For Action: COGA - October 27-29, 2014 Item 4.e.1.

Transcription

1 For Action: COGA - October 27-29, 2014 Item 4.e.1. MINUTES COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY JOINT MEETING WITH PRESBYTERIAN MISSION AGENCY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 5, 2014 The Brown Hotel Louisville, KY Wednesday February 5, 2014 The joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) and Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee was convened by Matthew Schramm at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday February 5, 2014 in the Gallery Ballroom at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY. Matthew Schramm led the opening prayer and blessing of the meal. Roll Call The following persons present for all or part of the meeting were: WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL COGA Members: Jerrod Belton Lowry Margaret Elliott Dennis Hughes Tom Trinidad Leah Johnson Virginia Rainey Chris Rhodes Linda Valentine Ex-Officio Jim Wilson Excused: Marcia Mount Shoop (Participated on February 6, 2014 via conference call) Eileen Lindner (Participated on February 6, 2014 via conference call) Alejandra Spir-Haddad Neal Presa Gradye Parsons Ex-Officio (flight delay) OGA Staff: Loyda Aja Tom Hay Joyce Lieberman Toya Richards Angie Stevens Kerry Rice John Wood

2 2 Matthew Schramm invited the meeting participants to engage in conversation covering the following topics: Emerging Issues Reflections on General Assembly (GA) Upon completion of the table discussion, Matthew Schramm invited the meeting participants to discuss some of the highlights of the table discussion, which included: TABLE CONVERSATIONS OVER LUNCH GROUP CONVERSATION Tom Trinidad, Vice Moderator of the 220 th General Assembly informed the participants that all worship services at the upcoming 221 st General Assembly (2014) will focus on unity. The fact that the next General Assembly will be in Detroit has been well received and speaks to our focus on public witness. Enthusiastic that Sunday worship will occur at several congregations in Detroit. The joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee heard an update on the upcoming General Assembly scheduled for June 2014 from Tom Hay from the Office of the General Assembly. UPDATE ON THE 221 ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY (2014) 45 Overtures have been submitted, which is higher than normal. The 20 th Anniversary of Young Adult Volunteers (YAV). Many veterans of YAV are invited to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) and have been asked that they share how they have been touched by their engagement in the YAV program at the Church. The Detroit Youth Orchestra will be participating. 46 churches will open their doors for worship Sunday Morning. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly is working on discussions on racial and economic justice at GA. A clip from Martin Luther King s first delivery of the I Have a Dream speech, which was delivered on the front steps of COBO Hall will be played. A PC-Biz mobile application will be launched in preparation for General Assembly as well as an advanced meeting mobile application. Toya Richards Jackson, Associate for Communication in the Office of the General Assembly, is building a Facebook page called The Spirit of the General Assembly. The joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and PMA Board Executive Committee heard from Linda Valentine, who provided an overview of the work of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. UPDATE ON THE WORK OF THE PRESBYTERIAN MISSION AGENCY The Presbyterian Mission Agency is focusing on responding to transmittals from previous General Assemblies and planning communications for the upcoming 221 st General Assembly (2014). 2 initiatives are currently in focus: o Call on the church to get behind a movement related to education.

