helpful comments on the recent GAPJC decisions regarding the Authoritative Interpretation. Those will clearly have relevance in any discussions of ordination this year.

That All May Freely Serve also has not posted comments on current overtures, but has posted an open letter to the Church from 28 LGBT candidates for ministry, in which they respond to the GAPJC rulings and argue for actions that would reverse the effects of those rulings, to allow for ordination of persons who believe that cannot in conscience accept the restrictions of G-6.0106b. 

The Rev. Ray Bagnuolo offers an extensive comment under the title: "Moving Beyond The Theological Task Force Report: A Call for Progressive Advocates to Unify for GA 218"

Overtures dealing with marriage standards

More Light Presbyterians also provides a link to the overture from Baltimore Presbytery, which would amend W-4.9000 to make the definition of marriage inclusive of same-sex couples.

Overtures dealing with issues of peacemaking and war

Environmental concerns

Presbyterians for Restoring Creation reports that an overture to restore the Environmental Justice Office has been sent by Heartland Presbytery. It would “[d]irect the Director of the General Assembly Council to reinstate the Office of Environmental Justice in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as a vital and integral part of the ministry and mission of the Church to help protect and save God’s creation.” Other presbyteries acting to affirm that overture include Mid-Kentucky, Charlotte, Baltimore, Monmouth, and Cascades Presbyteries.

 

You can help us build this resource for the Assembly!

If you’re aware of overtures that deal with issues of peace, justice, the stewardship of creation, or other matters of concern to all us of, please send a note and we will do our best to add them to this listing.

As soon as possible, we will add links to the texts of these overtures on the GA’s PC-Biz website.

by Toya Richards Hill, Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE – February 14, 2008 – The key issues coming before the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) were outlined here Wednesday (Feb. 13) during a joint meeting of the General Assembly Council (GAC) Executive Committee and the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA).

“There are a number of critical items,” the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General Assembly, told the joint group assembled. Both bodies also are conducting business separately this week.

Topping a “Preliminary Top 10 List” are a new form of government and steps toward partnership in world mission.

The Form of Government Task Force (FOGTF), created by the 217th GA (2006), will bring its recommendations for a revised polity to the upcoming assembly meeting June 21-28 in San Jose, CA.

The group is recommending that the Book of Order be amended by substituting a new section entitled “Foundations of Presbyterian Polity” for Chapters I-IV of the current Form of Government. Also recommended is that Chapters 1-6 of a new Form of Government be substituted for Chapters V-XVIII of the current Form of Government.

Partnership in world mission also is expected to be a primary issue addressed by the GA, which will hear the results of a consultation on the issue called for by the previous assembly.

“Renewed Call to Presbyterian Mission in the World! A Dialogue for Our Shared Future,” held Jan. 16-18, brought together leaders from the PC(USA)’s World Mission program unit and a host of other Presbyterian-related groups that do mission.

In a climate where mission is being done by a plethora of bodies with less reliance on the national church for mission sending, consultation planners sought to find common ground via a shared set of core values and practices, and to find a way to move ahead together.

The result of the consultation, held in Dallas, was the document “An Invitation to Expanding Partnership in God’s Mission,” signed by all the participants.

“I was just filled with emotion” after reading the consultation’s document during the gathering, Linda Bryant Valentine, executive director of the GAC, told the joint meeting between COGA and the GAC Executive Committee.

“It was just this sense of unity, … of joining together,” she said. “It was just a precious, precious time.”

The other key issues on the “Top 10 List” of issues facing the GA are:

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1.  We want to share our concerns and views with commissioners and others attending the Assembly, and with anyone else who is watching from afar.  While some of our groups focus on one area of concern and others are more general in their focus, we are all committed to the wholeness of our world, which we understand to involve justice and peace and the well-being of all people; and we are committed to the wholeness and health of our Church and its witness and service in the world.

2.  We want to get to know you better and serve your concerns and needs in any way we can.  So we will invite you to share your views with us and with one another with any email responses or questions.  We'll invite your responses with links here and there, and we'll try to post those that seem to contribute to our conversations.  Just send a note now, and tell us how we can be helpful!