The End

The last day in Birmingham. I'll be back in Houston late afternoon (I just hope my car is still at Hobby airport and not floating in the Gulf). I've been persuaded to go to Webster PC on Satuday morning (10 am) where those commissioners that can make it will unpack GA for whover comes. I'll do something similar for the Lake Jackson folks.
Last night we did some good things, including a motion affirming the right of the unborn child in late term pregnancies. This is a major change for the Assembly which, over the years, has not had much to say about the rights of the unborn. (Actually, I prefer to talk about our responsibilities instead of rights - we don't really have rights before God). Unfortunately, the battle to save the Historical Foundation at Montreat failed. That will, presumably, tick-off a large number of Southern churches and presbyteries. As if we needed any more conflict!
As you may have read, the Renewal Network led an act of prayer and repentance around the fountain at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center yesterday. I was there. We were joined by the Moderator and the Stated Clerk. To his credit, Rick Ufford-Chase also turned up. I don't know how many were there, but at least a hundred ( it was called for the dinner break and I suspect that many others simply forgot. I wanted it to be more prominent - I'd have walked off the floor of the Assembly, but whoever organised it obiously didn't want to embarrass the moderator, and that was probably a gracious move, even though it meant that the action had less impact).
In the meantime there is a significant sense of foreboding. In some ways the battle was never going to be what happened at GA, but what happens after GA. The New Covenant Evangelical Caucus needs to meet pretty quickly. I seem to recall that we set a date, but I don't have it before me. We need to be preparing some motions for the August Presbytery meeting.
I'm hoping that the statement by the Renewal groups will keep us hanging together, at least in the short term. Now, it's more important than ever that we send representatives to the New Wineskins Convocation in July, and to the Presbyterian Coalitions "Y'All Come" and the Global Fellowship meeting in August. I hear of fairly major developments within a month, but we will have to wait and see. I don't think the Assembly has any clue what a can of worms has been opened.
I've enjoyed my time at GA, even though I've been operating on about 5 hours of sleep per night (and only 3 hours last night!) It's been good to catch up on old friends and to make some new ones. I also (secretly) enjoy the cut and thrust of debate. But I do not appreciate the constant polits. Neither do I enjoy the scandalously low level of trust that makes us all second-guess motives and doubt the good intentions of fellow Presbyterians.
Two churches came together in Birmingham. Sometimes it was difficult to see just what they had in common. It may be that I will be able to tell my grandchildren (not yet, please God!!) that I was there in Birmingham for that famous Assembly, when the PC(USA) finally crossed the line.
Presbuteros