Mountain View Presbyterian Church of Las Vegas, Nevada

Presentation

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Two statements all Presbyterians agree on. (1:03)

How the General Assembly works. (6:18)

Who does the General Assembly speak for? (0:56)

Our Church is evenly divided on controversial issues such as gay ordination and late term abortion. (3:56)

My perspective on the General Assembly passage of the Israeli Divestiture Resolution. (3:43)

Our problems communicating our intent, and action called for, on the Iraeli Divestiture resolution. (5:49)

My impressions on the passage by the General Assembly of the Iraq War Resolution. (1:21)

Two challenges face our Church; a return to scripture and prayer; developing trust between ourselves. (2:27)

Presbyterians must be bold to inspire. (2:27)

Process-Communications

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Please comment on any positive results which have come out of the controversial decisions and resolutions approved by the 216th General Assembly.

If resolution papers and national policy statements are approved and issued by the General Assembly to the public, but are noncommittal to the entire faith, confusion results in understanding where our denomination stands on a given issue. How can this problem be corrected? (7:01)

Scripture-vs-Secular

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Why was the Book of Confessions not used as a reference source for the moral judgment of U.S. involvement in the Iraq resolution paper? (2:46)

Commissioners of our church are elected to serve as our spiritual leaders and to "speak with the mind of Christ" at our General Assembly meetings. Why is political language and secular reasoning seen as a tool needed by those who write resolution papers to advance the will of Christ instead of scripture and/or Presbyterian constitutional materials? (2:29)

War

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Why is a distinction difficult to make between the violence waged by evil men on innocent victims, from forces used by governments who value life and liberty to secure the freedom and welfare of oppressed people. (6:54)

Military-Action

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Under what circumstances would the PC(USA) justify the use of military force by a responsible government to obtain a lasting peace by providing freedom from oppression, tyranny, and the threats of terrorism. (0:56)

Iraq

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How will the 217th General Assembly readdress the Iraq resolution paper to relect the successes that have resulted from U.S. involvement in the war, and how will the questionable actions of the United Nations be reviewed? (5:55)

Israeli-Divestiture

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Why only propose divestment from companies doing business with Israel when Arab nations, the companies they do business with, and Muslims throughout the Middle East contribute to the continued violence and share in the responsibility for the plight of the Palestinians? (4:35)

PCUSA-Growth

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Does the PC/(USA) feel that these behaviors and actions have contributed to this long term trend of the reducing the size of our denomination? (4:23)

What is the priority focus of faith that the PC/(USA) leadership will take to reverse the national decline of our denomination and what sustaining directions will follow to the Presbyteries to help local churches assist in this effort? (4:11)

Questions-From-The-Floor

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Passing the resolutions discussed seems to be a blatant effort to influence the 2004 General Election and defeat President Bush. It seems disengenuous to claim that the people who voted for these resolutions we not essentially getting into partisan politics. (0:56)

Our Church is required to pay 10% of our operating budget to the Synod for missions, etc. We have not been able to direct those funds to specific missions of our choice. How can we direct these funds to specific missions? (1:38)

Since we borrowed money from the Synod and General Assembly, I guess we cannot get away from giving our 10% until we pay off those loans? (1:50)

Can you clarify for us the current Church position on late term, partial birth, abortion? (3:50)

How do you respond to people who are upset, and are willing to pull their funds away from both the local Church and the national Church? (4:28)

You say the General Assembly speaks for that General Assembly, and to the Church. But, you also say the General Assembly sets Church policy. I guess we should be more careful about who represents us from our Presbytery. (0:51)

The Iraq War resolution states that the war does not meet the requirements of Just War Prinicples which we follow. Many people in our Church feel that the war does meet the requirements of Just War priniciples. (0:56)

Is the Church leadership looking at what growing churches are doing to develop actions we can take to change the declining PC/USA membership? (2:11)

How can we improve communications at both the local and national level about our Church viewpoints, and how our Church works as opposed to other churches? (4:17)

Why is there a general Assembly, what is it's purpose? (1:10)

Closing-Remarks

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Closing remarks by Rick Ufford-Chase.

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Rick Ufford-Chase

PCUSA Growth

The membership Presbyterian Church USA has declined every year for over 40 years. No past or current leadership, task force, or program in the denomination has reversed this trend. Yet, while our denomination is retreating in size, the General Assemblies focus on:

The passing of divisive resolutions, like the resolutions on Iraq, and the Israeli Divestiture.
Ecumenical and secular political causes through the National and World Council of Churches and lobbying activities by the PCUSA Washington Office.
Financial support for experimental theologies like the Sophia project, and Messianic Jewish new church development.
Reconstructing of the foundations of our faith as in the 214th GA's, "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ", and in the 213th GA's, Salvation Resolution.

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