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Highlights of the 179th General Assembly, part 4.
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- speakerThe commissioners also learned that the Fifty Million Fund had already received pledges an excess of
- speakerfifty million dollars. And then there was a report of Church and Society,
- speakerin which the church seeks relevant Christian answers to the pressing questions of this sweating,
- speakerbreathing, anxious present. There was no way to fairly reduce the great amount of discussion
- speakerof the issues here. So we have asked one slightly used but still new
- speakerStated Clerk Mr William Phelps Thompson to report to you . Sir, what
- speakerwere the specific items reported on by Church and Society this year?
- speaker[Thompson, William P. ] Church and Society reported on a number of different problems and concerns.
- speakerThe one that was probably uppermost in the minds of the commissioners was the first reported on.
- speakerThat was on war and world order. With particular reference to the conflict
- speakerin Vietnam, the committee reported and the commissioners
- speakeradopted a declaration of conscience. They also authorized and
- speakerdirected a study of the issues in depth.
- speakerAnd finally issued a call to prayers for peace, which
- speakerthey themselves observed on the last day of the assembly. During the
- speakertime when they would normally have adjourned for lunch, they had a service of prayers
- speakerfor peace. They did not eat lunch that noon and
- speakerduring the period, they had this worship. The money
- speakerwhich they would normally have spent for the noon meal was given for the relief of suffering
- speakeramong the civilians in Vietnam. In the same area of War and World Order,
- speakerthere was a pronouncement on international economic assistance, on the problems
- speakerin southern Africa, and the problems of the People's Republic of China.
- speakerThere were a number of other subjects also proposed by the Committee
- speakeron Church and Society. These included civil rights from proclamation
- speakerto performance. And, under that heading, there was a statement on the church and
- speakerblack power. Then there was a proposed pronouncement on the
- speakerchurch and selective service, on crime in America,
- speakerand one on traffic safety. These were all discussed in great detail
- speakerby the commissioners. There were some amendments and deletions.
- speakerAfter full and complete debate, pronouncements on these subjects were adopted.
- speakerThe Church and Society Committee also proposed that the General Assembly approve
- speakera report on the church, the Christian and work, which had
- speakerbeen prepared by a special committee working over a number of months. And proposed
- speakera study on women in society and in the church. I
- speakerlike now, if I may, to ask you how you found your first
- speakeryear as Stated Clerk? [Thompson, William P. speaking] It's been fascinating.
- speakerDuring this year I have traveled a great deal. I have thought it wise that
- speakerI meet a number of people in all parts of the church. And indeed I
- speakerhave traveled more during my first year as stated clerk than I did in the preceding year
- speakerwhen I was moderator. I have some appreciation of how much travel that implies.
- speakerWould you tell me how you would define the function of your office
- speakerat a General Assembly? At the General Assembly, the Stated Clerk has two
- speakerfunctions. The first is to propose the docket. In the final analysis,
- speakerof course, the commissioners themselves adopt the docket, but the stated clerk
- speakermust suggest to them how their business might be conducted. And then
- speakerin the conduct of the business, the Stated Clerk serves as parliamentarian.
- speakerI was left with the impression that you had memorized the Manual. You had some pretty thorny
- speakerones from the floor there from time to time. You seem to have all the right answers. I had familiarized
- speakermyself with the rules. And in this particular General Assembly,
- speakerthe commissioners themselves didn't like one of the rules and changed it. I
- speakerassume that's their prerogative? It is indeed. Thank you very much, Mr. Thompson.
