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Another General Assembly has come and gone. Five days and evenings of business, worship, fellowship, meals, and freezing in the convention center are over. Important work was done and difficult decisions were made. As Presbytery staff, I had the opportunity to listen to discussions without the pressure of voting. My highlights of the Assembly include:
- Worship: there is nothing like hearing 1000 voices singing together! The opening worship featuring the sermon by the out-going Co-Moderators CeCe Armstrong and Tony Larson was engaging. Communion with those same 1000 people is like nothing you have ever experienced. Each day’s worship service was unique and inspiring.
- Rev. Marta Pumroy-Cordero and Rev. Dr. Kristopher Schondelmeyer were elected Co-Moderators during the final plenary session. A first-ballot election was almost unheard of, especially with four teams of candidates running.
- The engagement of the Young Adult Advisory Delegates in the entirety of the Assembly. Their voices add breadth and depth to discussions. Their energy was contagious!
- Committee meetings on Zoom. My committee had 55 members!
- Reconnecting with friends and colleagues from around the country, breakfast at Starbucks, eating at the 327 Market (a variety of food choices from around the world), and going to the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs baseball game with our commissioners the night before the Assembly started.
- Sadness, anger, and pain over the closure of World Mission. The very real issues of transparency and trust, and how decisions are made by Presbyterian Life and Witness (the new name for the denomination) leadership was an overarching theme.
- White Christian Nationalism was a lightening rod. I was surprised for the overwhelming support of declaring this and other ideologies a “theological error.” A sad reflection on the state of our nation.
- A new confession was kicked down the road to be considered by another committee for a recommendation to another Assembly.
- Full in-person assemblies are returning in 2030.
- Puerto Rico, here we come in 2028!
Our commissioners, Jason Russell, Robert Joe Lee, Paul Seefeldt, and Rachel Sutphin will share their own perspectives on the General Assembly at the September 12th Presbytery meeting.
Learn more about what happened at the General Assembly and what is happening in the PCUSA by visiting the Presbyterian News Service https://pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news and the Presbyterian Outlook https://pres-outlook.org/
You’ve heard this before…
Please have your insurance company send a Certificate of Insurance to the Presbytery. Confirmation of coverage is an important safe-guard for you and for us in the unlikely event that a catastrophe occurs or legal action is brought.
Session Minutes Review: I am following up with the session clerks whose minutes have not yet been reviewed. If you are one of those, contact me so we can arrange to have someone read your minutes. I hate to pester you, but this is a Book of Order requirement.
Boundary Training for Elders: I will be scheduling ½ day trainings on several Saturdays this fall for those who missed it last spring or who are new to session. I am open to a two-session evening training either in-person or on Zoom if there is enough interest. Note that this boundary training includes more than sexual misconduct. We’ll also address confidentiality, financial boundaries, and appropriate personal behavior. The training is interactive and we will have food!
Church Cemeteries: Finding information on how to manage, maintain, sell, and other issues about church cemeteries is challenging. The Presbyterian Foundation has created a new Cemetery Resource Manual.
The Foundation has also created a helpful Cemetery Inventory for you to collect important information about your cemetery using a fillable form. Once you have completed the form, send it to the Stated Clerk and put a copy in your church’s Administrative Manual/Manual of Operations.
The New Jersey Presbyteries are partnering with the Presbyterian Foundation to host a Zoom meeting with Peter Ryan, Executive Director of Rosedale Cemetery in Montclair, NJ. Peter brings decades of expertise in cemetery management in NY and NJ. He will share some best practices and answer questions. The meeting will be on Wednesday, September 9th from 7 to 8 pm. If you are interested in attending, contact Markenzie at the Presbytery Office and she will send you the information.
Presbytery Meetings: I already have two sessions who have invited the Presbytery to meet at their church in 2027! Thank you to Moorestown, who will host the Tuesday February 16th hybrid meeting at 7 p.m. and Ocean Heights, who will host the Saturday, May 15th in-person only meeting at 9:30 a.m. I am looking for hosts for the Saturday, September 18th in-person only meeting at 9:30 a.m. and the Tuesday, November 16th hybrid meeting at 7 p.m. If you are interested, have your session extend an invitation by contacting the Stated Clerk.
I am here to support you, answer questions, and provide resources. Send me an email or give me a call!
Warmly,
Diane Curtis
Stated Clerk
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