general assembly

Report on Cuba passes committee and heads toward full General Assembly

Rev. Daniel Izquierdo, General Secretary of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church of Cuba (PRCC), spoke to members and invited guests of the Cuba Partnership Network on June 20 at the 222nd Presbyterian General Assembly. Izquierdo said he sees a new openness to dialogue, but after 57 years of misunderstanding and mistrust, it is still going to be a long journey.

Presbyterian Peacemaking Program hosts gun violence prevention discussion at General Assembly

The statistics surrounding gun violence deaths in the United States are staggering. According to the PEW Research Center, more than 30,000 people are killed by firearms each year in this country. More than 30 are shot and murdered each day and half of them are between the ages of 18 and 35. Homicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds and the primary cause of death among African Americans of that age group.

Fair trade businesses are showcased at the 222nd General Assembly

Where can you go to find crosses made from recycled car parts, jewelry created from rain forest seeds, or a good cup of coffee that supports farmers seeking to provide a better life for their families? If you are attending the 222nd General Assembly in Portland, you need only go as far as the exhibit hall.

The rap on GA

The Synod of Mid-America executive and stated clerk, Landon Whitsitt, has put his creative talents to work in a YouTube rap expounding on General Assembly culture.

MRTI recommends focused engagement with companies

The 222nd General Assembly will hear a recommendation to continue engagement with fossil fuel companies on climate change when it meets in the coming weeks. The committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) is making the recommendation following lengthy discussions with companies and filing shareholder resolutions, saying progress is being made.

Going green at General Assembly

This month, the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will gather in Portland, Oregon. Commissioners will debate our denomination’s investment in fossil fuels and commitment to creation care, among many other issues. But the theme of environmental justice will hover over the entire assembly, going far beyond the overtures to be addressed in committees.

New worshiping community pastor receives seminary debt assistance

As the Rev. Dana Vaughn was completing her studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) was innovating several new initiatives designed to allow Vaughn—and a new generation of risk-taking pastors like her—to change and transform the world through their ministries, all while freed from the burden of educational debt.