Mike Cole on Stated Clerk Election

From General Presbyter Mike Cole:

Casey Jones garnered 25% of the vote in the election of the Stated Clerk, but it was not enough to overcome the 57% that Gradye Parsons garnered. Casey presented an outstanding speech and responded masterfully to questions from the commissioners, who ultimately elected the nominee of the GA Stated Clerk Nominating Committee. By my count, only one person not nominated by the GA entity was elected to office. I am very proud of Casey and the way he represented our presbytery. He conducted himself with dignity and integrity and did us proud.

Parsons Elected Clerk

Rev. Gradye Parsons was elected as the new Stated Clerk of the PCUSA on the first ballot with a decisive 57% of the vote. Parsons was the nominee chosen by the Nominating Committee.

PNC's Rev. Casey Jones came in second with 25% of the vote.

Rev. Ed Koster received 15% of the vote and Rev. William Tarbell was in single digits.

Musings From Marcotte

From Associate General Presbyter Mary Marcotte:

I'm back at my desk in the presbytery office and had the LONG flight home on Thursday to reflect on what I have experienced so far.

The Assembly is indeed a family reunion. It was good to reconnect with folks with whom I've been engaged in ministry in other parts of the country through the years. I had the opportunity to visit with a variety of folks, including my son's college chaplain (Go Rhodes!), a young woman who interned with our youth group back when my young adult children were in middle school who is now a pastor in a small church in OK, several women with whom I did committee work back in Washington, DC and more.

I am thankful for the opportunity to attend the Assembly. As I entered the Exhibit Hall, I was struck by how many more National staff types I know now than I did when I began working in New Covenant. It is far easier to pick up a phone and make a call - and be heard - when you know the person.

Folks have asked me what I'd say about the proceedings so far...

If I had to sum up in one word, I'd say I have a huge spirit of hope.

I am so impressed by our new Moderator. Bruce Reyes-Chow is sharp and funny and faithful. He clearly gets the tension between honoring the tradition and moving into the future that God is preparing for us. When his eleven year old daughter offered prayers for her dad's service to the church, I confess that I was a little weepy. Listen to him talk with our own Shawn Coombs over at decently.org. There is a terrific post election interview on podcast.

I am so impressed with so many of the YADs and TSADs I have heard speak in committee hearings and then on the floor. We have articulate, faithful and committed young people in our denomination. They care deeply about the church and Christ's teachings.

It's time to get ready to follow the Stated Clerk's election proceedings on streaming video. Debbie Cenko wowed the Assembly with her nominating speech. for Casey Jones We'll see what happens next.

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.

Stated Clerk Candidates Meet 'N Greet

Jerry Hurst and Casey Jones confer at the Meet 'N Greet.

Stated Clerk candidates Rev. Casey Jones (New Covenant Presbytery, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Pearland) and Rev. Gradye Parsons (Nominating Committee nominee and Director of Operations for the General Assembly).

Photos by Diane Prevary

From Stated Clerk Rev. Diane Prevary:

Wednesday, June 25: 218th General Assembly

Today the candidates for Stated Clerk were given an opportunity to "meet and greet" the commissioners and visitors to General Assembly. For two hours, each of the four men shook hands and visited with folks who dropped by to meet them and to seek their positions on various issues facing the church.

Casey Jones was supported by a variety of folks, and especially of note was Rev. Jerry Hurst, most recently of the Southminster Church in Missouri City, and currently an Interim Associate General Presbyter in Sacramento, CA.

After lunch, the assembly reconvened in plenary session, where commissioners heard reports from and acted on recommendations from several committees both in the afternoon and evening sessions. Election of the Stated Clerk will take place Friday morning.

Editor's Note: Log onto the streaming video to see the election live!

Opportunity to Support Casey Jones for Stated Clerk

From General Presbyter Rev. Mike Cole:

The Rev. Debbie Cenko delivered an inspiring nomination speech on behalf of Casey Jones, putting his name officially in nomination. The election of the Stated Clerk is scheduled for Friday morning. Until then Casey, the other candidates and their supporters can talk but not "campaign."

There will be a time on Wednesday morning from 10-12 when the candidates will be allowed to set up a booth outside the exhibit hall where they and their supporters can converse with folks.

