In Spirit and Truth
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About this blog
In Spirit and Truth seeks to encourage discussion and deeper consideration of representation issues in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is hoped entries will prompt reflection and dialogue on aspects of expanding representation and supporting full participation in the PCUSA, especially at the assembly and mid council levels.
This blog will occasionally feature content written by one of the fourteen members of the General Assembly Committee on Representation, who are church members, ministers (teaching elders) and ruling elders from across the country, as well as links and articles of particular interest. The ministries of advising, consulting, advocating, promoting inclusion, reviewing and recommending actions are vital to the life of the whole Body of Christ. Committees on Representation and/or their functions exists at all councils above session so from time to time we may highlight activities and insights from sister committees on representation at lower councils throughout the church.
Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. or the General Assembly Committee on Representation.
Author/Facilitator Molly Casteel is an Assistant Stated Clerk and the Manager for Equity and Representation in the Office of the General Assembly. She is a teaching elder (a.k.a. Minister of Word and Sacrament) in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary.
Recent posts
- Future of this Blog - Seeking Feedback
- The ADA at 25
- Opportunity Knocks When Justice Advocates Come to Louisville
- What is the Church to do with #Ferguson, #MichaelBrown and #HandsUpDon’tShoot?
- Moving Past an Impulse/Intention for Racial Justice
Categories
- General Assembly (4)
- Cultural proficiency (3)
- Disability (2)
- Diversity (2)
- Young Adults (2)
- View all categories →
Archives
Posts with tag: gacor
July 26, 2015The ADA at 25
The Presbyterian Church USA marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On July 26th, 1990, President George H. W. Bush, signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. Presbyterians have long been advocates for full inclusion of persons with disabilities and active in the national conversations regarding laws and protections.
To mark this major milestone, there is a pledge we commend to you and your congregations and councils. This pledge is to continue supporting the ADA going forward. To learn more and sign on go here for the individual pledge (or follow other links for faith …
- Posted at 12:00 p.m.
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June 5, 2014
How Do We Measure Participation?
Have you ever wondered what participation looks like in real time at General Assembly? Are you attending GA221 in Detroit? Do you enjoy seeing the church do its work in committee?
We are recruiting observers of committee business during the 221st General Assembly (2014). We've learned that we need a full diversity and representation in the observers - everyone sees and hears the action before them a little differently. The more observers, the better picture we get of what's happening in participation.
It is said that a group working in committee is like making sausage. We are looking for …
- Posted at 6:00 a.m.
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December 12, 2013
Children's Literature: Appreciating an Inclusive World Through Selections from My Bookshelves
The General Assembly Committee on Representation at its bi-annual meeting in late October held discussions, participated in training and wrestled with issues of Cultural Proficiency in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). Personally, my participation in such training began in about 1980 when I worked to train church
based child care programs, their leaders and staff, about Cultural Diversity, Cultural Proficiency and Cultural Competency. Most programs then and church bodies today have much to learn from these elements. The Synod GACOR Representatives and others attending the training in Chicago this past October, struggle with basic questions of what is diversity, cultural proficiency …
- Posted at 12:03 p.m.
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November 22, 2013
Something's Missing in Job's Life
I did not know that it was not there. For over 35 years of reading the Bible I thought it was 
there. And so when I looked for it I could not find it. The Book of Job spoke about his life, about his health, about his conversations with God, and about all the things he received and developed afterwards.
We can read in Job 42: 12-17 (NIV)
The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And …
- Posted at 4:00 p.m.
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November 1, 2013
Highlights from the 2013 Synod COR Training Event
Oh what a beautiful time was had by the 60 folks who gathered for the training event concluded on October 26. All leaders in their council's committees on representation, women and men gathered from as far as Puerto Rico and Washington state, Texas to Minnesota.
Two stories have been published in the news service so far: one on October 25; another today, November 1. There will be more.
Resources shared by speakers will be accessible on the event page. Already appearing there is the sermon preached by the Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer, on Friday, October 25, …
- Posted at 5:04 p.m.
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October 20, 2013
GACOR meets Oct. 22-24 and hosts Synod COR Training Event October 24-26
We are days away from the beginning of the 2013 Synod Committee on Representation (SCOR) Training Event in Rosemont, IL (Chicago area near O'Hare airport). Watch this space for highlights from the training, photos, quotes from particpants, links to articles, and other highlights.- Posted at 12:00 a.m.
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September 5, 2013
There's Power in the Patchwork: Unity in Diversity
The 2013 Synod COR Training Event will be held October 24-26 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel and Conference Center in Rosemont, IL.
The conference will open with dinner and contextual Bible study on Thursday evening at 5:30 pm and end with closing worship on Saturday at noon. The theme is "There's Power in the Patchwork: Unity in Diversity."
While we share Constitutional language and minimum functions for representation and inclusiveness in council life, we do not share the same contexts, understandings of, or structures for, the work. “Unity in Diversity” looks different in each council, yet we share …
- Posted at 6:28 p.m.
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June 28, 2013
Anniversaries abound and histories surround us
I’m feeling especially grateful these days. This week I received a colorful package from California. Inside was a book, 40th History of the Ethnic Concerns Committee, a great gift from Joan Alston, a colleague in the Synod of the Pacific. T
he cover is a beautiful rendering of the two sides of the 
hand-carved doors to the chapel here in the Presbyterian Center where I serve. More than once this week, I’ve given in to the temptation to peruse a few of its pages and in it I’ve learned so much more about the deep history of …
- Posted at 12:00 a.m.
