the 222nd General Assembly of our National PCUSA
This week marks the beginning of the 222nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) taking place in Portland, Oregon from June 18th – 25th.
The General Assembly consists of commissioners elected by presbyteries. Half of the commissioners will be ruling elders, half will be teaching elders. Few will ever have been commissioners to the General Assembly before, but most will have served in one of the other governing bodies of our church: the session, which provides care and oversight of a local congregation; the presbytery, which provides care and oversight of a group of congregations; or the synod which provides care and oversight of several presbyteries.
It reviews the work of synods, resolves controversies in the church, is responsible for matters of common concern for the whole church, and serves as a symbol of unity for the church.
The General Assembly has several specific responsibilities outlined in Chapter 3 of the Book of Order. The assembly seeks to protect our church from errors in faith and practice, is responsible for assuring that the expression of our theology remains true to the biblical standards in our historic confessions. The General Assembly presents a witness for truth and justice in our community and in the world community. It sets priorities for the church and establishes relationships with other churches or ecumenical bodies.
Even if we’re not in Portland, we can still participate in this seminal bi-annual gathering of our church, seeking to be present in our world of today and firmly rooted in our following Jesus as spiritual guide, prophet and savior.
Here are some ways you can follow along by video, blog posts and social media.
On Facebook follow (by liking) the following page: SpiritOfGA
On Twitter follow: @PresbyGA
and/or search for posts using the following hashtags:
#ga222 and #pcusa
Stay abreast of developments on the GA 222 home page at pcusa.org
– this will include live streaming of General Assembly sessions and meetings.
The site will walk you through how to use it.
http://oga.pcusa.org/section/ga/222nd-general-assembly-2016/
Download the docket of actions and scheduled events
[items of business]
Here too are some online video introductions
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE THE INTRO TO THE GA VIDEO
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO WATCH THIS VIDEO ON GOVERNANCE
CAPC Oakland 