Technopocalypse and a First Ballot Stunner: Day 1

The 221^st General Assembly convened today in Detroit to the sound of a pipe and drum regiment that circled the Assembly hall. The legend of the pipes is that they would sound the anthem of the clan to summon the people to battle. So, perhaps bagpipes were not the best choice with which to open a General Assembly. Nevertheless, the opening worship was typically splendid, even if the pageantry seemed lost in the cavernous plenary hall.

But the main event of Day 1 takes place in the evening, and it is the election of the moderator. By now, most readers will have learned that our newly elected GA Moderator is Ruling Elder Heath Rada from Western Carolina Presbytery (specifically Montreat, the holy shrine of southern Presbyterians). Heath is well known to the church as the former president of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (which has since been merged with Union Seminary in Virginia). But he may be better known to my Colorado blog readers as the father of Mary Talmage Rada a ruling elder at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Boulder. Rada was elected over veteran churchman John Wilkinson of New York and relative newcomer Kelly Allen of San Antonio.

Rada’s election was a first ballot stunner – the unofficial numbers were Rada 331, Wilkinson 157, and Allen 143. Most “GA junkies” I know had pegged Wilkinson as the favorite, if not a lock. The stunner was not only because Wilkinson had the unofficial backing of most of the Covenant Network – which has a strong following at this Assembly, but also because, at least to veteran observers, the often-determinative Q & A was pretty much a draw among all three candidates, which would suggest at least a two- to three-ballot contest.

Rada’s victory might be attributable to his long years of service to the church at PSCE, which builds not only loyalty but also trust across ideological lines.  Given Wilkinson’s strong Northern progressive credentials, and Allen’s lack of name recognition, many of the traditionally conservative southern commissioners could have just voted for the candidate they knew they could trust, even if they did not agree with all his positions. It also might be due to Rada’s genuinely warm and likeable personality.

It was a good thing the voting was a single-ballot affair because voting had to be conducted by written ballot. The highly touted state-of-the art wireless remote voting system seemed undermatched for Presbyterians.  When, on an advisory vote it returned results from 2012, outgoing moderator Neal Presa joked that while it might be flattering, he had no plans for a second term. Termed “technopocalypse” by cyberwag Landon Whitsitt, the meltdown forced the Assembly to go to a Plan C of ballots distributed and collected by an army of 30 or so executives and clerks. Who knows if the ease of spelling “R-A-D-A” contributed to the victory?

There was a very calm and civil spirit to the proceedings, and outgoing moderator Presa earned points for his sense of humor in the midst of crisis. There were other conflicts brewing at the Assembly, however. Most notably, the Mid Council Commission has launched a counter-offensive in defense of their recommendations to consolidate synods, in light of the critique offered by 14 of 16 synod leaders. The defense, published in the Outlook (www.pres-outlook.com) tries to portray the synods as out of touch with the rest of the church and engaged in a self-serving crusade. At the early-morning “Riverside Conversation” on mid councils I attended, the committee leadership seemed challenged by a number of questions from commissioners in the audience. This may prove to be the hot-button issue I predicted it could be.

Technopocalypse notwithstanding, the 221^st GA has gotten off to a smooth start. The host Presbytery of Detroit, their Committee on Local Arrangements (COLA), and the 1600 volunteers they enrolled have done a wonderful job so far.

Day 2 begins with worship in local churches, and includes a brief afternoon plenary to hear from Task Forces and Commissions (including MCC2), followed by the moderator’s reception and, in the evening, the opening standing committee sessions. So far, so good.