3 3 o Living Missionally - Call on all people to serve their communities locally, regionally and abroad. The joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and PMA Board Executive Committee heard from John Wilkinson, filling in as Moderator from Committee on the Office of the General Assembly in Vince Thomas absence due to flight delay, who invited all meeting participants to provide brief introductions. The joint meeting of Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and PMA Board Executive Committee Motion heard from Christopher Nicholas and Earline Williams, who presented the figures for the 2013 budget and proposed per capita expense budget for 2014 at $12,891,000, 2015 at $12,279,000, and 2016 at $12,262,000 without increasing the per capita budget. INTRODUCTIONS PRESENTATION AND APPROVAL OF PER CAPITA BUDGET 2013 Budget Projected Revenue $13,454,000 which was revised to $13,413,000 Total Expenditure budgeted at $13,030,119, which was revised to $12,708,000. The OGA reorganization and realignment added approximately $700,000 in expenses as a result of severance packages issued to departing OGA staff members. In the end of 2013, it is projected that there will be a draw from reserves of approximately $380,000 as opposed to the projected draw from reserves of $659, Proposed Per Capita Budget PMA and OGA reviewed the approved budget from the last General Assembly with a projected income of $13,392,000, which has to be revised to $13,198,000. Total expenditures projected at $16,000,012 have been revised to $14,245,000. The net reduction in the budget is approx. $1,400,000. Allowing for half the cost of the 221 st General Assembly, instead of a draw on reserves, a contribution to reserves is projected at $300, Proposed Per Capita Budget Members of OGA and PMA worked together to locate areas where projected expenditures could be reduced and have proposed the following: o Projected income $12,496,000. o Projected expenditure $12,279,000. o Projected contribution to reserves is $217, Proposed Per Capita Budget Projected income $11,794. Projected expenditure $12,262,000. Projected draw from reserves $468,000. Going into 2016, though projected expenditures were reduced, the forecasted income was also reduced, which requires the projected draw from reserves.

4 4 The goal given to the Per Capita work group by the Stated Clerk was to propose a balanced budget to the General Assembly without raising the per capita rate. A motion to vote on the proposed per capita budget was heard and seconded. The joint meeting of the COGA and PMA Board Executive Committee has been asked to approve the 2014 expense budget of $12,891,200, 2015 expense budget of $12,279,000, and 2016 budget of $12,262,000 with no increase to the per capita rate for 2014, 2015, The joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee - VOTED to approve the recommended statement of the per capita budget and approved The joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee reviewed a recommendation for the 221 st GA to approve $1,354,306 from the 2015 per capita budget be reserved for use in the 222 nd General Assembly (2016). A motion to vote was heard and seconded and - VOTED to approve the proposed designated 2015 budget for the 222 nd (2016) General Assembly. John Wilkinson expressed his gratitude to the staff members who worked on the per capita budget. The joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee heard from Chip Hardwick, Director of Theology and Worship with the Presbyterian Mission Agency and David Gambrel, Associate in Theology and Worship with the Presbyterian Mission Agency, who presented a proposal for revising the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Directory for Worship. PRESENTATION AND APPROVAL OF DIRECTORY FOR WORSHIP Since 2004, Theology and Worship has been working on an update for the Directory for Worship in one form or another. Overview of the history of the Directory for Worship was presented. The 216 th General Assembly in 2004 called for an analysis of the effectiveness of the Directory for Worship. The 217 th General Assembly in 2006 suggested a revision that was more accessible, but was delayed due to the change in the Form of Government. In 2011, work continued after the adoption of the New Form of Government. A report is now due to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). The thorough revision of the Directory for Worship still holds true to the essentials of the precursor documents that have served us well over the centuries. But the revision speaks more faithfully to

5 5 the church that exists today, by eliminating redundancy, making it more organized, and updating the language among other changes. If approved, a study guide and an online version of the Directory for Worship could be developed and will provide resources for those needed assistance with the Directory for Worship. Once approved by the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, the proposed revision of the Directory for Worship will be reviewed in committee at the 221 st General Assembly (2014). The joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee heard an overview of the Report of the Mid Council Commission from Jim Wilson, providing a brief synopsis of this report that will be presented for consideration at the 221 st General Assembly (2014). REPORT OF THE MID COUNCIL COMMISSION The 220 th GA requested that Mid Council Commission review the nature and function of the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of the General Assembly, specifically with respect to their relationship with and support of mid councils as they serve the vitality and mission of the congregations in our changing context. Upon completion of the review, the commission was uniformly of the viewpoint that the fabric of the relationship between the Office of the General Assembly, Mid Councils, and the Presbyterian Mission Agency is intact. Both agencies are perceived to make substantial efforts to foster a cohesive approach to the mission and ministry of the church. There are tensions on the OGA side at times when the Stated Clerk fulfills his role in support of the position that the General Assembly has taken on controversial issues. On the PMA side, the tension is felt when there is a competition for resources. The perception is that we are church that needs to coalesce to a cohesive vision on the purpose and identity of the church. The differing points of view create tension. Having no further business, the joint meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Executive Committee adjourned with Matthew Schramm leading the closing prayer. JOINT MEETING ADJOURNED

