Like 711 other elder and clergy commissioners, I have been preparing for a busy week in Minneapolis for the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s 219th General Assembly. It will be a time for our denomination to discern God's will on significant issues facing the church today and as it sets a course for the future. I am one of four commissioners from the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley.
For me, it will also be a homecoming of sorts. I am originally from Minnesota and still have many relatives in the Twin Cities area and the southern part of the state.
It is my hope that by sharing my experience as a commissioner that you will have a greater understanding of what our denomination is doing at GA to chart its future.
And there is much to be done. There are at least 220 overtures (proposed changes to the Book of Order, our denominational constitution) awaiting action by the assembly, along with major reports on the proposed new Form of Government, Middle East peace, and civil unions and marriage. It is a lot to absorb. I'm almost halfway through reading all this material with only 10 days left before the assembly's start. Fortunately, there are 18 committees assigned to review the overtures by topic, and the recommendations that come out of committee will give the assembly a sense of the discernment that already has occurred on each of these overtures.