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April 25, 2013
Five Verbs, Seven Groups and a Case Study
A visitor at this meeting, I was given privilege of the floor to advise the Synod commissioners about language in soon-to-be adopted Synod by-laws about the Committee on Representation.
- Posted at 2:12 p.m.
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March 12, 2013
Lent: A Time for Giving Up
What are you giving up for Lent? That was the question. In fact, I will always remember a new friend's answer to that question. She proudly said, "Do you know what I’m giving up for Lent? I'm giving up celibacy," and before I could feel my ears turning red and my cheeks blushing she announced "I'm getting married!" The idea of giving something up for Lent may or may not be in our Presbyterian/Reformed ethos. We tend to say that our grace-oriented faith does not 
require our efforts to purify ourselves to please God. But instead, we respond to God's grace by …
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February 21, 2013
Toward a More Full Self-Understanding
In the summer of 2011, a historical document of the PCUSA became quietly accessible again with its online publication.
The General Assembly Committee on Representation played a role in making that happen when it did. They were concerned about the ahistoricity of conversations around Presbyterian self-structures in light of the work of the Mid-Councils Commission in 2011.
For over one hundred years there were all-Black governing bodies (presbyteries and synods) in the Presbyterian Church. A history of these structures was written and adopted by the 205th General Assembly in 1993. This document provides a rich understanding of the diverse expressions …
- Posted at 11:46 a.m.
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January 2, 2013
Epiphany: a time for insight and revelation
As the horizon of human knowledge expands many traditions and words take on new meanings.
Initially, the Epiphany (gr. epiphaneia - "manifestation") was a festival that was celebrated twelve days after Christmas in order to remember the birth of our Lord, his baptism in the Jordan River and the manifestation of his glory in the celebrations of the wedding at Cana.
Die Reise der Heiligen Drei Konige (fragment) by Sasseta Giovanni (1432-1436), currently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA.
When in the fourth century, the Greek Church adopted the Roman date for celebrating …
- Posted at 12:04 p.m.
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November 14, 2012
ZERO
As a teaching elder commissioner to the 220th General Assembly in Pittsburgh, I had a big time “wow” moment during a PowerPoint presentation given in plenary, “A Snapshot of Presbyterians.” (1.2M) It was this shocking statistic: of the 688 GA Commissioners, ZERO were under age 25. ZERO.
So, how shall we increase participation of young adult commissioners at future general assemblies?
General Assembly did take action on this issue. The Review of Biennial Assemblies Committee’s item 04-01, Recommendation 5, (to create thirty-two young adult commissioners under age 36, 1 ruling elder and 1 teaching elder …
- Posted at 10:39 a.m.
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September 21, 2012
So Much Change! Council Responsibilities and How They Can Sustain and Support Diversity and Full Participation
It's autumn and the General Assembly Committee on Representation (GACOR) prepares to convene for their first full committee meeting since the 220th General Assembly adjourned in July. Later this week, they will welcome and orient 6 new members who join the 2 re-nominated members and 8 continuing members (a total of 16 persons, each residing in a different synod).While new Constitutional language became effective on July 11, 2011, many mid councils (presbyteries and synods) waited to see what the assembly would decide regarding the Mid Council Commission report and recommendations (Item 05-12). Synods are retained for now and another …
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July 30, 2012
GA220 spotlight: The Church as Employer
Privilege, Power and Policy: The Church as Employer, the report of the Climate for Change Task Force to the 220th General Assembly (2012) and highlighted actions taken by the assembly.
- Posted at 12:00 p.m.
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July 21, 2012
Saturday, the last day of the GACOR exhibit at the Churchwide Gathering
Oh what a time we have had at the PW Churchwide Gathering here in Kissimmee, Florida. So many good conversations, shared stories and lots of laughter.
Today we got to meet a mighty mother-daughter duo, Connie and Amy. They met up in Florida from Washington state and Texas respectively. Connie was a voting member at the business meeting this Triennium and Amy served on the Churchwide Coordinating Team for a few years and was back to visit with old friends.
Connie Robinson, the mother (from Washington state), shows off her gifts for diversity and inclusion. Photo by Molly Casteel
Connie's …
- Posted at 2:33 p.m.
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July 18, 2012
Adventures in the Exhibit Hall...Day 1 at the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women 2012 in Orlando, Florida
Today was the first day the exhibit hall was open and saw women gathering from across the world. Here are a few of the sights at the COR booth (#416).
Come by and see the new logo and look of the General Assembly Committee on Representation. Photo by Molly Casteel
We are seeing old friends...
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Former member of GACOR, Angelica Michail from Southern California and Hawaii, found us in the exhibit area and gave us a shout out. Photo by Molly Casteel.
...and making new ones.
Cookie can sing y'all! Photo by Molly Casteel
We met Daphne Patterson today. Photo …
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July 13, 2012
Leadership Transitions
At each and every General Assembly, the committee greets new members and says good bye to others who have completed their service. Two members leaving after this assembly have served for 8 years! Alma-jean and Stanley, you will be missed and we give thanks for the good work you have contributed and the legacy you leave for those who serve after you.
So it is with Assembly Moderators as well. This year, we said thank you to Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010), Elder Cindy Bolbach as her term of service ended.
Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010), …
- Posted at 3:05 p.m.
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June 22, 2012
Welcome to 'In Spirit and Truth'
Welcome to In Spirit and Truth, a new blog from the 16-member, General Assembly Committee on Representation (GACOR) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
- Posted at 10:18 a.m.
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