PCA 38th General Assembly 2010: Day 1 (Patience and Old Friends)

Day one of General Assembly is really not the first day, I guess tomorrow is (Tuesday).  When the actual Assembly gathers in its opening session, which opens with a worship service and election of a Moderator.  I have heard at least one man who will be nominated and I assume based on who it is that he will be elected.  However, since it has not happened yet I won't divulge who that might be (*Cough he is a Pastor of a large church in Birmingham *Cough).  

So anyway, the Committee of Commissioners met today.  Basically what they do is check the Permanent Committees and Agencies to make sure they are doing things right and are recommending good things for General Assembly.  The two major items that were supposed to be reviewed today, both were put on hold until tomorrow; those of 'women deacons' for the Overtures Committee and the 'Strategic Plan' for the Administration Committee.  Yes, both of those Committee of Commissioners postponed their work on the two major parts of their work until tomorrow.  So today, no real news to speak of.  What does this teach us?  Patience.  

But what is so great about General Assembly?  Seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  In my case, typically the new ones are those who I have talked to online and then finally meet in person.  I met a great deal of people today, always good to see fellow elders and work with them.  This evening at dinner I was told some of the most amazing true stories that I have ever heard about the life of two churches in our denomination.  By amazing, I do not mean anything good, which is sad to say.  I just could not believe what was going on these two churches.  It was so sad and practically unbelievable.  I turned to another elder as we listened and asked, "Is this April 1st?"  Seriously, what the Pastor was saying was so crazy you would think that never could this happen in churches, and yet we all knew he was being serious and what he was saying was true.  Now I cannot give details for obvious reasons of the churches or the elders I ate with, but if you have time please pray for this man and these churches.  Pray for the mercy of God and His grace to fill the lives of the leaders of these churches and that they would be given true wisdom.  That they would all fear God and not men. 

If you would like to watch the Assembly live, a live feed will be available here.

The following are some Overtures Committee recommendations to the General Assembly:

• Overture 5
• Overture 11
• Overture 18