Panel elects
delegates
to ecumenical gatherings
By Craig M.
Kibler
The Layman
Online
Thursday, July 1,
2004
RICHMOND, Va. – In a flurry of business Tuesday afternoon,
with almost no discussion, the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical
and Interfaith Relations approved measures dealing with delegates to
ecumenical gatherings and the makeup of its own committee.
One commissioner, in a stinging rebuke, chastised the committee over
the word ecumenical relations. "I don't think we mean 'ecumenical'
in the way we want to be ecumenical, and by that I mean all faith
traditions," he said.
"The current PCUSA definition is politically one-sided," he
said. "It's a double standard."
The committee moved on and approved three proposals to be forwarded to
the full General Assembly:
- Confirmed, on a 41-0-1 vote, the election of delegates and
alternates to the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches
(item 6-06-10). The Presbyterian Church (USA) has been allocated
three seats at the assembly, which will be held in Porto Alegrea,
Brazil, on Feb. 14-23, 2006. The principal delegates will be the
stated clerk of the General Assembly, the chair of the Worldwide
Ministries Division (in 2006 or beyond) and Vanessa Luciano. The
alternates will be the associate stated clerk for Ecumenical
Relations, the director of the Worldwide Ministries Division (in
2006 or beyond) and Marissa Galvan.
- Confirmed, on a 42-0-3 vote, the election of a delegate and
alternate to the 24th General Council of the World Alliance of
Reformed Churches (item 6-06-11). The delegate will be Michael
Racelis and the alternate will be William A. Radford.
- Amended, on a 44-0-1 vote, Standing Rule E.8.b. regarding the
membership of the Committee on Ecumenical Relations (item 6-06-08).
The action, if approved by the General Assembly, will increase the
number of members on the committee from 16 to 20, and will increase
the number of members of the PCUSA nominated for at-large positions
by the General Assembly Nominating Committee and elected by the
General Assembly from eight to 12.
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