1. Rabbi warns of problems with divestment;  2. No Discussion allowed on why Vice Moderator resigned;  3. Non-geographic Presbyteries – NO; Get rid of Synods – STUDY IT;  4.  Details about schools/seminaries.

Since The Aquila Report has limited staff and budget, we are unable to cover the PCUSA General Assembly.  Our good friends at the Layman are there in force, even adding a new writer just for the occasion.  We will be providing daily ‘teases’ and links to many interesting stories, such as:

Rabbi warns General Assembly that divestment may fracture PCUSA-Jewish relations

By Jason P. Reagan, The Layman, Posted Thursday, July 5, 2012

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The thorny issue of divestment from Israel kicked off the morning plenary session of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s General Assembly after an ecumenical rabbi urged the body to oppose the controversial proposal scheduled to come to the floor today.

The proposalwould direct the PCUSA to divest around $16 million from American companies Caterpillar, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard for allegedly “profiting from non-peaceful pursuits in Israel-Palestine.”

*During the period devoted to Ecumenical Greeting, Rabbi Gil Rosenthal of the National Council of Synagogues told the assembly that divestment from Israel will not “advance the cause of peace one iota” and could jeopardize the ecumenical relationship between Jews and the PCUSA.

“It will embattle Israel and embolden those who would like to delegitimize it and destroy it,” Rosenthal said, adding, “Make no mistake that is the goal of many in that region,” referring to a passage from the Hamas Charter that states, “We want to destroy the Zionist entity.”

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Fireworks start early: Commissioners vote not to discuss former vice moderator’s resignation

Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman

The Fourth of July fireworks started earlier than anticipated Wednesday evening (July 4) when a call to docket 20 minutes of time to discuss the written and verbal items referenced by former 220th General Assembly Vice Moderator Tara Spuhler McCabe in resigning her position.

A commissioner from Twin Cities Area Presbytery made the motion to suspend the standing rules of the assembly to allow 20 minutes to discuss the circumstances surrounding McCabe’s resignation, including written and online comments that may constitute bullying.

When McCabe resigned, earlier in the day, she said, “”I am surprised and saddened … by the overall tenor of GA and toward the office of the moderator” she had experienced since being elected Saturday night. She said that both “individuals and groups who have made little attempt to have personal conversations” have been “blogging and tweeting unhelpful comments.”

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GA quashes experiment in non-geographic presbyteries but synods will be studied for two years

By Jason P. Reagan, The Layman, Posted Thursday, July 5, 2012

PITTSBURGH — The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s General Assembly agreed with its Mid Council Issues Committee on the issue of non-geographic presbyteries, rejecting a proposal on Tuesday that would have launched an eight-year “season of experimentation.”

However, during Thursday’s morning plenary session, the GA agreed to refer the committee’s recommendation of the first four parts of the Mid Council Commission (MCC) exhaustive, two-year, eight-part report. Recommendations 1-4 called for the elimination of synods as ecclesial bodies to be replaced by five administrative commissions.

Committee 5 recommended on Tuesday a proposal that would instead create a new special committee to bring its own recommendation to the 221st General Assembly in 2014 to include a new set of synod boundaries that will reduce the number of synods from the current count of 16 to an amount to be determined by the committee.

On Thursday in plenary, Commissioner Robert Austell moved that the MCC’s proposals on synods be instead referred to a task force to “further discuss, refine and bring to the 221st General Assembly (2014) recommendations that consider the composition and organization of the Mid Councils in ways that reinvigorate their capacity to support missional congregations, and advance the ecclesial nature and character of those presbyteries, within the unity of the church.”

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220th GA approves recommendation for development of clear definition for affiliated school

Also recognizes centennial celebrations of two PC(USA) seminaries

GA220 Communication Center

The 220th General Assembly today (July 4) approved the list of affiliated colleges, universities, and secondary schools as recommended by the Theological Issues, Institutions and Christian Education Committee.

The Assembly also approved the committee’s request that the General Assembly Mission Council, with the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, develop a clear definition of what it means to be considered a “Presbyterian affiliated” school. Currently there is no guideline for affiliation.

The Assembly honored the Rev. John B. Trotti for a lifetime of dedicated work in theological education. Trotti, professor emeritus of bibliography at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va., replied with gratitude, saying, “I have loved this church all my life.”’

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[Editor’s note: Original URLs (links) referenced in this article are no longer valid, so the links have been removed.]