6 6 MINUTES COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY February 5-7, 2014 Presbyterian Center Louisville, KY Wednesday February 5, 2014 The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) was convened by John Wilkinson, standing in as Moderator in Vince Thomas and Marcia Mount Shoop s absence, at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday February 5, 2014 in Conference Room A/B at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, KY. Roll Call The following persons present for all or part of the meeting were: WELCOME & CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL COGA Members: Vincent A. Thomas, Moderator John Wilkinson Jerrod Belton Lowry Margaret Elliott Dennis Hughes Leah Johnson Gradye Parsons, Ex-Officio Virginia Rainey Chris Rhodes Jim Wilson Tom Trinidad Carol McDonald PHS Members: John Wood GACOR Deborah Fair Excused: Marcia Mount Shoop (Participated on February 6, 2014 via conference call) Eileen Lindner (Participated on February 6, 2014 via conference call) Alejandra Spir-Haddad Neal Presa OGA Staff: Loyda Aja Joyce Lieberman Kerry Rice Deb Davies Tom Hay Toya Richards Jackson Angie Stevens

7 7 The opening worship (Presbyterians Practicing Peace) was led by Tom Trinidad, Vice Moderator of the 220 th General Assembly (2012). John Wilkinson invited participants of the meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly to share joys and concerns. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly reviewed the proposed agenda and - OPENING WORSHIP JOYS AND CONCERNS AGENDA VOTED to APPROVE the Proposed Agenda with changes. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly reviewed the minutes from the October 8-10, 2013 (Appendix 1) meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and - APPROVAL OF MINUTES VOTED to APPROVE the minutes from the October 8-10, 2013 Committee on the Office of the General Assembly meeting as presented. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly reviewed the minutes from the January 8, 2014 Committee on the Office of the General Assembly Coordinating Committee Conference Call (Appendix 2) and - VOTED to APPROVE the meeting minutes from the January 8, 2014 Coordinating Committee Conference Call as presented. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard a report from Tom Trinidad, Vice Moderator of the 220 th General Assembly (2012) (Appendix 3). REPORT OF THE GA VICE-MODERATOR Tom had the opportunity to travel to Colombia to witness the work that the Presbyterian Church is doing in the region. He plans to confer with others to discern what options he may have for a project or effort as a result of his experiences during his travels. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard a report of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly Nominating Committee from Dennis Hughes. The nominating committee has proposed the following COGA members to be nominated as Moderator and Vice Moderator of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly as follows: Moderator - Margaret Elliott Vice Moderator - Jim Wilson REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY NOMINATING COMMITTEE This will be voted on later in the meeting. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard from Loyda Aja, who reported on the revision of the Sexual Misconduct Policy (Appendix 4). This report was originally communicated at the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly meeting in October The submitted policy has one revision on page 7, paragraph 2 as follows: NFoG REVISION: SEXUAL MISCONDUCT POLICY

