The Houston PCA General Assembly: A Pastor’s Reflections

The Aquila Report ^ | 6-22-04 | David W. Hall

[ReformationFan]

Some Assemblies chart a new course or make history. The 40-year anniversary celebration of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) founding (at the 42nd GA) probably will not bend the lines of history very much. It was a par-for-the-course General Assembly, which pronounces another resounding “Meh,” to the idealist reformers. As is becoming customary, most of the interesting things took place off the floor as this court of the church has become largely irrelevant for the year-round functioning of the church. Perhaps it is a sign of growth and stability that churches no longer depend much on annual four-day meetings[1] and are doing the work of ministry themselves without reliance on either a Plantation or a Corporatist model.

The attendance at the Hilton of the Americas in Houston, TX, was down slightly, with about 1,050 commissioners registered. The location outside the southeast, despite promotional efforts for several decades, still forfeited about 15% of the previous year’s revenue for the Administrative Committee due to this lower registration. The previous year’s AC record surplus exceeded $250,000 [that’s great news! A fix for AC funding has surely been found, even without cutting or reducing expenses]; obviously some of that prior surplus will be needed to offset a lower attendance for 2014.

Prior to the Assembly, numerous caucus groups held their meetings—some open to the public, some frats by invitation only. And a host of seminars (that demonstrably have not increased either total attendance nor ruling elder attendance) were sprinkled throughout Tuesday and the other mornings.

[GeronL]

interesting

[Jemian]

Thank you for posting this.

#7 of what did not happen was very interesting to me. MTW has no coordinator. Yet. And still, hubby and I labor on. And will continue to do so as long as we get visa renewals.