Unofficial Record of Actions Taken - 33rd General Assembly, Chattanooga, TN, 2005

Disclaimer: Please note that this narrative is provided for your convenience in following the business conducted on the floor of the General Assembly. They are not the official record or minutes of the Assembly and should not be misconstrued to be such.

Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday

MINUTES OF THE THIRTY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

First Session - Tuesday Evening

June 14, 2005

33-1     Assembly Called to Order and Opening Worship

            The Thirty-Third General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America gathered for the opening worship service at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, 2005, at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

[here will be inserted the printed order of worship]

            Following worship, the Assembly recessed for 10 minutes at 9:15 p.m.

33-2     Declaration of Quorum and Enrollment

Moderator TE J. Ligon Duncan III reconvened the Assembly for business at 9:25.  The Moderator declared a quorum present with 496 Ruling Elders and 976 Teaching Elders (1472 total) enrolled.

            [here will be inserted the complete roll]

33-3     Adoption of the Docket

            The third draft of the docket was declared adopted with the following amendments:  moving the Report of the CoC on Covenant College to immediately follow the Informational Report of Covenant College, inserting a fifteen-minute report on Byfaith magazine at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, and changing the time for worship on Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

33-4     Election of Moderator

            Before the Moderator opened the floor for nominations, he introduced members of his family who were present.  He also introduced the following previous General Assembly Moderators registered for this Assembly.  Those who were present came forward, and received the expressed appreciation of the Assembly:  RE Jack Williamson (1973), RE Bill Joseph Jr. (1979), TE Paul Settle (1980), RE Kenneth Ryskamp (1981), RE Pete Austin (1983), TE Jim Baird (1984), RE Dick Chewning (1985), TE Frank Barker (1986), RE John White Jr. (1989), TE Cortez Cooper (1990), TE Wilson Benton (1992), TE Will Barker (1994), RE Frank Brock (1995), TE Charles McGowan (1996), RE Sam Duncan (1997),
TE Kennedy Smartt (1998), RE Tom Leopard (1999), TE Morton Smith (2000), RE Steve Fox (2001), and RE Joel Belz (2003).

The Moderator opened the floor for nominations for Moderator of the 33rd General Assembly.  RE Neil Neilson placed in nomination RE Robert Avis.  TE Don Clements placed in nomination RE Howard “Q” Davis.  Nominations were closed, and in accordance with “RAO” 1-4, ballots were distributed.  RE Howard “Q” Davis was elected Moderator, 595-395. 

The Assembly gave the Review of Presbytery Records Committee permission to continue conducting business while the Assembly is convened as needed until they complete their business.

The Assembly sang “Vast the Immensity, Mirror of Majesty,” hymn #24, after
TE Larry Roff, the Assembly organist, reminded the Assembly of the valuable work
TE Edmund Clowney had done for the Trinity Hymnal Revision Committee and of his supplying hymns for the church’s worship such as this one.  The Assembly also sang “All People That on Earth Do Dwell,” hymn #1 and “All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above,” hymn #4.

            The Chairman of the Administrative Committee, TE Wayne Herring, presented to the retiring Moderator a plaque in token of the Assembly’s appreciation for his year of service as Moderator.

33-5     Election of Recording and Assistant Clerks

            On nomination by the Stated Clerk, TEs David Dively, J. Robert Fiol, and Steven Meyerhoff were elected recording clerks; RE William Stanway was appointed timekeeper; Frank M. Barker III and Jesse Reagan were appointed Sound Engineers; RE Dale Carrell was appointed A-V Engineer; Jeff Bone was appointed Webstreaming Engineer; Brian Davis was appointed Webmaster; Dr. Larry Roff was appointed Assembly Organist; Bill Lloyd was appointed Network Manager; TE James A. Smith was appointed Chairman of the floor clerks and RE Ric Springer Vice Chairman; and Steven Lawton  Assembly photographer.

RE Sam Duncan and RE John B. White Jr. were appointed assistant parliamentarians by the Moderator.

33-6     Recess

            The Assembly recessed at 10:10 p.m. with prayer by TE Don Clements, to reconvene at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.