8 8 However, a presbytery may only place a teaching elder on administrative leave when allegations of child abuse have been received and the presbytery has followed the Book of Order procedures to conduct its risk evaluation to determine whether or not a teaching elder member accused of child abuse should be placed on administrative leave (D ). When a presbytery receives an allegation of offense of sexual abuse (defined in D c) against a teaching elder, not only are the disciplinary procedures triggered by the allegation, but a panel from the Presbytery Permanent Judicial Commission is designated within three days to determine whether or not the teaching elder should be placed upon administrative leave during the inquiry and any subsequent trial. (D ). This includes any allegation against a teaching elder involving sexual conduct in relation to any person under the age of 18 years or anyone without the mental capacity to consent or conduct including force, threat, coercion, intimidation, or misuse of ordered ministry or position. This change was needed to keep the policy in alignment with the constitution. VOTED to APPROVE the Sexual Misconduct Policy with the proposed changes. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard a report on the Presbyterian Historical Society (Appendix 5) from Virginia Rainey and John Wood, Interim Director of the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS). REPORT ON THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY A group consisting of members of COGA and PHS will be meeting on Friday February 7 to review and revise the Covenant of Understanding between the Presbyterian Historical Society and the Office of the General Assembly. Digital archiving has been underway as new staff member, Elise Warshavsky, has been working to lay the groundwork for this new process and new information is going on the web at an accelerated rate. A new digital scanner has been purchased to aid digitizing PHS records to make information more accessible via the web in the near future. PHS has also partnered with Ancestry.com and a staff member from the organization will be housed at PHS and will work in partnership with them. PHS is currently facing a challenge with the condition of the air conditioning systems, which are necessary to maintain the proper climate to preserve documents. They are looking into raising funds to aid in the repair/replacement of the system among other renovations needed. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard information on the proposed revision to the Organization for Mission (Appendix 6) from John Wood. This change eliminates references to two offices since the Montreat Office has closed and substitutes the designation of Records and History for Department of History. PHS ORGANIZATION FOR MISSION

9 9 Comments: A typo was noted in the first paragraph. The original and corrected versions are below: PROPOSED REVISION (eliminates references to two offices since Montreat office has closed and substitutes Department of History for new designation of Records and History the new designation of Records and History for Department of History): [Text to be added in italics, text to be deleted strike through] The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly- VOTED to APPROVE the proposed revision to Organization for Mission with the proposed change above. John Wilkinson expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly for the work of the Presbyterian Historical Society. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard a report on Preparation for Ministry (Appendix 7) from Tim Cargal. A special committee was organized to review of Preparation for Ministry Process and Ordination Examinations as directed by the General Assembly. Twelve recommendations will be proposed to the 221 st General Assembly (2014), two of which are Book of Order amendments that will be needed in the event that some of the other items are approved. REPORT ON PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY These recommendation include: Encouraging diversity in the ordination process. Standard Ordination exams to be maintained, but to also direct the Presbyteries Cooperative Committee on Examinations for Candidates (PCC) to make the examinations more effective. Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) to consult with the PCC to determine the cross-cultural accessibility of the examination questions. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard information from Jim Wilson and Jerrod Belton Lowry regarding the report of the Mid Council Commission. Since the presentation of the draft of the report of the Mid Council Commission in October of 2013, revisions have been made to the recommendations without departing from the intent of the recommendations that were previously shared with COGA. REPORT OF THE MID- COUNCIL COMMISSION AND DISCUSSION OF ITS IMPACT The first recommendation is a process for reorganizing the synods with the goal of engaging existing synod and presbytery leadership in a collaborative process as the number of synods is reduced to a total of 8. The existing synod

10 10 and presbytery leadership will be charged to work together with access to members of the Mid Council Commission to them in an advisory role to assist them through this process with the goal of having proposed new synod boundaries ready to present to the 222 nd General Assembly (2016) for approval. In the event that a decision is not made by synod and presbytery leadership within the two-year period, the 222 nd General Assembly (2016) will establish a commission to help them complete the process. The revised version of the report of the Mid Council Commission will be distributed to the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly on Thursday February 6, Further discussion on the report will take place later in this meeting. The meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly was recessed at 5:47 p.m. with John Wilkinson closing prayer and blessing of the dinner. The participants joined together at 6:00 p.m. at the Mayan Café in Louisville, KY for dinner and fellowship. Thursday February 6, 2014 The meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly was reconvened at 9:00 a.m. by its Moderator, Vince Thomas. Opening prayer was led by Jerrod Belton Lowry. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard a report reviewing the Committee to Review Biennial Assemblies proposed Standing Rule Amendments (Appendix 8) from Tom Hay and Carol McDonald. On behalf of the Committee to Review Biennial Assemblies, Carol McDonald moved that the following amendments to the Standing Rules be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as follows: EVENING RECESS RECONVENE REPORT ON PROPOSED GENERAL ASSEMBLY STANDING RULES AMENDMENTS Recommendation 1: Proposed prologue to the Standing Rules of the General Assembly to be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). The Committee on the Office of the General assembly - VOTED to APPROVE the referral of the proposed introductions as prologue of the Standing Rules to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as presented. Recommendation 2: Regarding proposed amendments to Chapter A (Sources of Business for the Meeting) to be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as amended. VOTED to APPROVE the referral Recommendation 2 with

