Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
"Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water." - John 7:38


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Committee recommends middle governing body commission

A willing but wary 219th General Assembly Committee on Middle Governing Body Issues has recommended creation of a Middle Governing Body Commission to act on the requests of presbyteries and synods “to divide, unite or otherwise combine” them during the next two years.

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Posted at July 6, 2010 1:15 a.m. in committee on middle governing body issues , ga219

Grueling debate ends with negative vote on ‘Christians and Jews’ paper

In more than two hours of debate, commissioners on the 219th General Assembly Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee decided not to recommend that the Assembly accept the paper “Christians and Jews: People of God.”

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Posted at July 6, 2010 12:55 a.m. in ecumenical and interfaith relations committee , ga219

Committee recommends denouncing Caterpillar for actions in Middle East

The 219th General Assembly Middle East Peacemaking Issues Committee voted to send to the full Assembly a report from the Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) committee, which recommends the denouncement of actions by Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar Inc.

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Posted at July 6, 2010 12:25 a.m. in ga219 , middle east peace

Form of Government Revision Committee stands behind flexibility of proposed revision

Meeting for a full day Monday, the Form of Government Revision Committee stood behind the flexibility within the proposed revision to the Form of Government, rejecting those overtures and amendments that would place specific organizations and structures within the document.

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Posted at July 6, 2010 12:17 a.m. in form of government , ga219

Special committee report on civil union, marriage issues approved 47-8

The 219th General Assembly Committee on Civil Union and Marriage Issues voted 47-8-2 Monday to approve a report that urges Presbyterians to further study the issues and stay in covenant with each other while they do so.

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Posted at July 6, 2010 12:07 a.m. in civil unions , ga219 , marriage

A river runs through Assembly’s daily worship services

Splish-splash! Water will run throughout the Assembly’s daily worship services, Tuesday through Saturday at 8:30 a.m., based on the Assembly theme from John 7:38: “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”

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Posted at July 5, 2010 11:45 p.m. in ga219 , westminster presbyterian church

Mission Coordination Committee begins its work

The 219th General Assembly (2010) Mission Coordination Committee began its work on Monday by tackling the first of several funding items.

By a 43-10 vote, the committee endorsed a recommendation from the General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) to end on Dec. 31, 2013, the practice of Mission Partnership Funds – monies distributed by the General Assembly to synods for redistribution to presbyteries.

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Posted at July 5, 2010 11:45 p.m. in acrec , foundation , ga219

Committee on church growth discusses role of union churches, increasing diversity

"Lucy in the sky with diamonds" echoed down the hall from Committee 15 early Monday morning at the 219th General Assembly (2010). Presbyterians passing by peaked into the room and a few said, “I wish I was in that group!” The 55 members gathered in the room to consider overtures and reports regarding church growth, Christian education and the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program, Inc.

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Posted at July 5, 2010 10:53 p.m. in ga219

Respectful engagement is the way forward, Niebuhr tells Covenant Network

“Yes, he is one of the Niebuhr Niebuhrs,” said Deborah Block, co-moderator of the Covenant Network, as she introduced Gustav Niebuhr, featured speaker at the CovNet Luncheon Monday as part of the 219th General Assembly (2010).

Niebuhr began his talk, “Tolerance is a Floor, Not a Ceiling,” by recalling the time he was covering two advocacy groups on opposite sides of a divisive issue at a previous General Assembly. “What was remarkable was not that they disagreed with each other, but that both displayed a noteworthy calm – neither spoke unpleasantly about the other. Each group accorded to the other respect.”

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Posted at July 5, 2010 10:40 p.m. in ga219 , the covenant network

Author tells GA breakfast-goers how cultural shift changes society, religion

“Let us hear about this crazy thing God is doing with the church.” That was the invitation of the Rev. Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, to the capacity crowd at the 219th General Assembly (2010) breakfast Monday. His invitation was illuminated later by the breakfast’s speaker, Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence; How Christianity is Changing and Why.

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Posted at July 5, 2010 10:02 p.m. in ga219