As someone who actually gets excited about General Assemblies, attending the annual gahering of the PC(USA) in San Jose this June was like a rock fan going to a U2 concert, a tennis novice attending Wimbledon or a law student stepping into the Supreme Court. You cannot help, as a Canadian Presbyterian, being struck by how big everything is. The display area is 50,000 square feet; most days had 20 or more events taking place; the Assembly Hall is equipped with four camera angles, a 30-metre JumboTron, a full video, light and audio live production facility complete with an off-duty ESPN producer firing the motions and amendments onto the screen faster than football stats at the Super Bowl. There were 750 voting commissioners and 225 advisory delegates seated on the Assembly floor, each one equipped with a laptop computer (a requirement, partly since the business binder, if printed, would be about eight inches thick). Behind commissioners are rows of press, ecumenical visitors, guests, and observers
(primarily from affinity groups interested in the outcome of the votes affecting their constituency) numbering close to 3,000. You cannot help but feel this is an 'event,' a happening. The buzz is evident everywhere. Of course, Presbyterians are just as friendly in the States and our colleagues extend very kind hospitality to their guests.
But apart from the scale, what else is different between our two assemblies? What might we learn from theirs?
The role of young people is very important at both the PC(USA) and the PCC assemblies. We value the voices that our YARs bring to our assembly. Young people have a similar role at the PC(USA), but there are more of them. Each of 173 presbyteries sends a youth delegate. With 750 commissioners, an additional 173 young people is sure to have an impact. Although the Youth Advisory Delegates do not have a counted vote, they, along with the other advisory delegates have an advisory vote. This means that the Moderator asks the advisory delegates to vote electronically ahead of the commissioners. The result of the advisory vote is put on the screen for the commissions to see and the Moderator will say "Commissioners, you have been advised, you may now vote." Do the advisory votes influence the commissioners? And would that be a problem? It's hard to say, but the commissioners at least know what the youth, students and ecumenical delegates think on any given issue as they
discern their mind. As an onlooker, it was fascinating to be able to see how various groups were voting.
There seems to be a high level of expectation that commissioners will prepare well, be in their places on time, and be present throughout the assembly. As a clerk, I suppose I am a little more sensitive than some to this! One evening when the business went on past 11 p.m. I must admit that even I petered out and headed for my room! The commissioners soldiered on until finally enough of them convinced the Moderator to let them go to bed. The next day the Stated Clerk commented to me that one of his accomplishments had been to ensure that no business sessions go beyond midnight!
Over the years, the PC(USA) has developed an interesting process for engaging commissioners in the work of the assembly. Clearly every commissioner could not hope to digest all the business – there is simply too much. So each and every commissioner is appointed (randomly, with considerations of clergy/lay, gender and ethnic balance) to serve on one of 18 committees. All the business is 'triaged' to these committees and the recommendations to the assembly are based entirely on the fast and furious work of these committees. They range in subject from bills and overtures to peacemaking and justice issues, to church orders, to governance, to youth. These committees meet from Sunday evening to Tuesday. During their meetings the advisory delegates (e.g. youth, ecumenical and students) are given both voice and vote, and the committee will receive testimony from a wide variety of people (not necessarily other commissioners) who wish to address a particular item. Often there are
line-ups out the door and down the hall of those hoping to speak. Committee reports and recommendations are prepared by Wednesday afternoon when the assembly business meetings begin. Each committee will bring forward a consent agenda of the items about which they were unanimous, and specific recommendations for all other items. This way the assembly is spared dealing with the approximately 1,000 items of business separately.
As a clerk of assembly, it was a great gift to be present at the PC(USA) assembly with good colleagues and friends from south of the border. It provided a very interesting and helpful glimpse into how another assembly functions. It also made me more grateful than ever to be serving our own denomination. And yes, the PC(USA) General Assembly also spends too much time fiddling over where the comma should go in an amendment to an amendment. After all, we are Presbyterians!
