General Assembly Archives

Current and former GA Moderators join #GivingTuesday telethon

Posted November 18th, 2020

When the decision was made earlier this year to hold a virtual assembly, not only did Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart and the Rev. Gregory Bentley, Co-Moderators of the 224th General Assembly (2020), have to forego a trip to Baltimore, but they also missed out on the time-honored tradition of gathering with their predecessors who have also held the denomination’s highest elected office. Thanks to #GivingTuesday, their wait is over.

Co-Moderator will preach during theological symposium

Posted November 13th, 2020

Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart, Co-Moderator of the 224th General Assembly (2020) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the synod executive of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, will preach online at 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday as part of the Vine Deloria Jr. Theological Symposium.

U.S. Senator Chris Coons: The nation’s ‘deep racial inequities are sinful’

Posted August 14th, 2020

U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat and a longtime Presbyterian, doesn’t hesitate to share his faith — even in front of a pair of Presbyterian pastors and an online audience containing dozens of his fellow Presbyterians.

Addressing race and reparations

Posted August 10th, 2020

Last week the Special Committee on Racism, Truth & Reconciliation hosted conversations with the Rev. Dr. Mark Lomax, founding pastor of First Afrikan Presbyterian Church in Lithonia, Georgia, and Dr. William Yoo of Columbia Theological Seminary around race, church history and reparations.

What, then, is the church?

Posted August 7th, 2020

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Special Committee on Racism, Truth, and Reconciliation continued its work Thursday by hearing from a Columbia Theological Seminary faculty member who’s studied the work of James Henley Thornwell, a Columbia Seminary professor during the mid-1800s who defended slavery in his essay, “What, then, is the church?”

Divine permission

Posted July 31st, 2020

Following the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II’s address to Synod School Thursday evening, he and Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart, co-moderator of the 224th General Assembly (2020), held an engaging chat in front of more than 80 of the 330 or so people who attended this year’s Synod School via Zoom and Facebook.

The Rev. Dr. Doug Oldenburg, Moderator of the 210th General Assembly, dies at 85

Posted July 22nd, 2020

The Rev. Dr. Doug Oldenburg, a pastor, Moderator of the 210th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) held in 1998 and the seventh president of Columbia Theological Seminary, died Tuesday at the age of 85.

Sisters win Presbyterian Writers Guild’s two top 2020 awards

Posted July 1st, 2020

When a worldwide pandemic upended plans for an in-person General Assembly, the Presbyterian Writers Guild had to postpone its biennial awards luncheon until 2022. But the two award-winners, Jane and Caroline Kurtz, were able to receive their awards this year, thanks to the U.S. Postal Service.

Short sermons on social witness and General Assembly

Posted June 25th, 2020

Though “Just Talk Live” is a conversational online talk show, participants sometimes do a little preaching — particularly if they have “the Rev.” as their courtesy title.

‘Look, and see our disgrace!’

Posted June 25th, 2020

While the book of Lamentations — with two verses from chapter 5 serving as the scriptural basis for the 224th General Assembly (2020) — there’s still hope, commissioners and others participating in the GA Bible study Wednesday evening learned.