On Monday, the 220th GA Committee on Confessions of the Church of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) received the report of the Special Committee on the Heidelberg Catechism. Five members of the special committee, including newly elected GA moderator the Rev. Neal D. Presa, reported to the Assembly committee. Joining Presa were ruling elder Sylvia Dooling, the Rev. David Stubbs, the Rev. Shelly Barrick Parsons and ruling elder Dawn DeVries.

The Theological Issues, Institutions and Christian Education Committee of the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) began their day Monday by confirming two nominations from the General Assembly Mission Council to the Mountain Retreat Association’s board of directors. They are ruling elder Heath Rada and the Rev. Dean Thompson.

“A lot of people, sad to say, think as a church we’re at a dead end.”

That was the warning of Brian McLaren, noted author, speaker, activist and public theologian, to the capacity crowd for the GA Breakfast on Monday (July 2) at the 220th General Assembly (2012) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Then he went on to say that God turns dead ends into new beginnings, tombs into portals, if we just dare to believe.

Along with food at the GA Breakfast on Monday morning, General Assembly commissioners and advisory delegates were treated to a generous helping of Brian McClaren, the author, activist, and public theologian who talked to them about the future of the church—one that he sees as more hopeful for mainline Protestantism than many predict.

Deftly alternating among three different Peruvian instruments—the charango (ukulele), the quena (flute) and the zampoña (pan flute)—the Rev. Noe Juarez joined with four other gifted musicians to call Assembly participants to worship at the 220th General Assembly Breakfast.

Led by the Rev. Chip Andrus, music leader for the Assembly, the musicians included Nathan Young, the Rev. Wilson Gunn, the Rev. David Gambrell, and the Rev. Elizabeth Campbell.

Open hearings in the 220th General Assembly Committee on Immigration Issues put a human face on some of the business items to be dealt with this week.

With voice trembling, a 16-year-old high school student told the committee that she has been “living in the shadow of fear” because she and her family are undocumented. She came to the United States with her parents when she was only 3 years old. She grew up worrying every day that her parents would be deported.

Part of the experience of attending a General Assembly is sampling the local flavor of the area while also seeing how various PC(USA) churches and mission organizations are serving that community. Opportunities are plentiful to engage in cultural and mission trips while at the Assembly in Pittsburgh.

For the second consecutive season, congregations in the Pittsburgh Presbytery and tri-state area are pledging to donate $100 or more to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for every home run hit by a Pittsburgh Pirate player.

The Rev. Gradye Parsons was re-elected to a second four-year term as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s General Assembly stated clerk this afternoon (July 1). Parsons was unopposed for the denomination’s top ecclesiastical office, making him the only uncontested candidate for stated clerk since Presbyterian reunion in 1983.

Parsons was elected unanimously by a voice vote.

Commissioners and advisory delegates to the 220th General Assembly were asked on Sunday (July 1) to help “ignite a movement to create 1001 new worshiping communities” in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).