This report is limited to highlights that could (should?) be of interest to our readers.

First up was the annual report of the Stated Clerks Report.

The Stated Clerk’s office keeps count on the votes of Presbyteries on recommended changes to the Book of Church Order. (Every change requires approval by a General Assembly, the approval by 2/3 of the Presbyteries, and then another vote of the General Assembly.

The two items originally sent down for vote by last year’s General
Assembly require the affirmative vote of fifty-two (52) Presbyteries, since we now have seventy-eight (78) Presbyteries. As of today there were insufficient votes reported by Presbytery and therefore the vote on the changes needed to be postponed until the 2011 General Assembly. The Assembly voted to do so.

The clerk next reported on some statistics, saying “Just as patients’ vital signs give indications of their health, our statistics give us some insights into the health of our churches and denomination. Our statistics are mixed, with some increases and some decreases. Our membership is up again after a first-time decrease last year. The economic downturn is reflected in our financial statistics. Some statistics for 2009 as compared with 2008 are:
· Churches and missions – 1,740, an increase of 47.
· Total professions of faith – 9,082, a decrease of 263.
· Total membership – 346,408, an increase of 5,556.
· Total Family Units – 135,230, a decrease of 309.
· Sunday School Attendance – 105,477 which is 4,175 fewer than in 2008. This is reflective of a trend in church life throughout North America.
· Per capita Giving – $2,392, a decrease of $116.
· Per Capita Benevolences – $437, a decrease of $38
· Total Reported Contributions – $699,348,062, a decrease of $17,522,800”

Next, several proposed amendments to the Rules of Assembly Operations (RAO) came to the floor for consideration. This is regularly done on the first business day of the Assembly because of the high quorum required to pass such changes.

The first amendment came from the Standing Judicial Commission concerning a detailed Code of Conduct for members of the SJC. The motion passed. (A copy of the full proposal will be made available as soon as received by The Aquila Report.”

The next amendment also came from the Standing Judicial Commission. The Manual of Operations currently allows for conference calls during times a 3-man panel is conducting a ‘hearing’ on a case, when all parties agree to the practice. The recommending is to open this up to be used at any time the panel desires, with the grounds that this would save a lot of money used in travel expenses. After some strong arguments against this from the floor, the motion failed to achieve the needed majority of commissioners present and voting.

Next, the Committee of Commissioners (COC) on Retirement and Benefits made a partial report of RBI to recommend a revision to the RAO concerning eligibility for reelection to the Board. The motion would allow men who served less than 36 months of a partial term to be eligible to serve two additional full terms. The motion passed.

Next up was the report of the Interchurch Relations Committee. The chairman, TE Craig Higgins introduced several Fraternal Delegates from other churches. These presentations include two men from the Presbyterian Church of Brazil and representatives from the Reformed Presbyterian Church, North America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Under new business only one personal resolution was made. A commissioner asked the Assembly agree to send a proposed letter to President Obama and other federal leaders concerning the government’s approval of homoerotic behavior. The resolution was received by the Assembly and assigned to the Overtures Committee to draft a response.

Assembly recessed for lunch just before noon and came back at 1:30PM to resume business.

First up was the Committee on Review of Presbytery Records. Service on this committee is one of the most tedious – they have to read all the minutes of all 75 Presbyteries, and most Presbyteries meet 4 times a year! But in many ways it is one of the most important committees, since they are the group responsible for the first step of church discipline of general review’ to ensure that the Presbyteries are acting in accord with the church’s constitution.

The committee made several general recommendations before moving to the actual report on the minutes.

First was the very serious matter of having to cite six Presbyteries for their failure to submit minutes and/or responses to previous exceptions to their minutes for at least 3 years. These Presbyteries are to report to the Standing Judicial Commission at their annual meeting next spring. The six are:
· Gulfstream (minutes and responses)
· Korean Central (responses)
· Korean Northwest (minutes and responses)
· Korean Southeastern (minutes and responses)
· Korean Southwest (minutes and responses)
· Pacific (responses)

Next were two presbyteries that had not reached the most serious list, but were cited to report to the Review of Presbytery Records next spring due to a second year’s failures to respond. These were:
· Georgia Foothills (minutes and responses)
· Warrior (responses)

Next up were a serious of ‘informational reports’. Each Board and Agency had an opportunity to present a 15 minutes presentation to the commissioners concerning the work they had accomplished in the previous year. Reporting were:
Covenant College
Retirement and Benefits
Covenant Seminary
Mission to North America
Administrative Committee
Mission to the World
Reformed University Ministries
PCA Foundation

The Assembly adjourned a bit earlier than normal in order to provide time for a special seminar conducted by two of the denomination’s leaders, TE Tim Keller, Senior Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and TE Lig Duncan, Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi. The title of the seminar was to be: “The PCA – a Way Forward: What We All Can Agree on and Why We Should Stay Together.”

After the supper hour, there will be a worship service and then, folks will cross to street to the Ryman Auditorium (original home of the Grand Ole Opry) for a special concert and hymn sing led by the RUF related ‘Indelible Grace’ Ministries.