GA Daily Dispatch

July 9, 2010

On this last full day of GA, several closely watched matters came up before the body. One of the most high-profile matters at this GA is the report “Breaking Down the Walls,” brought by the Middle East Study Committee. The GA committee responsible for this item made extensive changes to the report, in response to widespread concerns about its balance between Jewish and Palestinian concerns. The revised version was adopted by an 82% Assembly vote. The details of the revision are too extensive to report here, but I will send you a link to the revised version once it is published. In a related matter, the Assembly approved language denouncing corporations that profit from sales of products used for non-peaceful purposes in the Middle East, but voted not to recommend divestment, and encouraged investment in corporations doing business with peaceful concerns.

Another item that generated much debate today was the proposal to extend Board of Pensions benefits to same-sex spouses or partners (and their children) of participants in the Board Plan. After lengthy discussion, the Assembly voted to extend such benefits to spouses and to committed life partners in states where same sex marriage is not available. To cover costs, the Assembly gave the Board of Pensions permission to increase dues for all Plan members up to 1% of effective salary, with provision for relief of conscience for churches that object to their contribution being used in this way.

The afternoon session was interrupted by a demonstration by Soulforce, an interdenominational group protesting the Assembly’s refusal to consider proposals to change our Book of Order definition of marriage and to permit ministers to perform same-sex marriages. Eighteen people quietly processed to the front of the assembly hall during a business session, carrying signs and softly singing “O Lord, Hear our Prayer.” They refused to leave until arrested by police – it was apparently their objective to be arrested, because the police were there at the ready. Local television stations were called in to cover the event, and it was the lead story on their evening news. As they made their way toward the dais, Moderator Bolbach quickly called a recess of the Assembly. Who says General Assembly is dull and predictable? In truth, it all happened so quietly while everyone was milling about in recess that most of us saw little of what was going on.

And so we come to Saturday, the final day of the Assembly. The final thing on the Assembly’s business docket is the welcome by Pittsburgh Presbytery to the next GA – I will reprise from our last presbytery meeting my Fred Rogers act as an introduction to our superb “Welcome to Pittsburgh” video, produced by Dennis Molnar for the COLA. The video ends with Mr. Rogers’ beloved postman Mr. McFeely handing toward the camera an envelope that I will “receive” and hand to our GA Moderator, inviting the church to Pittsburgh in summer 2012.

This is my final installment in this series. It has been a delight to include you in some of the events of the Assembly “as it happens.” Our commissioners will give you a full report at the presbytery meeting at Crestfield on September 2. I want to say a great big thank you to our wonderful team of commissioners – each has worked very hard, and together they have become a wonderful community of faith in action. They have prayerfully voted their conscience and stayed on task through a grueling week. Bless them, Lord! I also am grateful to all our 2012 GA Committee on Local Arrangements (COLA) leaders that have been soaking up everything they can from the Minneapolis COLA. And last, but far from least, I am grateful to Doug Portz for coordinating the COLA conversations on behalf of the presbytery office. We have truly had Pittsburgh’s “A-Team” here! Thanks be to God for the opportunity and strength to serve the Lord together this week in Minneapolis. To God be all the glory!

For Christ’s sake,


The Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge, Pastor to Presbytery

P.S. Please note that ongoing updates of GA News from the General Assembly’s Office of Communications are posted at http://ga219.pcusa.org/.

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