Issues Facing The 216th General Assembly in Richmond VA

Pray For Our Church's National Meeting

Greetings from Richmond, Virginia!

Your Senior Pastor arrived in Richmond, Virginia, today where he will be a non-voting observer for the meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyerian Church, USA.

When I came to Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church last year, one of the items in my "Terms of Call" was a provision to send me to the meeting of the General Assembly and to report daily to the congregation via email.

This came from a positive experience I had in my last congregation. The Sunrise Church in Miami felt these daily email reports made them feel more connected to our denomination's national-level meeting. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here for the Good Shepherd folks this year.

What is the General Assembly? It is the national level governing body of our denomination in which elders and pastors elected by the Presbytery votes on policies, sets priorities, and establishes new ministries and missions of the church. General Assembly has been meeting annually, but after this year it will meet every other year.

Moving to a new schedule of meeting every other year is just one of many things that makes this year's national meeting important. In many ways, this may be the most important General Assembly in a long time.

As an observer, Dr. Pittendreigh, will send frequent updates to our church's email list (and to a few others from other congregations who have requested these updates).

Some of the important highlights expected at this meeting:

1. Sexual issues will be prominent. Our church, like all other denominations, has debated and struggled with the issues of sexual ethics in a changing society. It is the position of the Presbyterian Church, USA, not to ordain and install homosexuals as Ministers, Elders or Deacons. While we welcome all people who profess Christ as Savior into membership, the church has expressed in our Book of Order the expecation that "those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture." The Book of Order specifically states, "Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." As in other previous General Assemblies, there are those who will be challenging the church's traditional stand.

2. How should we evangelize the Jew? Growing out of a new "Messianic" congregegation in Philadelphia Presbytery, a number of overtures being presented to the General Assembly are calling for study and evaluation of Jewish-Christian relations and evangelism.

3. Abortion issues. Overtures will be presented seeking to insert in our Book of Order clear stands against abortion, and calling on policitical action to end abortion in this country.

4. Post 911 issues. How will the Presbyterian Church address issues related to peacemaking, immigration, response to terrorism, and Iraq?


5. Elections of a General Assembly Moderator and a Stated Clerk. Both are positions of leadership in our church and the election of these two positions will say much about where our church is headed in the next few years.

6. Family. Last year's General Assembly referred to this year's assembly the paper now known as "Transforming Families," with a concern that there be a stronger affirmation of the theological values of traditional patterns of family life. This revised paper is expected to be a major item before the Assembly.


Pray now for this meeting and the voting commissioners, that God would give them safe travel and wisdom in their debates and decisions.


The Grace of Christ be with you...

The Rev. Dr. W. Maynard Pittendreigh
Senior Pastor
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
1400 Killian Hill Road
Lilburn GA 30047
www.Pittendreigh.com