About the report and the 60-second promotional videos

by Phil Brown
Synod Executive

I continue to stand by the reflections I expressed in my January memo to the Mid Council Commission. You can find the memo on the synod’s website. Since that time, there is nothing in the lengthy Commission report or in conversations with the Commission’s chair that addresses constructively any of the concerns and questions I posed.

As I and others continue to engage in conversations about the Commission’s report, some themes emerge and over the next few weeks I’ll put them forward on this blog.

One theme becomes more apparent in the first of the YouTube videos posted by Tod Bolsinger to “market” the Commission’s report (you can find the video here).

The assertion is that the recommendations create a “flat, flexible, faithful organization with infinite possibilities.” That is a bold and undocumented statement with which I disagree.

When the 219th General Assembly (2010) issued the assignment to the Commission, it called on the Commission to examine and review all four levels of the church and their relationships – something that hadn’t been done in nearly four decades in spite of significant change affecting every level of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  That review remains undone.

The Commission, however, did choose to “repurpose” synods, concentrating on this one level of the church to resolve the issues faced by the denomination. Without taking a hard look at the General Assembly, the Commission does not encourage a “flat, flexible and faithful” church structure.

To the contrary, if adopted, the recommendations of the Commission will grow the silo labeled the General Assembly by expanding its responsibility, cost and authority.

The Commission does recommend that the 220th General Assembly (2012) form a new commission for the purpose of reviewing General Assembly and its six agencies – clearly a need, claims the Commission, but next time.

Perhaps during this summer's General Assembly the Commission's 60-second videos will be “blipped in” like a Super Bowl commercial.