204th General Assembly, 1992 By John H. Adams The Layman Online Tuesday, June 15, 1999 James E. Andrews, moderator Few General Assemblies have had more strange occurrences than the 204th, which met in Milwaukee. For openers, there was the drama of the stated clerk's election, with incumbent James E. Andrews and Philadelphia Presbytery executive Charles Hammond going head to head. Then newcomer W. Clark Chamberlain squeezed into the race, calling himself "the joker in the pack." And Chamberlin won the pot. But four hours before the General Assembly adjourned, Chamberlain was back at the mike with a shocking statement: "I am unable to go forward and accept your election." Chamberlain, a minister, later said he was stepping down because he had been accused of sexual misconduct at a previous GA meeting. Andrews won in a second election for stated clerk. W. Clark Chamberlain The 1992 General Assembly opened with a Native-American smudging ceremony. The ritual prompted a peaceful walkout by many. "It's bringing shamanism and cults into orthodox Christianity," said Alan Gerber, a reporter for The Milwaukee Journal. The annual numbers report continued to show shrinkage. The PCUSA lost 41,668 members in 1991, dropping to 2,815,045 as of Dec. 31, 1991. The Rev. John Fife, who had previously been convicted on federal charges for his leadership of the Sanctuary movement, was elected moderator.

1999 General Assembly issues The Top Ten issues at the 211th General Assembly

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