Commmissioner Resolutions at 2020 Synod Assembly
Commissioner Resolutions
There were three Commissioner Resolutions and all three were voted in the affirmative and now become the work of the Synod. Summaries and links to the full text of the resolutions are below.
Resolution to the Synod of the Northeast on Anti-Racism Work. Rev. Eric Thomas (TE Commissioner, New York City), one of the authors, stated that we are living in a time of multiple pandemics, protests, and politics that call us to address issues of systemic racism in our communities and in our world. This resolution serves the purposes of the New Way Forward. It also puts concrete actions to the Confession, For Such a Time as This, that is based on items from the general assembly that can be addressed now rather than waiting for the next general assembly. Matthew 25 calls us into actions that address the least of these especially those who are impacted by the multiple systems of white supremacy. Rev. Traci Blackmon challenged us to rewrite the stories of the communities and the world with which we are engaged in mission. This is an opportunity to do some real tangible change.
Resolution on the Confession, For Such a Time as This. Rev. Jeremy Campbell (TE Commissioner, Elizabeth), one of the authors, stated that while adopting this confession at the synod level we cannot add it to the status of confession. That is why we are seeking the synod to send an overture to the 225th General Assembly to adopt this as a confession of our PCUSA. We need a contemporary statement as to what it means to be Presbyterian and why it should matter. In the meantime, we can use the confession in the way we use our confessional statements as a guide for what it means to be faithful and how we express our reformed theology in this synod in this place and time.
Resolution for the Synod of the Northeast to commit to becoming a Matthew 25 synod and that the Synod of the Northeast encourages congregations to commit to becoming Matthew 25 presbyteries. Elder Warren McNeill (RE Commissioner, Newark), one of the authors, stated that Matthew 25 is an important commitment because it builds congregational vitality and also charges the dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty. These all speak to what the New Way Forward envisions. It also speaks to Rev. Traci Blackmon’s talking with us about rewriting our stories. As we look forward to our synod transitional leader arriving, this should be part of that person’s work.