11 11 proposed changes to Chapter A (Sources of Business for the Meeting) to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as presented. Recommendation 3: That Chapter B (Commissioners, Delegates, and Other Participants a the Meeting) of the Standing Rules be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as amended. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly VOTED to APPROVE Recommendation 3 for referral to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as presented. Recommendation 4: That Chapter C (Formation of Committees and Referral of Business) of the Standing Rules be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as amended. Regarding section 4a: Concerning C.1.c. on Committee Moderator and Vice Moderator: After lengthy discussion, it was moved that Recommendation 4 be approved with the omission of 4a to allow time for amendment and will be revisited later in the meeting. VOTED to TABLE Recommendation 4a pending revisions, which will be reviewed later in the meeting. Vince Thomas, Moderator of COGA suggested that the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly table all of Recommendation 4 until after item 4a has been amended. A motion was heard and seconded to vote. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly - VOTED to TABLE Recommendation 4 pending further revision that will be presented to the body later in the course of this meeting. Recommendation 5: That Chapter D (Beginning of the General Assembly Meeting) of the Standing Rules be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as amended. VOTED to APPROVE Recommendation 5 for referral to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). Recommendation 6: That Chapter E (Committee Meetings) of the Standing Rules be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as amended.

12 12 Regarding Item 6b - A motion was heard to amend Recommendation 6, section b, Concerning E.2. - On Procedures for Assembly Committee Meeting, Parliamentary Procedures as follows: bc. The deliberations of the committee shall be conducted in accordance with Robert s Rules of Order, Newly Revised and/or other decision making models (see E.4.a), consistent with the principles of Presbyterian government (F-3.02). After further discussion, it was moved that Committee on the Office of the General Assembly vote to table Recommendation 6 and will be presented to the COGA for consideration after further review by Carol McDonald and Tom Hay, before the adjournment of the meeting. VOTED to TABLE Item 6c of Recommendation 6 for further revision and will be presented to the COGA later in the meeting. VOTED to APPROVE the referral of Recommendation 6 to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) with the exception of item 6c s pending revisions. Recommendation 7: That Chapter F (General Assembly Plenary Meeting) of the Standing Rules be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as amended. VOTED to APPROVE Recommendation 7 to be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). Recommendation 8: That Chapter H (Persons in Ordered Ministry and Elections) of the Standing Rules be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as amended. VOTED to APPROVE Recommendation 8 to be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). Recommendation 9: That Chapter K (Commissions, Special Committees, and Special Administrative Review) of the Standing Rules be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) as amended.

13 13 VOTED to APPROVE Recommendation 9 to be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly took a brief break at 10:42 a.m. for 10 minutes. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard a review of Key Commission Reports and Overtures to the 221 st General Assembly (Appendix 9) from Gradye Parsons and Tom Hay. At this point, there are 46 overtures submitted for the 221 st General Assembly (2014), some of which the Office of the General Assembly has yet to receive concurrences. Without a concurrence by the 120-day mark, that overture will not continue to the General Assembly. It is recommended that the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly submit comments on the following overtures: BREAK REVIEW OF KEY COMMISSION REPORTS AND OVERTURES TO 221 ST GA; APPOINTMENT OF WRITING TEAMS FOR COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMMENTS 005 on Per Capita 020 giving Young Adult Advisory Delegates (YAAD s) voting rights and renaming them Youth Adult Commissioners. 046 on creating a new authoritative interpretation regarding the dismissal of congregations to ecclesial bodies of other denominations. A writing team needs to be assigned to draft comments for the above items, being mindful of the existing work that is relevant to the overtures. It was moved that a single writing team be designated to work on comments on behalf of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly. VOTED to APPROVE the appointment of a single committee to draft comments on the suggested overtures, as well as future overtures for the 221 st General Assembly (2014). The writing team will be selected by Vince Thomas, Gradye Parsons, Loyda Aja, and Marcia Mount Shoop, which will be communicated later in the meeting. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard from staff members Tom Hay and Loyda Aja regarding Assembly Assistants and COGA assignments at the upcoming General Assembly (Appendix 10). A motion was heard to vote to approve the Assembly Assistants list. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly - VOTED to APPROVE the proposed Assembly Assistants List as presented. COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AT 221 ST GA

