A different kind of proposal By John H. Adams The Layman Volume 35, Number 2 Posted April 8, 2002 LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A romantic interlude brought tears to the eyes, some lighthearted repartee and whoops and cheers when a smiling young lady accepted the marriage proposal of General Assembly Council member Neal Presa. On Feb. 2, the last day of its meeting in Louisville, the council granted Presa a few minutes for an unspecified personal matter. Speaking into a microphone for all to hear, he summoned Gracie Rhie, an elder in New Jersey, to sit in a chair facing him. Neal Presa with Gracie Rhie after she said yes. He briefly told their story. They had met a year before at a convocation of Korean Presbyterians arranged by former General Assembly Moderator Syngman Rhee, and they talked and talked and talked … After dazzling Rhie with flowers and a romantic quotation, Presa dropped to his knee, took her hand and declared, “You captured my heart. The past 41 weeks have been a midsummer night’s dream that I don’t want to wake up from. I want to ask one simple question. No pressure.” Someone interrupted: “Is there a second?” Not waiting for the answer, Presa popped the question. Someone else interjected, “Is there anyone here who knows of any reason ...?” Despite being unable to hear what Rhie said, most members of the General Assembly Council anticipated the answer and erupted in whoops, cheers and applause. With tears in her eyes, Rhie later confirmed that she said yes.

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