Thursday and Friday were very full days with so much business to digest, that I didn't have the time to provide an update.
You can read other news that will highlight all that we did. A good resource is our denominational website:
http://oga.pcusa.org/section/ga/222nd-general-assembly-2016/ganews/
Another excellent resource is the independent news agency, The Presbyterian Outlook:
the compromise was orchestrated on the floor of the assembly by members of Grace Presbytery
Of special note, we did not vote for full divestment from fossil-free companies. This was a surprise, because the overture had a great deal of concurrences, and the advocacy group Fossil-Free PCUSA ran an excellent grass roots campaign. However, the assembly chose instead to follow the recommendations of the study compiled by the PC(USA)'s Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI). This is described as a middle way, and interestingly the compromise was orchestrated on the floor of the assembly by members of Grace Presbytery working in coordination with the commissioners from New Covenant (Houston area). The MRTI report suggests that we use a "focused engagement process" with oil, gas, and coal companies, working with them through our investments to reduce emissions and reliance upon fossil fuels.
In other business, on Friday morning I spoke on the floor against a recommendation that we change "teaching elder" to "minister of Word and Sacrament." The assembly voted for it anyway, so now it goes to the presbyteries for approval since it is a constitutional change.
I can speak to more of these things later on.
Assembly Voting on Fossil Fuel Divestment Item
Voting Machine