14 14 The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly reviewed the current draft of Committee on the Office of the General Assembly Members Roles and Responsibilities at the 221 st GA (Appendix ), presented by Loyda Aja. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard recommendation from Gradye Parsons to elect the following people as Associate Stated Clerks (Appendix 11): Joyce Lieberman Kerry Rice Loyda Aja Robina Winbush COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECOMMENDATION TO 221 ST GA: ELECTION OF ASSOCIATE STATED CLERKS VOTED to APPROVE the recommendation of the election of Associate Stated Clerks for a term of four years to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard recommendations for the 224 th General Assembly (2020) from Tom Hay and Deb Davies (Appendix 12). RECOMMENDED LOCATION OF 224 TH GA (2020) The list of cities includes, Baltimore, San Juan, and Tampa. Vince Thomas proposed that members of Committee on the Office of the General Assembly engage in discussion for 10 minutes within groups and reconvene after lunch to further discuss the options presented to the committee. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly recessed for lunch at 12:10 p.m. Upon returning from lunch, the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly made following motion, A motion was heard to vote for the 224 th General Assembly (2020) to take place in Baltimore, Maryland. LUNCH RECOMMENDED LOCATION OF 224 TH GA (2020) - CONTINUED The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly- VOTED to APPROVE that the 224 th General Assembly (2020) take place in Baltimore, MD. John Wilkinson moved for OGA staff to look into this body to meet in Puerto Rico as soon as possible and consider selecting San Juan, Puerto Rico as host for a General Assembly in the future. VOTED to approve exploring the possibility to convene a meeting of

15 15 the COGA in Puerto Rico in the near future. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard an update of Docket Developments of the 221 st General Assembly (2014) from Tom Hay. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard an update of the Per Capita working group from Gradye Parsons. 221 ST General Assembly (2014) DOCKET DEVELOPMENTS Per Capita Working Group After continued discussion, a motion was heard to vote to refer the Per Capita Report to the 221 st General Assembly. VOTED to APPROVE the Per Capita Report to be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard an update from Jim Wilson of the Ethics Policy working group. ETHICS POLICY The policy regarding the use of cellular phone (page 3, #4a) is in conflict with the proposed Standing Rule amendment. Jim Wilson recommends to add language stating that in the event that the Standing Rule changes, then the Ethics Policy will change accordingly. With no further discussion on the matter, The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly - VOTED to APPROVE the Ethics Policy to be referred to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly was requested to approve the referral. After discussion, the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly decided to defer the action of this item until later in the course of the meeting. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard an update from Jerrod Belton Lowry of the Annual Statistics Working Group. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly took a 10-minute break at 3:00 p.m. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly engaged in conversation on the Belhar Confession with former Stated Clerk Cliff Kirkpatrick leading the discussion. Cliff provided a history of the Belhar Confession, which was adopted in South Africa in 1986 at a time of great conflict in the country at the time. Hopes for councils of the PC(USA) is to support and live Belhar as a faithful witness to the unity, justice and reconciliation that God intent of the PCUSA. SOCIAL MEDIA ANNNUAL STATISTICS WORKING GROUP Break THE BELHAR CONFESSION: BUILDING ON OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION The 220 th General Assembly (2014) approved the formation of a special

