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Today at GA...
6/19
Please note: Our Interim General Presbyter, the Rev. Jim Browne, made a commitment at the June presbytery meeting to provide daily updates for the duration of the 221st General Assembly in Detroit, June 14-21, 2014.
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General Assembly, Day 6
Lake Huron Friends,
(Part 1) It is early Thursday morning at General Assembly which means that we have had our first long day of considering committee recommendations. Today will be another long day, with morning, afternoon and evening business sessions.
From yesterday:
- The Assembly took action to send a proposed amendment to the presbyteries to add the Belhar Confession to our book of confessions. For it to be added to the Book of Confessions 116, or 2/3 of the presbyteries would have to approve it. This was also approved by the last Assembly but it failed to receive those necessary presbytery votes.
- Frank Spencer was confirmed as the new president to the Board of Pensions and Tom Taylor was elected to a second term as the President of the Presbyterian Foundation.
- At least one report was not finished but will be brought back when the assembly may have more energy and hopefully will be more rested.
- A new step was the Wednesday Consent Agenda, which brought 132 articles which had received super majorities in their respective committee meetings. Although several items were removed from the consent agenda and will be considered in the various committee reports, this was an important way to help the Assembly speed action.
(Part 2) After three hours of earnest debate, often expressed with passion and feeling, the Assembly has adopted material that will allow pastors in areas where civil law permits to perform marriage services of same gender couples. It also sent to the presbyteries proposed changes in the Book of Order for their consideration. More detail to follow. In Christ, Jim Browne, Interim General Presbyter and Ted McCulloch, Stated Clerk 
Want to stay up to date on what is happening at GA? Well...there's an app for that! Actually there are a couple apps and they are free: The Guidebook App provides you with the full schedule for GA at your fingertips. It is available for both Apple and Android and is web-based for viewing on other devices. More information and downloading instructions can be found here. The PCbiz App will keep you up to date on the voting and other items. It is available for Apple, Android and Kindle Fire. Click here for details. This is also web-based and can be viewed by clicking here. Click here for more information on all of the GA-related apps. There will be live streaming of GA available beginning with opening worship. Click here for details.
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