PASTOR'S THOUGHTS

Dear Friends,

Last month, I shared how important connectionalism is to Presbyterianism.  In essence, we believe we can’t (and shouldn’t try) to be Christians by ourselves.  We know we don’t know it all; that we don’t have all the right answer or all the right gifts.  We thus also know we need to hear the voice of the Spirit speaking through others.  We need to see gifts of the Spirit alive and at work in others. 

Thus, our Presbyterian way of life inherently seeks to connect us to other Presbyterians.  It does this first by connecting all churches (and church members) into a regional body known as the presbytery.  Trinity’s presbytery—the Presbytery of Monmouth—strives to equip and connect the 44 local churches under its auspices throughout parts of Middlesex, Ocean, Mercer, and Monmouth Counties. 

What I didn’t share last month, however, is that there is still an even larger body that connects every single PC(USA) congregation and congregant—the General Assembly.  Specifically, the General Assembly is a bi-annual meeting of representatives from all across our denomination’s 173 presbyteries.  Important to note is that, while this meeting is huge (huge regarding: the number of “commissioners” who attend; the breadth of issues it explores; the importance of its discernment), it remains a representative body of the PC(USA)’s local churches.  Because presbyteries are formed by representatives (pastors and elders) from each and every local congregation, this ultimately means that our General Assembly is also represented by the pastors and elders who are elected by the presbyteries to serve at the General Assembly.

This year, the General Assembly of the PC(USA) will meet in Minneapolis, MN, July 4-11.  This 219th General Assembly of our church will immerse commissioners in a wide-range of issues, including theological and doctrinal debates, church structureth, mission and social justice work, evangelical and ecumenical outreach, social policy statements, and more. 

I speak to the work of the General Assembly because its discernment and leadership sit at the bedrock of our denomination’s connectionalism.  For it is at GA that issues affecting the whole of our church are not just brought to light and life, but are given form, focus, and (if ratified by a majority of our presbyteries) a vision forward. 

I also share that I will be attending the 219th General Assembly this July on behalf of our Presbytery of Monmouth.  While at the assembly, I will be serving on the committee exploring “theological issues.”  I’m excited to be able to venture into this world of the General Assembly for a week, and to taste our connectionalism at this level.  I’m also eager to share what I learn and discover with all of you upon my return, that we—as a whole community—might further immerse ourselves into our connectional culture as Presbyterians. 

To learn more about the 219th General Assembly, I invite you to visit www.pcusa.org/ga219.

In Peace,
Rob