Thursday GA Update

FOG: The committee recommended the Form of Government Task Force report be referred to the presbyteries for study and discussion. Also, additional members will be added to the Task Force and they will be asked to review and revise it for the 2010 GA. The expanded FOG will be asked to take into account the comments from presbyteries. The number of people added to the Task Force will depend on the number of the current members who agree to continue and will be appointed ONLY from the members of the committee that made the recommendation about the FOG Task Force report. (Editor's Note: This means that members of the New Covenant group that studied the FOG report and wrote an outstanding analysis of it are not eligible to be considered for the expanded Task Force) Here's the PNS story.

FUNDING NCD'S AND CHURCH RE-DEVELOPMENTS: After descending into a parliamentary black hole--what with a reconsideration, an "arrest of the report", and confusion on the floor and on the podium, the original motion from the committee (08-15) passed after the arrested report was bailed out (editor's little joke, sorry!) and proposed amendments to it failed. Your editor couldn't find a PNS story about this discussion, though.

MISSION INITIATIVE FUND: PNC pastor Rev. Dave Peterson, MDPC -Houston, addressed the GA to announce the Mission Initiative Fund raised $33 million in pledges for new church development. Dave is co-chair of the effort. Well done! Here's the full story from PNS.

REVISING THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM: GA voted to initiate a process to amend "translation problems" in the Heidelberg Catechism. A study group will be appointed to make recommendations to the next GA which, if approved, would go to the presbyteries for approval. This was a very controversial debate because the proposed revised translation would remove reference to homosexual activity as a "perversion." A two-thirds vote of the presbyteries would be required for approval. See the full story from PNS here.

Today the election for Stated Clerk is scheduled. PNC's Rev. Casey Jones is one of the candidates. This is the most important election of the GA.