STATED CLERK'S TOP 10 LIST
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES BEFORE THE 214th GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
[4-12-02]
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick has responded to a
number of requests to issue his listing of issues coming to this
year's General Assembly.
1. Elections and Confirmations - The 214th
General Assembly will be electing or confirming key leadership for the
church. In addition to the Moderator, the Assembly will be asked to
confirm the elections or re-elections of John Detterick as Executive
Director of the General Assembly Council, Davis Perkins as President and
Publisher for the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, and Phillip Butin
as President of San Francisco Theological Seminary.
2. Christian Educators - There are major
proposals to strengthen the role of Christian educators in the life of
the church including amendments to the Book of Order to create the
possibility of having a specialization in Christian education for
Ministers of Word and Sacrament.
3. Biennial Assemblies - The Committee on the
Office of the General Assembly with the concurrence of the General
Assembly Council is proposing that Assemblies meet biennially beginning
in 2004 to achieve better stewardship and more effective governance.
4. Funding the Work of the Church - Proposals
will be before the assembly related to the collection of per capita, the
launching of a new Mission Initiative to secure funds for mission
personnel and church development, and the reduction of budgets in light
of declining income.
5. Affirming the Lordship of Jesus Christ - A
variety of overtures are before the Assembly to clearly articulate the
church's understanding of salvation through Jesus Christ. Several of
those call for the formal adoption by the Assembly of the paper,
"Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ," prepared by the Office of
Theology and Worship.
6. Curriculum Concerns - There are both
overtures and agency reports related to denominational curriculum and
the review and revision of the previously published "God's Gift of
Sexuality Curriculum."
7. Review of the World Alliance of Reformed
Churches - The General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical Relations
will be bringing its first mandated review of the ecumenical agencies of
which the Assembly is a member. It will be proposing a strong
affirmation of continuing membership in and support of the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches.
8. Abortion - Issues related to abortion will
again be a major focus at this Assembly. The Advisory Committee on
Social Witness Concerns and the Advisory Committee on Litigation will be
bringing their response to an earlier Assembly referral clarifying the
church's position on late term abortions.
9. Restorative Justice - The Advisory Committee
on Social Witness Policy will be proposing a resolution and specific
actions by Presbyterians in support of restorative justice as a basic
orientation for the criminal justice system.
10. Making Book of Order Amendments More Difficult
- There are a number of overtures that would either raise the bar
(require a 2/3s vote) or lengthen the time line for adding new
amendments to the Book of Order.
