Dear Grace Community,
When I last wrote to you about my service as a commissioner to the General Assembly, I had completed the first weekend. I’m sure you’ve been waiting with anticipation for my final report. I’m kidding of course, but I do want to let you know how it went. My first two blogs are here:
The second weekend of service began Friday morning, June 26, and went through Saturday evening. (Don’t worry, we got a break to sleep.) The outgoing co-moderators, Elder Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and Pastor Cindy Kolhmann, led worship Friday morning and did a wonderful job. I’m grateful for the ways they led the church over the last two years. When the new co-moderators, Elder Elona Street-Stewart and Pastor Gregory J. Bentley, took over the gavel I was impressed with their agility in leading and monitoring the many digital screens before them.
It was remarkable what was pulled off with technology. The staff in Louisville was incredibly prepared, and there was only one minor Zoom glitch the entire time. Still, being in a Zoom meeting with 700 plus people, most of whom were delegates was not my favorite way to serve the church. The platform made what was already a tedious process more so because we couldn’t do voice votes. This meant that the simplest things (like calling the question) had to go through a 5-10 minute vote instead of a voice vote.
On Saturday morning, we re-elected our national Stated Clerk. The Rev J Herbert Nelson has served in the office for four years and will continue for four more. I’ve worked with J Herbert and his wife Gail and admire and appreciate them both. While J Herbert was the only candidate for the position, I’m excited about his leadership and am glad I got to vote for him.
Over the weekend we covered a lot of required assembly business, things like approving people to boards with ease, but everything else took a long time. There was a sense that all needed to buy into the process, and not everyone did. When I say “buy in’ I mean that everyone had to agree that we couldn’t do much of the business and move on. Those who didn’t buy in were determined to get their specific items to the floor, and this took a tremendous amount of time and caused great frustration.
As I watched the social media commentary of the meeting there were many critiques of what we, the assembly did or failed to do. If you’re interested in my thoughts on specific issues, I’m glad to visit in person.
Despite a less than thrilling experience as a Zoom commissioner, I believe there are many good things about the PCUSA. There is no perfect denomination, or individual church, but I am grateful for the ways we, together, strive to be who Christ calls us to be.
In Christ,
Catherine
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