New members named to expanded General Assembly special committee

The Special Committee on the Review of Biennial Assemblies – which was appointed by the 219th General Assembly (2010) and continued by the 220th General Assembly (2012) – has added four new members. The special committee is charged with reviewing the denomination’s practice of holding its national legislative assembly – the General Assembly – every two years.

The Reverend Neal D. Presa, Moderator of the 220th General Assembly (2012) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), made the selections on the authorization of the 220th General Assembly (2012).               

Newly appointed members from the commissioners to the 220th General Assembly (2012) are:

• The Reverend Rhonda K. Kruse (Hudson River Presbytery) serves as Connections & Change Presbyter in the Hudson River Presbytery (N.Y.), where she helps congregations "practice resurrection."  She has served churches there as well as in the Wabash Valley and Elizabeth Presbyteries.  As a commissioner to the 220th General Assembly (2012) in Pittsburgh, she served as vice moderator for the Committee to Review Biennial Assemblies.
• Ruling Elder Lee Han Tan (Milwaukee Presbytery) is a member of Forest Park Presbyterian Church in New Berlin, Wis. He is very active in the music program and mission work of the congregation. Tan is also active in the Milwaukee Presbytery having recently served on the committee to review the structure of the Presbytery and being a current member of the committee responsible for assisting congregations with community engagement and evangelism.
• The Reverend Reggie A. Weaver (Chicago Presbytery) is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, a small congregation experiencing transformation and revitalization. He serves on the NEXT Church strategy team, an organization whose mission is to foster relationships among God’s people by sparking imaginations, connecting congregations, and offering a distinctively Presbyterian witness to Jesus Christ.
• Ruling Elder Connor Clark (Heartland Presbytery) served on the Session of Parkville (Mo.) Presbyterian Church for one year.  He also served on the Board of Management of Heartland Presbyterian Center and Heartland Presbytery’s Committee on Representation.  Currently he is a student at Vanderbilt University. He was a Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD) to the 220th General Assembly (2012).

“The addition of Reggie Weaver, Lee Han Tan, Rhonda Kruse, and Connor Clark as a YAAD observer to the already stellar membership of the Special Committee to Review Biennial General Assemblies will further enhance the work of the committee,” Presa said. “These four appointees offer a fresh perspective and a deep love for Christ and the church. They are committed to discerning that when the church meets in council as the General Assembly every two years that it does so in ways that enable maximal discernment of the will and mind of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ongoing members of the special committee are:  

• The Reverend W. Glen Bell, Whitewater Valley Presbytery, Synod of Lincoln Trails;
• The Reverend Theresa Cho, San Francisco Presbytery, Synod of the Pacific, Commissioner to the 210th General Assembly;
• Mr. Glen Alberto Guenther, Kendall Presbytery, Synod of the Pacific, Young Adult Advisory Delegate to the 219^th General Assembly (2010);
• Mr. Marcus C. Lambright, Miami Valley Presbytery, Synod of the Covenant, Young Adult Advisory Delegate to the 219th General Assembly (2010);
• Ruling Elder Kathy Lueckert, Seattle Presbytery, Synod of Alaska Northwest;
• The Reverend Carol McDonald (moderator), Wabash Valley Presbytery, Synod of Lincoln Trails;
• The Reverend Matthew Schramm, Lake Huron Presbytery, Synod of the Covenant, member of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board; and
• The Reverend David A. Van Dyke, Twin Cities Area Presbytery, Synod of Lakes and Prairies.

“In the spirit of leadership development and continuity of a rich experience at General Assembly, I have appointed Young Adult Advisory Delegates to each special committee of the General Assembly, including this expanded committee,” Presa said. “These YAADs will bring the same exemplary and insightful leadership they did at the 220th General Assembly to the various committees and task forces to which they have been appointed.”

Staffing the special committee is the Reverend Thomas Hay, director, Office of the General Assembly Operations and G.A. Meeting Service. The special committee is to report its findings and recommendations to the 221st General Assembly (2014).