Han-Ca Presbyteries to be Explored
The 2002 assembly approved an end to the trial period for the church’s Han-Ca presbyteries, but also called for a Special Committee on the Life of the Han-Ca Presbyteries to be struck in 2010 to “receive information” on how the Korean presbyteries and church at large have addressed concerns raised in the 2002 report.
Most presbyteries are bound by geography, containing all Presbyterian churches within their bounds. The two Korean-speaking presbyteries—Eastern and Western Han-Ca—span the continent, with a church physically located within the bounds of a geographical presbytery, but belonging to one of the Korean-speaking, non-geographical presbyteries.
The Clerks of Assembly recommended the creation of a seven-person committee to “survey both Han-Ca and non-Han-Ca presbyteries about how they have addressed the concerns raised [in the report presented to the 2002 assembly] as well as any other aspects of their ongoing life.” The committee will include two members from each of the Han-Ca presbyteries, and three from the church at large.
An amendment proposed by Rev. Peter Bush of the Presbytery of Winnipeg asked that the committee also consult with the geographical presbyteries within whose bounds Han-Ca churches are found.
A second amendment, also proposed by Bush, asked that the committee explore a possible process for churches within Han-Ca presbyteries to move into geographically-bound presbyteries, and for churches within geographically-bound presbyteries to move into Eastern or Western Han-Ca. Both amendments were adopted by the assembly.
Church Takes Aim at Climate Change
The report of the International Affairs Committee focused on the theme of “caring for creation,” and proposed a number of recommendations aimed at climate change in particular.
Several members of the court criticized a recommendation that the Moderator write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to “encourage” the Canadian government to “work for and support an internationally negotiated, binding agreement” building on the Kyoto Protocol at an upcoming climate change meeting this December in Mexico City, calling the recommendation to weakly worded, and suggesting the proposed letter should make a bolder statement. As time ran short, the recommendation was tabled until a future sederunt.
Six other recommendations passed without debate:
• The Moderator will write to the Minister of International Cooperation requesting information on the Canadian International Development Agency’s policies and financial commitments for projects dealing directly with climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• He will also write to the Government of Canada to ask if Canada will pledge “new and additional” adaptation funding under the Copenhagen Accord.
Congregations are encouraged to form study groups to learn about climate change and consider the steps that can be taken individually, as congregations and as communities to reduce carbon emissions.
• They are also encouraged to host community forums on climate change.
• The courts of the church are invited to share with the International Affairs Committee (through Justice Ministries) how they are reducing their carbon emissions and caring for creation.
Jewish Representative Addresses Anti-Semitism
Eric Vernon, director of government relations and international affairs for the Canadian Jewish Congress addressed the assembly, focusing on the tension between freedom of speech as a core democratic value, and a government’s responsibility to protect its vulnerable minorities. He argued the decision to protect minorities helps to cement Canada’s respect for diversity, and does more to avoid undermining social cohesion than does the imposition of laws against hate speech.
“The vilification of persons because of who they are instead of what they have done is a bright line demarcating hate speech,” he said. He took particular aim at
online communication, where, he said, “what passes for discourse is often one-sided polemic arguments that broke no debate.”
“I note with gratitude and comfort that you encourage your people to eschew all forms of anti-Semitism including the use of language that can cause slander and harm.”
Palestinian Christian Endorses Kairos Palestine Document
Rev. Robert Assaly, convener of PCC partner, Canadian Friends of Sabeel spoke to the assembly about his time spent in Gaza, calling it the “world’s largest prison.”
It is a “human-made disaster, dependent on the demonization of the people there,” he said. He endorsed A Moment of Truth: A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering, also known as the Kairos Palestine Document. The statement was created by a group of Palestinian Christians representing a wide spectrum of churches and church-related organizations, and was endorsed by the World Council of Churches, of which the Presbyterian Church in Canada is a member. The assembly later debated the document, which was recommended for study by the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee. Assaly noted that it calls for the end of the Israeli occupation in Gaza, an end to the polarization that fuels and sustains the conflict, and for work towards security, justice and peace for all. He suggested achieving peace in the Holy Land will inspire hope for peace throughout the world.
“It is God’s land, and therefore it must be a land of reconciliation, peace and love.”
Sabeel is an ecumenical grassroots centre for liberation theology among Palestinian Christians that seeks to promote peace with justice in the Middle East.
Ecumenical and Interfaith Resources and Study Documents Endorsed
The Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee presented several recommendations:
Congregations are encouraged to use several resources and to be engaged in local community-based interfaith activities. Resources include Council for a Parliament of World Religions, The Word Council of Churches on Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, The Canadian Council of Churches on Interfaith Dialogue, PC(USA) Interfaith Toolkit, a video series by John Esposito entitled, Great World Religions: Islam, and the work of Karen Armstrong.
Congregations and presbyteries are encouraged to submit stories of experiences in interfaith initiatives and activities to the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee.
