I have been nominated to go to the Presbyterian General Assembly (GA) this summer. This Blog is to share my experience as I get ready for the event and participate. The subjects covered are extensive and interesting. The hot topics we will discuss are 'same sex marriage', 'Israel / Palestine conflict', Human trafficking and many other interesting and perhaps not so interesting topics.

For those that don't know what GA is, it is the National governing body of the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has over 11,000 congregations which are organized into 173 presbyteries (district governing bodies) and 16 synods (regional governing bodies).The GA is the national governing body over all of this.

The General Assembly consists of commissioners elected by presbyteries. Half of the commissioners will be Ministers of Word and Sacrament, half will be elders. Few will ever have been commissioners to the General Assembly before, but most will have served in one of the other governing bodies of our church: the session, which provides care and oversight of a local congregation; the presbytery, which provides care and oversight of a group of congregations; or the synod which provides care and oversight of several presbyteries.

It reviews the work of synods, resolves controversies in the church, is responsible for matters of common concern for the whole church, and serves as a symbol of unity for the church.

Why me? I am not sure. Perhaps it is God's calling, perhaps it is because I'm a sucker that said yes, and perhaps it is because I have a vested interest in having the Presbyterian church be there when I am old to give me spiritual, physical and emotional support.