Synod Assembly 2020 Review

I have compiled a review of the 2020 Synod Assembly for those of you who need to report to your presbyteries, for those who were not able to attend the synod assembly, and for everyone to have a document in which you can find the results of this two-day gathering. In addition, there are links to the videos seen and those unseen due to time. Check them out. They are definitely worth watching. There are also and links to the commissioner resolutions and YAAD reflections. If you wish to refer back to any other documents, they will remain in One Hub to which you have access.

Synod Assembly Planning Team Challenge
When the Synod Assembly Planning Team understood that they would have to plan a completely virtual assembly, the goals became simple albeit challenging: create a meeting in which all the business could get done while making Zoom time as short as possible and as interesting as possible. These goals led to the creation of the grantee videos as well as report videos. It also led to the idea of reaching out to churches across the synod to provide worship music. The idea behind all the videos was to provide to us all a patchwork of people, churches, emerging gospel communities, campus ministries, and synod partners so that we could see the breadth of the synod, the wealth of creativity, the commitment to servant leadership and examples of resources that span our region. We hope that we were successful in achieving these goals.

Worshipful Work: “Standing in the Breach”
The synod assembly was planned as worshipful work. This meant that the entire gathering was created as a worship service. The docket became a bulletin to remind us who we are, whose we are and why we gather. Worship was at the heart of the entire meeting with a full worship service on Friday and a shorter service to close the gathering on Saturday. Rev. Traci Blackmon who had been with us the previous day for the synod assembly pre-event continued with the assembly’s overarching theme: “Standing in the Breach,” using Isaiah 58: 1-14 as the text. You can shortly find Traci’s two pre-assembly workshops as well as her sermons on the Synod's YouTube channel or the Synod’s website, www.synodne.org.

Elder Jacinth Hanson (New York City), the Synod’s moderator since 2018, installed Rev. Leslie Latham (Western New York) as the new Synod moderator while she became the moderator of the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission.

Presentations
Friday afternoon we began with presentations about the 2021/2022 synod budget, a proposal for synod interest-free loans to presbyteries for churches with critical needs during the pandemic, and a presentation from the New Jersey Missional Communities Transitions Working Group. This last presentation concerned the effort of the seven NJ presbyteries to refashion themselves into four new presbyteries with an emphasis and value on becoming new missional communities. The Office of the General Assembly (OGA) is following closely the work in New Jersey. They tell us this is the first state-wide effort to reshape presbyteries in PCUSA. It is not a simple merger as has been done in our synod previously or in other parts of the country. This is far more complex. The new boundaries have been drawn in such a way that various parts of current presbyteries are going to become parts of new presbyteries. OGA believes this could become a model for PCUSA in the future.

Breakout Room Discussions
The assembly then moved into eleven breakout rooms to discuss the following questions:

  • What stories and resources from the larger community would be useful to your ministry as a leader, a congregation, or a presbytery?

  • How might the synod encourage presbyteries and congregations in their endeavors to connect more deeply with their neighbors?

  • Where might the future be already present in our midst?

We are in the process of collecting the breakout room recordings and notes and will transcribe them so that everyone can see the composite discussion that took place. This is the first step in a journey of reconsidering the New Way Forward that was adopted at synod assembly in 2013. We will provide your thoughts to a discernment group that will be created to work with the synod transitional leader to consider what of the New Way Forward the synod community wishes to keep as our foundational values, what activities and focuses should be jettisoned, and what should be added in this time and moving forward.

Saturday Morning
Saturday began with videos and my reflection as Acting Synod Leader. I have placed the reflection in One Hub if anyone wishes to see it. It is separate from my report.

Prayers of the People was the business section of synod assembly. You will see that it starts here and goes through the commissioner resolutions.

Committee of the Whole
In order for YAADs to have not only a voice but to vote alongside commissioners rather than simply advising the commissioners, the assembly voted to move into the Committee of the Whole. The following discussions and votes took place.

Elected by Acclamation
Rev. Stephen Park Choi (TE Commissioner, Newton) became the Synod Moderator-Elect by acclamation. His bio can be found in One Hub. Welcome, Stephen! You have agreed to take on this commitment at a time when the synod is in transition. We look forward to your leadership and engagement during this important time that will help us discern the future.

The Assembly took up the 2021/2022 Budget and:

  • Ratified the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission’s approval, acting as the Board of Trustees, of the per capita rate of $4.10 for 2021 and 2022.

  • Approved the 2021/2022 budget with the expectation that Synod leadership need not wait until the end of the current budget cycle to begin to enact organizational and structural changes to the Synod of the Northeast, as deemed necessary to decrease the percentage of Synod funds spent on administrative costs, and increase the percentage spent on ministry.