If anyone wants to help this "non-campaign" by showing up on Wednesday morning between 10-12, please feel welcome. We'll meet at the "Vista Point" on the second floor of the San Jose Convention Center.

Report of Nominations for Stated Clerk

Here's the official press release from the Presbyterian News Service summarizing the nominating speeches for the candidates for Stated Clerk. PresbyFolk in New Covenant will be interested to read more about Rev. Debbie Cenko's nomination of Rev. Casey Jones for this important position.

Otherwise, it's a slow news day at GA as committees are meeting and no plenary business sessions are scheduled.

Stated Clerk Race Is On!

From Stated Clerk Rev. Diane Prevary:

Just before the dinner break tonight Debbie Cenko placed in nomination for the office of Stated Clerk, the name of Casey Jones from the Presbytery of New Covenant. Debbie's speech was filled with energy and conviction, a touch of humor, and was straight-forward and to-the-point! She nailed it! The election, however, is not until Friday. This gives the candidates time to meet the commissioners and for the current Stated Clerk to complete the work of this assembly.

I could not get close enough to take Debbie's picture on the platform while she was giving her speech, but I did capture a bit of her image on the large-screen monitor (see attached). I was also able to track down several of our commissioners (see attached) as they returned to the Plenary from a day filled with activities.

The committee meetings began tonight following dinner. The focus of the next two days will be the business of the assembly as assigned out to the 17 Standing Committees of this General Assembly. Each of our commissioners are assigned to different committees, so they will not be together again until they return to the Plenary on Wednesday.

Tomorrow I will speak before the committee that has received our overture petitioning the Board of Pensions to expand their benefits to include habilitative services for members of the medical plan (the ChristChurch Overture). Mike Cole will be tracking the activity around our overture from 1st Church, Pearland, concerning the Church Addressing Intergenerational Injustice in America. Mary Marcotte and Wendy Bailey are tracking the work of particular committees, and we will all be together on Tuesday night with our commissioners and friends who are here from New Covenant. It promises to be a busy week!

A Farewell to Clif Kirkpatrick

From Rev. Diane Prevary, Stated Clerk #2: Farewell to Cliff

On Wednesday evening, at the Stated Clerks' pre-assembly conference, those gathered honored and bid farewell to our colleague, Cliff Kirkpatrick. Cliff will retire as the Stated Clerk of the PC(U.S.A.) at the end of this assembly. Serving the national church in a similar capacity to the clerk of session at the local level and stated clerk of a presbytery, Cliff has been a supportive member of this small group of ecclesial officers throughout his tenure. Now our group prepares to welcome a new member -- to be determined at the end of the General Assembly, when a new Stated Clerk will be elected.

dkp

(Editor's Note: One of the candidates for Stated Clerk is New Covenant Presbytery's own Rev. Winfield "Casey" Jones. At its last meeting the presbytery commended his candidacy to the commissioners at GA.)

PNC Commends Candidacy of Rev. Casey Jones

At its May 10th stated meeting, the Presbytery of New Covenant voted to adopt a resolution commending the candidacy of Rev. Winfield ("Casey") Jones for the position of Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PCUSA. Rev. Jones is a member of the PNC and pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Pearland.

The motion was made by Rev. Kevin Keaton, pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Sugar Land and reads as follows:

"Two days ago, the Stated Clerk nominating committee of the General Assembly announced three additional certified candidates for the office of GA stated clerk in addition to its nominee, associate stated clerk Gradye Parsons. Only 13 people who had applied last year were eligible to be nominees. A member of our Presbytery, Winfield Casey Jones, had declared his intent under the option provided under our polity to have his name placed in nomination.

The Presbytery of new Covenant, meeting in a Stated Meeting on May 10, 2008, expresses its thanks to the Stated Clerk Nominating Committee for its hard and prayerful work. We ask the 218th General Assembly to honor that work and its goal of finding the person whom God has selected for this office in two ways.

First, we ask the 218th General Assembly to seriously and prayerfully consider and honor the committee's nominee, Gradye Parsons.

Second, knowing the heart, work and gifts for ministry of Winfield Casey Jones as we do we also commend him to the 218th General Assembly for its serious and prayerful consideration for the position of Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)."