A third recommendation dealing with sending the Kairos Palestine Document to congregations, presbyteries, and appropriate committees for study and discussion and reply by Jan. 31, 2011, was discussed at length. An additional motion, asking that the response of the Canadian Jewish Congress be sent along with the actual document was carried as an amendment, but extensive debate led to a shortage of time, and the issue will be revisited at a later sederunt.
Assembly Council Report Sparks Debate About Future
A revised version of Appendix G in the Book of Forms, which deals with archives and records, was approved. Changes were suggested in order to update and streamline the text, making it more user friendly.
The audited financial statements for the church and the pension fund, as well as the budget for 2011 were carried without discussion. The forecasted budget for 2012-2014 was discussed, as Rev. Peter Bush of the Presbytery of Winnipeg, noted that projections include increases in givings to Presbyterians Sharing. But, as Bush noted, givings have remained the same in the last decade, and so he reminded the assembly that to adopt the forecasted numbers as presented, “we will have to do better than we have in the past decade.” It would be a commitment to increase givings, and a call to act. “And if we are not prepared to do that, we should vote against this in good conscience.” The recommendation was carried.
A new motion proposed by Rev. Peter Bush, Presbytery of Winnipeg, garnered a huge response, and will be revisited at a later sederunt. The motion asked that the 136th General Assembly urge all presbyteries to be on the lookout for missional opportunities within their bounds and to be bold in taking risks in seeking the advance of the reign of God. In that spirit of taking bold risks, it asked that the Presbyterian Church commit itself to the vision of planting 10 congregations a year over the five years, 2012-2016.
The assembly voted to split the motion into two, with the assembly endorsing the push for presbyteries to be more missional, but choosing to debate the church-planting component at a later time.
Commissioners commented that they agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment of the motion, saying the church needs to act boldly and think of new ways to do church and mission. However, the practical considerations and implications of planting this number of churches made the assembly uneasy. Bush maintained that these new church plants need not follow traditional methods, and therefore, will not necessarily need large sums of money to get started, but can reflect new forms of ministry and new definitions of church.
Onuoha Honoured
A minute of appreciation was given for Rev. Arlene (Randall) Onuoha, who served as a missionary in numerous capacities with the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria since 1978. She will now be searching for a call within the PCC. Rev. Daniel Cho, former convener of the Life and Mission Agency, read the minute of appreciation, noting that Onuoha is “one of the living links of the partnership in mission of our two churches.” She received a long-lasting standing ovation for her years of service. In response, an emotional Onuoha spoke of God’s faithfulness, and how He has worked in her life and the life of the church, and how we must in turn be faithful to Him.
“Sometimes I have seen things that look like they’re going to die—like projects, like people, like faith—because we start trying to figure things out for ourselves too much, and forget that we are in God’s hands. And when we get to a point where we see that it is not us, it is God in us that we accomplish things, and we are able to let go and proceed in faith with the gifts God has given us, then I have seen things take off.”
Onuoha called this new phase “a change in assignments,” noting that during her send-off in Nigeria, they said they were sending her to Canada to be a missionary here. “I was called to ministry, and I am still in ministry.”
No Health and Dental Benefits for “Paid Up Pensioners”
Assembly endorsed a recommendation by the Pension and Benefits Board to deny health and dental benefits to “paid up pensioners.” A “paid up pensioner” is a former member of the church’s pension plan who left the employment of the church but retained equity within the pension plan, as permitted under pension regulations, in order to receive a deferred pension benefit at retirement.
Doctrine Committee Tackles Scripture and Jewish-Christian Relationship
The Committee on Church Doctrine responded to a question about the literal inerrancy of scripture by saying that while Christians should certainly read the Bible, it must be studied in light of the particular time it was written, and that “research into historical and cultural context is valuable for biblical interpretation in our own time … We need to understand practices and customs and languages not our own if we are going to be responsible to the authoritative text of the Bible.” The words used to describe the Bible in Living Faith and A Catechism for Today are, “necessary,” “sufficient” and “reliable,” but not “inerrant.”
A statement on supersessionism, which deals with relationship between Christians and Jews and the question of conversion, will be sent to sessions, presbyteries and national committees who are urged to study the and report to the committee by January 15, 2011.
“God will vindicate his truth on the last day, and we, as Christians, firmly believe that when God does, it will have no other identity than the one we have known through the witness of the law, the prophets, the evangelists, and the apostles—even Jesus Christ, but meanwhile our job is to witness, not to coerce…We are to show by all that we are and all that we do and say, that the Truth has really transformed us and made us his own.”
A recommendation concerning the use of technology to assist in administering Communion will be reported on in 2011.
A Reminder
The Norman M. Paterson Fund for Ministerial Assistance, which provides funds to ministers and their families who are in need, reminded sessions and congregations of the need for new infusions of capital.
New Directors for PCBC
The Presbyterian Church Building Corporation, which provides loans to congregations for building projects, named the following people to the board of directors for the next four years: Rev. Margaret Bell, Rev. Gordon Haynes, Sheila Limerick, Rev. Thomas Vais, and Mr. Kenneth Wilson.
