Blogging On The Sabbath

It seems that I am the first "blogger" to be approved by the General Assembly to receive press credentials. Everyone wears different colored badges during the General Assembly. Voting commissioners wear blue. Registered observers wear yellow. Advisory delegates wear navy. There is a long list of different colors. About a dozen of us wear green -- meaning we represent the press -- the Presbyterians Today magazine, the Outlook magazine, reporters from various newspapers, and me -- the lone blogger.

So what does wearing a green press pass get you?

Actually, not a lot more than any other observer. I get to sit in on press conferences, which are almost as exciting as committee meetings. The biggest advantage is that get to sit at a table with Internet access during committee meetings and the plenary sessions of the General Assembly -- which helps in putting these reports on the blog.

I ran into Mike Kaufield -- he is one of the voting commissioners representing Greater Atlanta Presbytery (You can see he is wearing a blue badge). Our presbytery being so large has (I believe) more commissioners than any other presbytery. Many of our members will know Mike because he is helping our Associate Pastor Nominating Committee as our liaison with Presbytery. Other commissioners from Greater Atlanta are elders Andrew Fellers, Linda Lehfeldt, Bob Siegmann and Valerie Zaleski and ministers Tim Dalstrom, Joan Gray, Mark Lomax, Larry Owens and Wendell Phillips. Our Youth Advisory Delegate is Miranda Brownlee.

I also ran into Pix Mauler, who is the partnership facilitator for Haiti. She promotes and interpretes Presbyterian ministry in Haiti, and is very helpful in getting churches and presbyteries working together -- and in working as a channel of communication between Presbyterians and the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti. She's a familiar name to the Mission and Outreach Team at Good Shepherd, but it is the first time I've met her face to face.

Here is an update on some of the things that have been happening at General Assembly -- to learn more about any of these issues, click the highlighted word and your computer should take you to the Presbyterian news service.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY WAS ELECTRIFIED BY AN UNEXPECTED GIFT when a Colorado businessman and elder announced a gift of $150 million to the church. The gift will be used to help presbyteries start new churches, and to transform struggling congregations.

AN ELDER DIED ON THURSDAY NIGHT. Commissioner Nelson Erwin from Texas, age 70, was found in an elevator after suffering an apparent heart attack.

CATHERINE GONZALES received an award for excellence in theological education. Some of our members of Good Shepherd will know her. She was the first woman to serve on the faculty of Columbia Theological Seminary.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMMISSIONED 200 MISSION WORKERS and other volunteers serving around the world in a worship service held on June 16th.

I won't go into all the decisions of the committees. These will go before the General Assembly starting Monday and it will be simpler to wait and see what the whole Assembly approves or disapproves.