Post General Assembly pastoral letter from Moderator and Stated Clerk
To Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregationsTo Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations
To Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations:
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
“Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38)….
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Departments
General Assembly Permanent Committees and Commissions
Stated Clerk releases PC(USA) 2009 statistics
The Office of the General Assembly has released the 2009 statistics of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
“The good news is that adult baptisms rose for the first time in at least four years, and the overall number in membership losses was the lowest it has been in the last decade,” said Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly. “The discouraging news is that while we’re gaining members, we’re still playing catch-up with the rate of decline.”
Read more.
2009 Comparative Summaries.
2009 Miscellaneous Information.
Historic gathering begins in Grand Rapids
An estimated 400 delegates from around the world have gathered in Grand Rapids, Mich., for the Uniting General Council (UGC), which will officially form the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). The UGC runs from June 18-26 and is being attended by several Presbyterians, including Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly.
A merger of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC), WCRC will be the world’s largest Reformed Protestant network — a worldwide affiliation of 80 million Christians from 23 denominations in 108 countries coming together as one body in Christ.
Stated Clerk issues statement on Gaza blockade incident
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a long history of ministry and presence with the people of the Middle East and has long advocated for a just and secure peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Because of this, we express our deep concern about the events that occurred on May 31, 2010 — the Israeli interception in international waters of a convoy of humanitarian-aid ships seeking to bring supplies to a population of 1.5 million people in Gaza.
Read more.
A pastoral letter to those affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster
Grace to you and peace. We thank God in Jesus Christ for all of you. We are praying with you as the tragedy of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill unfolds. We grieve with you as we witness the destruction of life, livelihood, and environmental integrity in the Gulf of Mexico.
Read more.
PC(USA) leaders address new Arizona immigration law in letter to Congress
The Moderator of the 218th General Assembly (2008), the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, and the Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council have written to members of Congress expressing their concern about a new immigration law in Arizona.
In a letter dated April 29, 2010, Bruce Reyes-Chow, Gradye Parsons, and Linda Valentine wrote that the new law, SB 1070, is clear evidence that Congress "must enact comprehensive immigration reform this year."
Read the letter in its entirety.
Read the letter in Spanish.
Stated Clerk's June column is available
Each month the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Moderator or Vice Moderator of the 218th General Assembly write a column of general interest for the church-at-large. The latest column is available.
Read the Stated Clerk's June 2010 column.
Read the Stated Clerk's column in Korean.
219th General Assembly committee leadership named
The moderators and vice-moderators of the 18 committees for the 219th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have been named. The leadership was chosen from the 712 commissioners to this year’s assembly, to be held July 3-10 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Read more.
Stated Clerk issues statement on signing of START treaty by United States and Russia
The new nuclear arms reduction treaty signed by the United States and Russia on April 8 in Prague is an event that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has long awaited. This initiative resonates with the vision of the prophet Micah who looked toward the day when nations “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (Micah 4:3). Guided by this biblical vision, General Assemblies of the church and its predecessors have understood that following Jesus and working for God’s intended order and life abundant involve seeking international disarmament and arms control measures.
Read more.
Stated Clerk issues statement commending CIW and Aramark agreement
The Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), issued a statement today in response to the agreement reached between the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and Aramark Corporation
“On behalf of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I commend the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and Aramark Corporation for forging an agreement that advances human rights for farmworkers and takes us a step further in creating a food system that ensures the well-being of all”
Read more.
Stated Clerk writes churchwide letter on conscientious objectors
By request of the 218th General Assembly (2008), Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons has written a letter to “every congregation and presbytery in the denomination” in response to referral 11-22, “On Supporting Those Who Feel Called to Seek Status as Conscientious Objectors.”
Read the letter.
GA special committees are hard at work
The General Assembly special committees and task forces have completed their reports to the 219th General Assembly.
The committees grew out of actions of the 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Read about the special committees.
Latest news
Heidelberg Catechism Special Committee approves final report.
Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, has issued a statement in response to published comments about the Middle East Study Team report.
Special Committees
Stated Clerk issues statement on current health care debate
The Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, has issued a statement in light of the national attention on health care reform.
The current public debate about health care has led several people to ask what the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has said about this issue.
Read more.
Web site provides training for commissioners and advisory delegates to 219th General Assembly
The 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) may seem a long way off for most folks, but it feels right around the corner for those who are involved in it. Find out more information, including overtures to this summer's assembly.
Read more about the training.
Visit the GA219 Web site.
2009-2011 Book of Order is available
 The new 2009-2011 Book of Order is now available. The book incorporates the amendments to this part of the PC(USA) Constitution that were proposed by the 218th General Assembly (2008) and approved by a majority of the 173 presbyteries.
The amendments went into effect on June 28, 2009, which is one year after the adjournment of the 218th General Assembly.
Printed copies of the 2009-2011 Book of Order are available for $10 through the Presbyterian Distribution Service. Call (800) 524-2612 and ask for item #OGA09-001.
Web site offers resources for interpreting GA per capita
What is per capita? Why is it important? What do General Assembly per capita dollars provide?
Find the answers to these and other frequently asked questions about per capita on a Web site that focuses on this funding source, which is how Presbyterians mutually share the costs of coming together to discern the Spirit’s leading for the future.
Explore the per capita Web site.
Did you know...
The Office of the General Assembly has a member referral service to assist recently relocated church members, greeting them as they enter new communities and welcoming them to a new congregation of faith.
The member referral service enables a congregation to greet and welcome newcomers by name, helps individuals and families reconnect to a spiritual community, provides needed support and stability in a time of transition, and draws upon the connectional nature of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Find out more about the member referral service.
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