16 16 committee on the Confession of the Belhar. The work of this committee produced recommendations to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly continued their discussion on the Report of the Mid Council Commission. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly participated in a discussion led by Eileen Lindner covering The Church in the 21 st Century. ONGOING CONVERSATION ON MID COUNCIL COMMISSION DISCUSSION THE CHURCH IN THE 21 ST CENTURY Eileen distributed excerpts from the Book of Order to introduce the topics for discussion, which include 1) The Unity of the Church, 2) The Holiness of the Church, and 3) Openness. Vince Thomas proposed that the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly discuss a plan around formulating 3 questions to be presented to the General Assembly. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly discussed the proposed upcoming meeting dates: At the 221 st General Assembly June 15 th, Review of Commissioner Resolutions June 19, 2014 Farewell lunch for COGA members ending their term of service. UPCOMING COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING DATES COGA Meetings October or 27-29, 2014 March 9-11 or 16-18, 2014 VOTED to APPROVE the COGA meeting from October 27-29, 2014, which will take place in Louisville, KY and VOTED to APPROVE the COGA meeting from March 9-11, 2015, which will take place in Louisville, KY. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly commenced executive session at 5:10 p.m. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly recessed for the evening at 5:50 p.m. and gathered together for dinner and fellowship at Milkwood Restaurant. Vince Thomas led the closing prayer. Friday February 7, 2014 The meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly reconvened at 9:10 a.m. on Friday February 7, 2014 by Moderator Vince EXECUTIVE SESSION RECESS RECONVENING AND PRAYER

17 17 Thomas. Margaret Elliott lead the opening prayer. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly convened in Executive Session at 9:20 a.m. and returned to open session at 9:23 a.m. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard from the COGA Nominating Committee, nominating Margaret Elliott as the Moderator and Jim Wilson as the Vice Moderator of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly. VOTED to APPROVE the nominating committee s recommendation of Margaret Elliott as Moderator and Jim Wilson as Vice Moderator of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard from Carol McDonald to review the postponed items in the proposed Standing Rules Amendments as follows: Recommendation 6 - Item 6b - Concerning E.2. On Procedures for Assembly Committee Meetings - Parliamentary Procedure. The proposed changes to this amendment are as follows: EXECUTIVE SESSION ELECTION OF MODERATOR AND VICE-MODERATOR OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REPORT ON PROPOSED GENERAL ASSEMBLY STANDING RULES AMENDMENTS- REVISED AMENDMENTS c. Committee meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert s Rules of Order, Newly Revised except when in contradiction to the Constitution of the PC(USA). Prior to a vote, methods of deliberation shall be consistent with the principles of Presbyterian government. (F-3.02 and G ) VOTED to APPROVE Item 6b of Recommendation 6 as amended. Recommendation 4 -Item 4a - Concerning C.1.c on Committee Moderator and Vice Moderator. The text of the amendment that was originally proposed is as follows: a) Concerning C.1.c. on Committee Moderator and Vice Moderator: Assembly Committee Moderator and Vice Moderator c. The Moderator of the preceding General Assembly shall appoint a commissioner to be moderator and a second to be Vice Moderator to each committee. The moderator positions are filled by commissioners from the next General Assembly or an assembly within the last six years. Final appointment shall be made only after consultation with the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, and then also with representatives of the General Assembly Committee on Representation regarding the inclusively mandated in the Book of Order, F and G The

