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Monday Day 3: Committees Begin Meeting

June 11, 2001

The Assembly Committees began considering the business before them this morning. Many of the Committees began with open hearings. ANYBODY can sign up to speak at an open hearing regarding the business before the Committee. Personally, I don’t think the process for this is very helpful. In most instances each speaker is given three minutes to tell the Committee one’s thoughts on the issue. Three minutes does not provide sufficient time to develop a rational presentation. The speakers try frequently to by-pass the brain of the Committee members and to appeal to emotion. The Committee moves straight through their list of business. People are called by name in order of their sign-up position. I don’t see how the Committee can keep straight what they heard or to which piece of business it related. About the only thing that can be said for the process is that it gives any person wishing to the opportunity to address an Assembly Committee.

The two Committees is spent time observing were the one dealing with whether the Assembly should act to appoint a "blue ribbon commission to study the causes of division in the denomination," and the one considering "ordination standards." Both Committees are considered the hot committees of this Assembly. The "theological issues" Committee will spend the rest of their time wrestling with seeking to find "a third or more excellent way," rather than the constant legislative and judicial means of settling our disputes.

The "ordination standards" committee is meeting in a terrible room. It must be 250 -300 feet long and 100 wide with a concrete floor and concrete walls. There were about 1000 chairs in the room with about two-thirds of them in use. Standing in the back of the room I could barely see the Committee members at their tables. A long portion of their time was given to looking at the various ways "faithful Presbyterians" read and interpret some of the oft cited biblical passages dealing with homosexuality. The two presenters were doing an excellent job of walking the Committee through the various interpretations and the reasons for them. The presenters were using a computer slide projector to enhance the material for the Commissioners. Standing in the back, as I was, it was impossible to make out anything on the screen. Now that the moratorium on amending our Constitution on these matters is completed, there are a host of overtures and Commissioner Resolutions seeking to make sure no changes are sent to the presbyteries for vote, or trying to make sure the presbyteries are asked to consider these issues one more time.

Coming before both the Committees were impassioned faithful Presbyterians who love the denomination and want it to do the "right" thing. The problem is each has a different view on what the "right thing" is. Both perspectives cannot be done at the same time. One of the Commissioners shared with her Committee "positive polarity resolution." The theory is that you can work to achieve to seemingly opposite goals or statements. The theory breaks down on the assumption that either or both of the goals or statements is/are worth pursuing. Not every goal or statement is worth pressing forward.

With all the overtures and commissioner’s resolutions before some of the Committees it is amazing that anything reasonable comes to the floor of the Assembly. Other Committees have finished their work and have all day Tuesday to site-see, shop, rest or sit in the observers seating of other Committees.