Monday, June 8, 2009

General Synod WILL Meet in 2010 After All!

By a vote of 145-72 the delegates reversed their Friday decision to effectively cancel General Synod in 2010. So General Synod plans to meet in Orange City, Iowa in 2010 after all.

The initial vote on Friday was 120-100 in favor of an amended GSC motion to not hold General Synod in 2010. Upon further reflection, the thinking of this year's delegates obviously changed.

3 comments:

  1. I am kind of surprised, not that I take issue with the notion of reconsidering previously held ideas. But I am concerned that the reason for the original decision hasn't changed. While it is important & desirable to maintain our connections - financial considerations should not be perceived as somehow inherently bad.
    In an economy such as ours, people who may have never previously given a thought to economics are now finding themselves in that position. Of course we are all aware that on a daily basis, economics realities drive decision making possibilities all the time - in the very neediest of peoples.
    And in my own life - it's a fact that like so many others I have had to reconsider the possibilties for making certain decisions.
    Sacrifice, giving up things of meaning are all a part of the daily reality of far too many around the globe. Why not us? And perhaps if GS missed a year, it would be that much more meaningful and appreciated when next held.

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  2. I think the reason this decision was reversed is because it was the very first major item considered and many delegates had not previously discussed this proposal. While other major issues were extensively considered and debated, this one was not -- at least the first time around. While the underlying economic realities didn't change in the last few days, the delegates' awareness of the issue did deepen considerably. We realized, for example, that the net savings realized would have been less than $1 per confessing RCA member. In addition, the delegates' appreciation for the value of General Synod seems to have deepened during the intervening three days. Good stewardship is certainly important. But so is our connectedness as fellow believers.

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  3. Thanks Lee for your response. Given the explanation of how it really wouldn't be cost effective to skip GS, then perhaps it makes sense to go ahead. I also appreciate your comments re: stewardship & connectedness. I guess I believe that our connectedness will still be in place in spite of missing a year.
    And in a different vein, it seems that we barely begin engaging in the living out of decisions made at GS when the year passes and we are back re-considering them. I'm not sure we give ourselves enough time to live into them -given the amount of time it takes for the classes to support or deny actions taken at Synod.
    Just some thoughts.
    Blessings on your night.

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