PCA 38th General Assembly 2010: Day 3 (Strategic Plan or Plot?)

Oh, great title right?  Before I get to that let me just say today was the day where all the Permanent Committees are to give their informational report.  And what they share is already written in our commissioner handbook.  So I used this time to go and visit the various exhibitors.  The only real quality work we did today is voting on BCO, RAO, and SJC Manual amendments, and really nothing major to speak of there.  These were more small matters to bring clarity and help out the Assembly and its committees.  

But the big news flowing out of the Strategic Plan dealings is quite a find.  I have been contemplating for well over a month now what was meant by a comment I heard.  I heard that one of the denominational leaders said that it doesn't really matter if we pass the Strategic Plan this year because we are in Phase 3.  I have wondered for awhile now what 'Phase 3' means.  It seems very much like a plot. This evening some friends and I were talking about the Strategic Plan over dinner and how we got to where we are today.  Their description to me was in three stages.  Amazing, right?  So I did some research.  A friend showed me a document that showed proof that there were three stages and we are in the third stage right now!  Yes, right now! The document, which is actually a PowerPoint presentation on paper that I have, is entitled, "Background and Summary of the 2010 PCA Strategic Plan".  

The first slide states,

Stage One

24 Leaders Elected by General Assembly (2000) 

-Identify Biblical and Theological Values and Priorities

-Identify Tools Needed for Further Planning

Approved by 2003 GA

The second slide,

Stage Two

Being Revived and Bring Reformation

-Original Leaders and ad interim committee
-Professional Survey: 900 PCA leaders, 66 presbyteries, interviews with other denominations
-90-page report
~Reiterated biblical priorities
~Proposals to make GA issue-focused and fruitful
~Cooperative Ministries Committee directed to do "long-range planting" (RAO 7-3.c)
Approved by 2006 GA

The third slide,

Stage Three

2007-10 Strategic "Plan"

(a "map" not a mandate; except BCO amendments)

-Cooperative Ministries Committee (cooridinators, chairmen, moderators)
-Additional Research and Discussion
~2-hour seminars at GAs (hundreds of commissioners and recordings)
~Text and video on AC Web site; byFaith articles pro and con
~Questions answered on AC Web site (not unaffiliated blogs)

The fourth slide,

Stage Three

2007-10 Strategic "Plan"

Approved Unamiously by Cooperative Ministries Committee (January 2010)
Approved Unanimously by Administrative Committee (April 2010)
Approved Unanimously by Committee on Constitutional Business (May 2010)
Attorneys King and Spalding Approval (Spring 2010)

So can you see three phases/stages?  The same man who made this Strategic "Plan" was the one who said that they were in "Phase Three" above AND was the same one who produced this PowerPoint presentation (the author...a prominent leader and President of a PCA academic institution).  Now I leave this up to you.  I am asking if, since the year 2000, is this a "plan" or a "plot"?"