219th General Assembly - Day 3

My 219th General Assembly experience is limited but excellent. After the long lines on the 4th of July, I enjoyed the food and sharing the experiences with friends while eating the food. Even though I missed the (sweet) corn.
When I was going to get my corn, they ran out, cutting one man off before my turn. The picnic volunteer was stunned just like me. I guess he was just like a Sudanese. My advice to the people of Minnesota was that they should borrow corn from Iowa and they would never run out of corn.

After that I enjoyed the fireworks and promptly left by bus. My intention was to walk back but found the bus near me so I did not wait.

Thanks be to God.

Rev. Goanar Chol, Sudanese Ministries Resource Person
Presbytery of Des Moines

219th General Assembly - Day 2

Two things highlight the first couple of days.

The first is connecting - lots of long-time friends and acquaintances are seen. In “scoping out” the Minneapolis Convention Center in preparation for getting the General Assembly Moderator to various spots. It takes over an hour and a half just to cover one level because I keep running into folks I know. Networks are either established or strengthened. This pays off down the line in many ways. For example, I was able to do two clearance checks for potential minister candidates for our churches that often take over a week just to make contact with the person. That is what General Assembly is all about - connecting with folks. (Pictured here is Sandy Wagener and Julie Cloud of the Ankeny Presbyterian Church and Director of Communications Kim Coulter.)

The second is the work with the 219th GA Moderator Elder Cynthia "Cindy" Bolbach, of the Arlington Presbyterian Church of Virginia. It was another interesting election process this year, complete with technological glitches of the new wireless voting process. Then congratulations and pictures, followed by a news conference. Then we made appearances at one of the GA groups’ evening gatherings and then the Moderator’s celebration party. After hitting the shower and ironing a shirt, 2 a.m. came late.

Then I was up before 6 a.m. to get the moderator to the Women of Faith Award Breakfast by 7:30 (this was a special joy since I could be present for the award presentation to one of our own - honorably retired the Rev. Liz Knott, seen here at work at the Pal Craftaid booth). Then it was off to the “robing room” to get ready to participate in the marvelous and busy Sunday morning worship.

A free afternoon allowed for a nice nap, then to the moderator’s reception - two hours of shaking hands for Cindy - and host presbytery picnic. We had to head back before getting to watch the Minneapolis fireworks because there’s a 7 a.m. breakfast tomorrow. Lots of walking and lots of activity - the joy of an Assembly!

Rev. Phil Barrett, general presbyter and stated clerk
Presbytery of Des Moines

219th General Assembly - Day 1

We have arrived at in Minneapolis, Minn., for the 2010 national meeting of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) The theme for this year's 219th General Assembly is “rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

Four commissioners and one young adult advisory delegate will use this gathering as an opportunity to discern the issues and challenges facing our congregations both in Iowa and around the world.

Presbytery of Des Moines commissioners attending are: Elder Becky Diebold (Ottumwa, First), Elder Maurice Dyer (Indianola, Trinity United), Rev. Tiare Mathison (Newton, First), Rev. Dennis Morey (Oskaloosa, First), and Naomi Maxa (Lenox, United). Overture sponsors are: Rev. Stu Ritter and Elder Ted Coppock (DM Westminster). Staff include: General Presbyter and Stated Clerk Rev. Phil Barrett, Director of Communications Kim Coulter (DM Westminster), Office Manager Betty Dyer (Indianola, Trinity United) and Sudanese Ministries Resource Person the Rev. Goanar Chol.

Other volunteers are: the honorably retired Reverend Elizabeth Knott; Intern Cindy Lou Ray (Knox United); Candidate Patti Spencer Burdette (DM, Fort Des Moines) in photo on left; the Rev. Ross Blount (Allerton, United); the Rev. Rick Carus, Julie Cloud, and Sandy Wagner (Ankeny); and Paul Walther and Lila Jean Jensen, (Audubon, First).

Today's GA meeting agenda contained basic parlamentary orientation and our own intern Cindy Ray, moderator of the GA Committee on Representation was present to ask commissioners and delegates specific demographics. It gave everyone a chance to test the voting system and see results live.

In the evening attendees heard presentations from all six candidates for the 219th GA Moderator. The new moderator, replacing the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, is Elder Cynthia Bolbach who received 51% of the vote (seen in the photo on the right with our own Phil Barrett). She is a lawyer and a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Va. and has been serving in church leadership for many years. She currently is executive vice president and corporate secretary at the employee-owned publishing firm, BNA, Inc.

After covering the press conference for the new moderator, I was able to write my first story for the Presbyterian News Service and then went to bed around 2 a.m. All in all, a good day listening to God's voice amoungst our fellow Presbyterians!

Kim Coulter, director of communications
Presbytery of Des Moines