Which Assembly are you attending?

At every Assembly there are at least three different meetings taking place, simultaneously, and often unnoticed. The key to Assembly watching is being aware which Assembly you are attending. The first is the Assembly-as-public-relations event. The grand worship services; the recognitions of service or achievement in the mission of the church; the "family reunion" activities; the promotion of different aspects of denominational life in the exhibit hall -- all of these are part of the Assembly spectacle. It is possible to miss all the business and politics, and still have an inspiring Assembly experience. When I attended my first Assembly in Atlanta in 1983, this is what I remember most.

The second Assembly, which parallels the first is the Assembly as decision-making body. The work of the committees, the overtures, reports, and requests, the debates on the floor of plenary all contribute to this second kind of meeting. When people ask, "What did the Assembly do?" the answers usually are framed in terms of the actions of the Assembly on these legislative items. This Assembly has some fascinating and important items before it: a proposed new Form of Government; a proposal to redefine marriage; a new Social Witness creed; and a controversial statement on anti-Semitism are just a few.

The third Assembly, and the one that attracts most GA junkies like me, is the Assembly as political arena. As the longest regularly meeting democratically elected Assembly in world, it is no surprise that the Assembly is fraught with political intrigue. There are, of course, the ideological battles to be waged over issues such as gay ordination and abortion policy which have captured the most attention in recent years. But there are other, more subtle political fights, such as the one between the Presbyterian Foundation and the General Assembly Council that will be waged in Committee 8 (Mission Coordination and Budgets). And perhaps the wild card at this Assembly will be how the agents of schism such as the New Wineskins Association will try to lobby and spin the Assembly to try to woo those outside the Assembly to defect to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Each of these Assemblies has interest and excitement in its own right. My reports will try to touch on all three Assemblies taking place in San Jose.