A Long Night's Work
I did not post an entry on Wednesday night, because the commissioners did not finish their meeting until 12:33 AM on Thursday morning.
No matter how long it was going to take, knowing that the Assembly had to vacate the Civic Center in Birmingham by Noon Thursday, the commissioners gave careful consideration to every item. Nothing was rushed.
I was sad to see that the General Assembly voted to close the Presbyterian Historical Society's facility at Montreat, North Carolina, by a vote of 348 to 147. I enjoy visiting the center when I'm at Montreat, but I do believe it was a good decision for good stewardship. Our church does not need to historical archives -- one in Philadelphia and one at Montreat. But it really is not so bad -- the Assembly approved a plan to establish a Program for the Study of Presbyterian and Reformed History and Theology right in our own back yard, at Columbia Theological Seminary.
By a vote of 381-117, the assembly approved the PC(USA)’s strongest statement to date on post-viability abortion. The statement reads in part: "We affirm that the lives of viable unborn babies—those well-developed enough to survive outside the womb if delivered—ought to be preserved and cared for and not aborted. In cases where problems of life or health of the mother arise in a pregnancy, the church supports efforts to protect the life and health of both the mother and the baby. When late-term pregnancies must be terminated, we urge decisions intended to deliver the baby alive. We look to our churches to provide pastoral and tangible support to women in problem pregnancies and to surround these families with a community of care. We affirm adoption as a provision for women who deliver children they are not able to care for, and ask our churches to assist in seeking loving, Christian, adoptive families."
On the issue of "divestment" there has been a lot of confussion and misinformation. Secular newspapers and Jewish leaders have referred to the Presbyterian Church's 2004 decision to divest in companies doing business with Israel. Actually, the 2004 decision was to STUDY the possibility of divesting only in those business contributing to the violence in the Mid-East. The General Assembly did not change this action, but they changed the wording in such a way that the Jewish observers were very pleased. This year's Assembly approved action with instructions "to have those financial investments of the Presbyterian Church (USA), as they pertain to Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, be invested in only peaceful pursuits, and affirm that the customary corporate engagement process of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment of our denomination -- in conjunction with appropriate reinvestment of funds where necessary -- is the proper vehicle for achieving this goal."
No matter how long it was going to take, knowing that the Assembly had to vacate the Civic Center in Birmingham by Noon Thursday, the commissioners gave careful consideration to every item. Nothing was rushed.
I was sad to see that the General Assembly voted to close the Presbyterian Historical Society's facility at Montreat, North Carolina, by a vote of 348 to 147. I enjoy visiting the center when I'm at Montreat, but I do believe it was a good decision for good stewardship. Our church does not need to historical archives -- one in Philadelphia and one at Montreat. But it really is not so bad -- the Assembly approved a plan to establish a Program for the Study of Presbyterian and Reformed History and Theology right in our own back yard, at Columbia Theological Seminary.
By a vote of 381-117, the assembly approved the PC(USA)’s strongest statement to date on post-viability abortion. The statement reads in part: "We affirm that the lives of viable unborn babies—those well-developed enough to survive outside the womb if delivered—ought to be preserved and cared for and not aborted. In cases where problems of life or health of the mother arise in a pregnancy, the church supports efforts to protect the life and health of both the mother and the baby. When late-term pregnancies must be terminated, we urge decisions intended to deliver the baby alive. We look to our churches to provide pastoral and tangible support to women in problem pregnancies and to surround these families with a community of care. We affirm adoption as a provision for women who deliver children they are not able to care for, and ask our churches to assist in seeking loving, Christian, adoptive families."
On the issue of "divestment" there has been a lot of confussion and misinformation. Secular newspapers and Jewish leaders have referred to the Presbyterian Church's 2004 decision to divest in companies doing business with Israel. Actually, the 2004 decision was to STUDY the possibility of divesting only in those business contributing to the violence in the Mid-East. The General Assembly did not change this action, but they changed the wording in such a way that the Jewish observers were very pleased. This year's Assembly approved action with instructions "to have those financial investments of the Presbyterian Church (USA), as they pertain to Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, be invested in only peaceful pursuits, and affirm that the customary corporate engagement process of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment of our denomination -- in conjunction with appropriate reinvestment of funds where necessary -- is the proper vehicle for achieving this goal."
posted by Presbyterian Pastor at 5:19 PM
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