Day 5: Fireworks

It wouldn’t be the Fourth of July without fireworks, and the fireworks started early at the General Assembly Wednesday.  Commissioners were greeted with an unexpected item of business:  the resignation of Vice Moderator Tara Spuhler McCabe, only two days after her election.  She explained that this decision was her own, based on her pastoral concern for the church.  As I reported in an earlier blog, her confirmation as Vice Moderator was fraught with challenges to the standing rules, and to her personally, since she admitted to having officiated a same-sex wedding in violation of Presbyterian polity.  In her resignation speech she indicated that there were multiple individuals and groups who were threatening to block the assembly’s ability to conduct business through various parliamentary mechanisms if she continued as Vice Moderator.

The Standing Rules of the General Assembly do not address the resignation of a confirmed Vice Moderator, but Robert’s Rules of Order provide that when a person appointed or elected to office resigns, the same power to appoint or elect applies to the appointment or election of the successor.  So Moderator Presa proceeded to nominate a new Vice Moderator, who was elected (according to the Standing Rules) at the next business session.  To show how divisive the Vice Moderator's confirmation has become, a motion to allow 20 minutes to discuss the actions of Rev. McCabe after she had resigned failed by a single vote.

The selection of Trinidad raised concern among some progressive commissioners who had voted for Presa on the promise of a "partnership" between left and right.  It was assumed that he would select a new Vice Moderator more in the mold of McCabe -- at least one who was not a male Teaching Elder.

The floor business on day one of plenary meetings is typically benign, arranged to let the Assembly settle in to the practice of deliberation.  One of the most controversial items was a substitute motion to allow presbyteries to limit their payments to higher councils to 18% of their operating budgets, which was ultimately defeated. (It would have saved our presbytery close to $60,000 annually, but would bankrupt higher councils.)

Another important matter was the consideration of a new translation of the 1563 Heidelberg Catechism.  The matter was first brought to the 218th General Assembly in San Jose in 2008, which initiated the process for amending the Confessions.  Approval was given in 2010 to participate in a joint translation process with two other Reformed denominations.  Their final product was presented at this assembly and was approved to be sent to the presbyteries for their consideration.  Approval by 2/3 of the presbyteries and by the next Assembly is necessary for adoption.  In a related matter, the Assembly approved forming a new "Committee of Fifteen" to make recommendation to the 2014 Assembly regarding incorporating the Belhar Confession into our Book of Confessions.  Belhar was approved by the Assembly in 2010 but fell eight shy of obtaining the requisite number of presbytery approvals.

The day ended early to allow commissioners and others to enjoy the fireworks show over the Three Rivers confluence.