18 18 moderators of at least one-half of the assembly committees, including any committees dealing with finance and budgets, shall be ruling elders. The moderators of at least one-half of the assembly committees should be women. The moderators of at least one half of the assembly committees shall be current commissioners. No more than one person from any one presbytery may be appointed to serve as a moderator or vice moderator. All synods shall be equitably represented. Carol McDonald moved that the Committee on the Office of the General assembly vote to refer item 4a as written. After discussion with members of the Committee to Review Biennial Assemblies, it was agreed that item 4a would be re-proposed with no changes. Matthew Schramm, a member on the Committee to Review Biennial Assemblies, will submit rationale for this item. Jim Wilson moved to amend the 2 nd addition to the Standing Rules from one-half to two-thirds to the language: The moderators of at least one half two-thirds of the assembly committees shall be current commissioners. VOTED to APPROVE the text as amended. Carol McDonald moved to add the following text to item 4a as follows (bold): The moderator positions are filled by commissioners from the next General Assembly or an assembly within the last six years. All vice moderator positions shall be filled by commissioners to the upcoming General Assembly The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly- VOTED to approve the suggested amendment by adding the language in bold as shown above. Gradye suggested that may be from be added to the language of the approved amendment after or and before an assembly as in the following text: The moderator positions are filled by commissioners from the next General Assembly or may be from an assembly within the last six years. A motion was heard to vote on the change suggested by Gradye Parsons. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly - VOTED to APPROVE the recommended addition of verbiage as

19 19 shown above in bold. On the motion to approve item 4a as amended above, The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly - VOTED to APPROVE to refer item 4a with the rest of Recommendation 4 to the 221 st General Assembly (2014). Recommendation 4: Item 4b The Committee on the Office on the General Assembly heard a motion from Carol McDonald to keep the proposed amendment as written. The proposed text is below: b) Concerning C.2.a. on committee assignments: Committee Assignments Forty-five days bbefore the convening of the General Assembly, the Stated Clerk shall assigns each commissioners and advisory delegates to one of the assembly committees by the random selection process described in this standing rule. VOTE was DEFEATED with a vote of 1 for and 10 against referring item 4b to the 221 st General Assembly (2014) The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly expresses their gratitude to the Committee to Review Biennial Assemblies for their dedication and diligent work. The Committee on the Office of the General took a short break at 10:15 a.m. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard from Leah Johnson regarding possible changes needed in the Social Media Report. It was determined that no inconsistencies were present. With that information, Leah moved for the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly to approve the document as written. Break SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP CONTINUED DISCUSSION VOTED to APPROVE the referral of the Social Media Working Group Report. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard a proposal to form a task force to study Christian Educators from Kerry Rice and Martha Miller. The task force will study and make a recommendation to the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly on the future of the certification of Christian Educators. PROPOSAL TO FORM A TASK FORCE TO STUDY CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS Changes to document 23c - Change from Spring to Fall 2015 for submittal of a recommendation to Committee On The Office Of The General Assembly.

20 20 Financial implication is $6, VOTED to APPROVE the proposal to form a task force to study Christian Educators. Vince will work with OGA staff to nominate members of this committee and has invited the members of COGA who are interested in participating in the task force to communicate to him. Martha Miller provided a brief update on Ruling Elders issues. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard a report from the Moderator of the 220 th General Assembly. Tom Trinidad spoke in Neal Presa s absence. REPORT OF THE GA MODERATOR The Moderator of the 220 th General Assembly is hosting two events in the coming months. The Unity with Difference conference and a Colloquium on Ecclesiology. Virginia Rainey expressed on behalf of Committee on the Office of the General Assembly their gratitude for Neal and Tom s contribution and work during the course of their terms. Jerrod Lowry requested that a letter be sent to Neal s and Tom s congregations in gratitude for supporting their work over the last two years. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly heard the suggested members of the COGA writing team to draft comments on GA Items. The following COGA members were selected after a consultation between Vince Thomas, Marcia Mount Shoop, Loyda Aja, and Gradye Parsons: Jim Wilson, Carol McDonald and Margaret Elliott. SELECTION OF COMMITTEE ON THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WRITING TEAM ON GA ITEM COMMENTS Vince Thomas welcomed feedback from Committee on the Office of the General Assembly after having a night to reflect on their thoughts on the recommendation discussed on February 6, Vince has requested that COGA members send their suggested questions to Gradye and all questions will be considered. Having no further items of business, the meeting of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly was adjourned at 11:21 a.m. on Friday February 7, Vince Thomas offered the closing prayer. REVISITING 3 QUESTIONS TO ASK THE 221 st GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CONSIDER CLOSING PRAYER AND ADJOURNMENT Respectfully submitted, Angela Stevens

21 Recorder 21