Dear Friends:

I shared my personal experience of observing our General Assembly work online, and some key actions that relate have to do with our organization and theology here at home. Here are a few highlights about our global concerns. Again, the lines between “here and there” are not that clean. What we proclaim for “there” is about us “here.” 

 PC(USA) World Mission   You may know that significant restructuring occurred this past year in which all of our global partners (aka-missionaries) were called home and the World Mission division was closed. This action caught nearly everyone by absolute surprise and thus created tremendous conflict, loss of trust, and affected significant work with global partners. None of that was helped by the apparent connection between NDAs and severance packages.                                                                                               (over)

Action: requiring a thorough review of the actions and processes in a restorative process rather than a disciplinary action. “Thorough” is well-defined in the overture.

Action: create a team to study, write and develop a new missiological statement by which to undertake global engagement and report back to the next GA.

 The war in Israel   After lengthy debates and testimonies regarding the reports, both in committee and in the plenary, we approved two statements about the war. One declares that Israel’s action and conduct of the war violate the international law prohibiting genocide. The other calls for select embargoes of Israeli products or purchases from the USA to encourage an end to the war and to genocide. The statements make a clear distinction between condemning the political and governmental actions that is genocide and support for the people of Israel and Jews globally, thus condemning, again, antisemitism. We also approved a document titled “Kairos Palestine II: A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide.”

Nations Statements of repentance, support or advocacy were adopted on behalf of the people of Cuba (support the economic needs of the people, oppose the embargoes and military actions by the USA), Syria (religious freedom), Korea (Jeju April 3rd Tragedy anniversary)

If you want to read any or all of the actions of the 227th General Assembly you can create a free account on myGA.pc-biz.org. Or you can go to https://pcusa.org/about-pcusa/church-structure/general-assembly/general-assembly-gathering

Peace, RevBev