Wednesday – despite deer in headlights - revised FOG passes

The committee work ended on Tuesday. After the work ended for each of the committees, the committee leaders scramble to put together a presentation and proposal to present to the plenary session (to all of the GA commissioners) on Wednesday. We began our plenary session on Wednesday afternoon in the large venue at the convention center.

The whole process is cool. The committee moderators make motions from the front of the room. Then discussion is opened up to the commissioners. Any commissioner that wants to speak to a motion goes to one of the 9 microphones in the huge room and holds up a color coated placard:

 Green – speaking for the motion
 Red – speaking against the motion
 Yellow – questions about the motion or procedures or
 Blue – making a motion which can be an alternate motion or a suggested modification to the existing motion. It gets a bit complicated when you get suggested modifications on top of modifications on top of modified motions but the moderator keeps things straight.
 Orange – Call to vote on the motion

The GA tries to spread out the high blood pressure, high anxiety issues throughout the plenary. The first high blood pressure to be scheduled was Wednesday night at 8:30. This was my committees new Form of Government (nFOG). It represents a big change to the way things are done and I think it is natural for a percentage to fear large change so it was a contentious issue to many. One commissioner recommended an alternate motion that would postpone the decision, post the report on the web and allow the presbyteries and congregations to have ANOTHER two years to digest, review and ask additional questions. I felt moved to speak against this motion (against our committee recommendation). I went to the microphone without anything prepared figureing I would have a couple of minutes to collect my thoughts before I was called upon. I was called upon about 4 seconds after I got to the microphone. I’m usually pretty good on my feet and comfortable talking to crowds but with the surprisingly quick time frame being called upon, the thousands of people in the room and my face on two huge screens at the front of the room, I was like a deer in headlights. UHMMMMM, UHHHH,…. I think at one point in time I started speaking and believe I communicated my point but I’m not really sure.