  • Voted that if there is a proposed shift in the budget of $100,000 or more that the synod assembly be reconvened to review it.


The Assembly discussed the proposal concerning Presbytery Loans and:

  • Ratified the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission’s approval, acting as the Board of Trustees, to make loans to presbyteries in the maximum amount of $50,000 per presbytery for the years of 2021 and 2022, such loans to be made without interest charge to the presbyteries, utilizing the Synod’s $2 million line of credit secured by investments as needed.


The Assembly then turned to a number of recommendations from the Synod Stated Clerk:

New Jersey Missional Communities

  • Approved the creation of the New Jersey Missional Communities Administrative Commission (NJMCAC) and the charge of the AC provided to the Synod Assembly.

  • Delegated authority to the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission to appoint the members of the synod’s New Jersey Missional Communities Administrative Commission.

  • Delegated authority to the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission to approve the final New Jersey Missional Communities plan.


Susquehanna Valley Presbytery

  • Approved the creation of the Susquehanna Valley Presbytery Administrative Commission (AC) and the charge of the AC provided to the Synod Assembly.

  • Delegated authority to the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission to appoint the members of the synod’s Susquehanna Valley Presbytery Administrative Commission.

 

Synod Standing Rule Changes to SR. 3.300 and 3.500 were approved as follows:

SR 3.300 Working Groups: The work of the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission shall be supported by three Working Groups: the Mission Working Group, Connectional Ministries Working Group, and the Administrative Working Group.  

SR 3.500 Connectional Ministries Working Group - The Connectional Ministries Working Group is responsible to encourage the mission and ministry of individuals, congregations and presbyteries by facilitating connections that resource and encourage their leadership and witness in the many communities Presbyterians are called to serve in our region.  This connecting can include the formation of networks around common passion and purpose, the facilitation of ecumenical engagement, and the articulation and encouragement of a vibrant social justice witness.  All of these many forms of connecting the missional passion of the synod community will embody the overall mission of the Synod, especially in the areas of diversity, leadership formation and pursuit of justice.          

Election to the Synod Permanent Judicial Commission for the class of 2026
The four mentioned below were elected to the Synod PJC class of 2026. Brief bios of each person are located in One Hub

  • Rev. Kate Jones Calone, Long Island Presbytery

  • Rev. Joseph Chu, Eastern Korean American Presbytery

  • Rev. Jelty Ochoton, Northern New England Presbytery

  • Elder Peter J. Weishaar, Genesee Valley Presbytery


Commissioner Resolutions
All three were voted in the affirmative and now become the work of the Synod.

  • 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 purpose 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 and do not have to wait 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. [LINK] 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.


Moving out of the Committee of the Whole
Commissioners and YAADs moved out of Committee of the Whole. Synod Assembly Commissioners then ratified all actions and votes taken within the Committee of the Whole. Prayers of the People continued.

Honoring Elder Warren McNeill
Warren has just completed six years of moderatorial service to the synod under the New Way Forward. Elder Jacinth Hanson spoke of his service and thanked him for his work and time. The synod gave Warren a pottery oil lamp by which to remember the Synod, handcrafted by June Wink, Walter Wink’s wife.

YAAD Reflections
Each assembly just before worship we end with reflections from YAADs who have attended. Just as the discussions you had during assembly, and votes you took, and the commissioner resolutions you passed, so too the YAADs left us with messages that point the way to the work now to be done by the synod. Thank you for your time, interest, and contributions to the future of our synod. We hope you will stay engaged with us as your time permits.

Final Worship
Rev. Traci Blackmon ended with a message of hope – exactly what we needed as we left this gathering.

A Word of Thanks
Again, I wish to thank the synod assembly planning team who came together time after time to plan the substance of this gathering as well as how it would work in these unprecedented times. The planning team included CRE Guillermo Lopez – Acosta, Rev. Joe Chu, Rev. Diane Ford, Elder Jacinth Hanson, Rev. Leslie Latham, Rev. Andy Smith, Elder Lydia Tembo, Rev. Anita Wright, Elder Lori Hylton, and Rev. Nancy Talbot. We worked from late spring into the fall to help plan how this would work and to plan worship. Andy Smith and Lydia Tembo served as the YAAD team leaders and met with YAADs throughout this assembly.

I would also like to thank all of you who committed your time to be present. For those who agreed to serve as commissioners and YAADs, thank you for helping to set the course for the synod as we continue in our time of transition. Please stay in touch as we promise to stay in touch with you.

Faithfully,
Rev. Nancy Talbot
Acting Synod Leader
Stated Clerk

Lori Hylton