COGA gives stated clerk pat on back, 3-percent raise By John H. Adams The Layman Online Monday, October 13, 2003 PHILADELPHIA – While some Presbyterians are complaining about the work of Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick, the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) gave him a rave review and a 3 percent salary hike, from $119,000 to roughly $122,500. At $146,000, John Detterick, the executive director of the General Assembly Council, is the highest salaried employee of the Presbyterian Church (USA). COGA supervises Kirkpatrick, who is expected to ask commissioners to the 216th General Assembly in June 2004 to elect him to a third four-year term. For its meeting in Philadelphia in October, COGA published its own evaluation of Kirkpatrick's performance in light of his "benchmark goals for 2003" and held a private session with Kirkpatrick to review his work. After the closed meeting, Katherine Cunningham, COGA's moderator, said the responses from COGA members ranged from "outstanding to satisfactory, with the majority being outstanding. There were no unsatisfactories. COGA firmly believes the Spirit of God is calling Cliff Kirkpatrick, the stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), to a third term." In COGA's written evaluation, Kirkpatrick and his staff were given credit for: Being a "major resource" to the Theological Task Force so that "they can truly be effective in promoting the peace, unity and purity of the church." That pat on the back included staff help in producing a video and a task force Web site. Work on what "promises to be a very helpful National Pastors' Conference." "Important steps" towards building "a new image and a new commitment to full participation of all in the life of the church with special attention to strengthening Committees on Representation in our presbyteries and increasing diversity among General Assembly commissioners." Kirkpatrick has been the denomination's most ardent advocate of "unity in diversity." Promoting the denomination's "Common Faith, Common Mission" emphasis, with "a goal of focusing foremost on the Constitution." Kirkpatrick has called for a altered Constitution that gives higher authority to the first four chapters of the Book of Order and allows presbyteries and sessions to decide controversial matters, such as whether to ordain practicing homosexuals. He also won plaudits for working with seminaries, supporting biennial assemblies, ecumenical work, communications, helping the Presbyterian Historical Society and a number of other matters. A denominationwide committee is currently reviewing the stated clerk's performance and soliciting comments from Presbyterians. A number of those who have submitted reviews have sent copies of their evaluations to The Layman Online. None received by The Layman Online has been positive. The Presbyterian Coalition has written a review as a suggested model for how Presbyterians ought to assess the stated clerk's performance. In a paper titled "Issues and Concerns Regarding the Performance of Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick" that was handed out during Gathering VIII in Portland, the Coalition urged Presbyterians to send the review committee negative evaluations. The Coalition said Kirkpatrick had failed to "preserve and defend" the Constitution, undermined the denomination's "fidelity/chastity" ordination standard, unconstitutionally threatened members of local sessions for exercising their constitutional right not to remit per-capita payments, and "spoken without" authorization on some issues, including support for a World Council of Churches statement suggesting that President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair committed war crimes by invading Iraq. Letters containing reviews of the stated clerk's performance should be mailed by Oct. 15 to: Rev. Kathy Runyeon Presbytery of San Francisco 2024 Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704

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