Gathering X and Other News
May 08, 2007

Gathering X planned for August 2007

As you receive this email, members of a Presbyterian Coalition working group are meeting in Chicago for three days to continue honing a strategic plan of reformation for the PCUSA. You asked for a road map to lead us in positive directions, and you will be hearing much more about this action plan in the coming weeks and months. Please keep this group in your prayers.
The plan will be a major feature of the upcoming Gathering X in Houston, TX, at Grace Presbyterian Church, August 14-16, 2007. Airport and hotel information are posted on our website at http://www.presbycoalition.org/gXinfo.htm. We expect that this meeting will particularly and significantly affect our future in the PC(USA) and we encourage you to reserve the dates and plan to attend. The Presbyterian Global Fellowship conference will be in Houston immediately following Gathering X.

PUP follow-up: The examination of candidates

We have been offering consultation and help to sessions and presbyteries seeking a faithful way forward in the post-PUP situation. More than two dozen presbyteries have adopted resolutions of commitment to constitutional requirements for ordination. You can see the growing list and the wording they are using on our website at http://www.presbycoalition.org/comply.htm.

The Presbyterian Coalition is now offering assistance to Presbyterians who want to ensure that candidates for office in both sessions and presbyteries are examined with the seriousness and rigor, called for by the General Assembly.. Please let me know if we can assist you.

General Assembly preparations

In addition, we are working with a General Assembly team of renewal leaders that is coordinating preparation for the 2008 General Assembly. This team is meeting regularly by conference call to discuss issues and strategies for that assembly. I've made a site visit of the convention area in San Jose, CA.

One of the most frequent calls I receive is for help framing an overture to respond to the PUP Report authoritative interpretation. We have a team already working with sessions and presbyteries to develop overtures. If you would like to network with others working on overtures, please let me know.

We are collecting the names of commissioners who have been elected to serve at the next assembly. I hope you will help us by sending me the names of commissioners who are elected by your presbytery.

Book of Order amendments

Presbyteries are reaching the end of voting on proposed amendments to the Book of Order. You can see the voting results posted on http://www.pcusa.org/generalassembly/vote.htm. Many of the proposed amendments have been decided. The most critical vote this year is on a rewrite of Chapter 14, the chapter of our constitution that deals with ordination. As of this date, this one--the "A" amendment package--has not been decided. The votes are close. We in the Coalition strongly urge the presbyteries to defeat the "A" package. We find in it changes to the constitution that will result in more harm than good for our denomination.
The outcome of this vote, more than the others, has implications for the future. A task force approved by the 2006 General Assembly is at work on a revision of the entire first section of the Book of Order: our Form of Government. Their revision includes yet another revision of Chapter 14. Whatever the outcome of the current voting, the closeness of the vote is clearly no mandate for a rewrite of our constitution in the present climate.

Form of Government (FOG) rewrite

I am attending the meetings of the Form of Government (FOG) task force. My report of the February meeting is on our website at http://www.presbycoalition.org/FOGreport.htm. The task force met again in April, both face-to-face and by conference call. I observed both meetings. Once their newly updated rewrite is posted, I will send you another report. I encourage you to follow their work, since it will have a major impact on your life as a Presbyterian. The webpage link is http://www.pcusa.org/ formofgovernment/abouttaskforce.htm.

It's not a General Assembly year. But the Presbyterian Coalition remains very busy on your behalf. We are grateful for your participation, your prayers, your financial support. This is a year when solid preparation for the next year is exceptionally important. Your involvement and support now is sowing for a good harvest in the future. May God bless your every act to preserve the truth and uphold biblical faithfulness in our denomination.

Terry Schlossberg
The Presbyterian Coalition

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