The motto of this General Assembly, is from Micah 6:8.
Above, our 6 commissioners and Youth Advisory Delegate:
top row: Elder Chuck Jarrell; The Reverend Renato Alvarez; Elder Bill Noyes; Elder Milinda Benallie; and YAD Kyle Harding.
Lower row, The Reverend Michael Hartwell and The Reverend David Hicks. (David can't quite recall, but this photo was probably taken by Jose' Olagues.)
Left: the Rev. Norma McCabe, pastor of the Tuba City and Kayenta Presbyterian Churches on the Navajo Nation, took part in the Native American Consulting Committee dinner on Tuesday.
In addition to all the talking and debate, a significant amount of time at this G.A. was spent in prayer. (Unless labeled otherwise, photos taken by Joseph Williams, courtesy of PCUSA.org.)
One of the first items of business was the election of our new Moderator, Bruce Reyes-Chow, pastor of Mission Bay Community Church, a new church development in San Francisco.
In nominating him as Moderator, Elder Vivian Guthrie of Greater Atlanta Presbytery asked commissioners to elect Reyes-Chow, “to keep our church relevant … or we aren’t going to be on the same page as younger people. Bruce has a profound understanding of the way the world is changing, so he can help us feel less anxious and less resistant to change.” Read more.
Rick Ufford-Chase, moderator of the 216th General Assembly, escorted the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the 218th General Assembly, and his family to the podium.
Right: this was Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick's last G.A. before his retirement. He accepted the Presbyterian Outlook Foundation’s Ernest Thompson Award at The Presbyterian Outlook dinner. Below, he stands beside the Rev. Joan S. Gray as she lifts the crystal cross she received as a symbol of her term as moderator of the 217th General Assembly.
The Rev. Gradye Parsons, associate stated clerk and director of operations for the Office of the General Assembly (OGA), was chosen to succeed Kirkpatrick.
John Coffin, former director of stewardship and communication development for the General Assembly Council, was recognized for attending his 50th General Assembly.
For most of the thousands of commissioners and others attending G.A., the highpoint was opening worship on Sunday morning.
Liturgical artist Vincent Arishvara illustrated Micah 6:8 for the Sunday opening worship service. Intricate cutwork paraments covered the communion table.
At the beginning of the week, everyone was bursting with energy and enthusiasm. But by Thursday and Friday evening, plenary sessions ran late into the night, and closing worship on Saturday morning brought the General Assembly to a grateful Benediction:
And now may God's peace go with you into the worlds in which you live; be nurtured by this time of gathering; be faithful in the time apart. Love and serve each other in the name of the faithful God, who calls us to be God's people; and the blessings of God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, be with us Always!
and the people said:
AMEN
and the people said:
AMEN
To read the letter sent by the Moderator, Stated Clerk and Executive Director of General Assembly Council to all congregations in the PCUSA, summing up and interpreting this year's General Assembly, go to:
1 comment:
What a great recap! Thanks!
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