The business begins

Greetings from Hall B of the Minneapolis Convention Center! (thanks to Erin Dunigan for this great photo of the inside of the Hall)

We are off and running. In just an hour or so here, we first off elected and installed the new Vice-Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rev. Landon Whitsitt from Heartland Presbytery in Missouri. He is very active in the Presbymergent movement (which, if you are not familiar with that term or that group, you must Google right now to find out more).

We heard from Jay Hudson with an update on PILP (Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, with whom many of our churches have loans or investments); heard from Eric Hoey with a "minute for mission" about "Growing the Church Deep and Wide;" adopted a new mission statement to direct our denomination's involvement with youth; and reaffirmed our commitment to children as well.

Write this down: we are even ahead of schedule (at this point!)

Seminaries are front and center on our agenda today. All 10 of our theological institutions, as well as as a few with significant Presbyterian populations, sponsored lunches today. Here is a picture of Ted Wardlaw, President of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, who many of you had the privilege of hearing preach recently at my installation. (Yes, there are other seminaries, but Austin is mine -- and so you get a picture of Ted!)

The Assembly also had the honor of electing not one but THREE new Presidents for three of our ten seminaries today: Steven Hayner as President of Columbia Seminary, Paul Roberts as the new President of Johnson C. Smith Seminary, and Michael Jinkins (most recently of Austin Seminary) as the new President of Louisville Seminary.

More coming on Theological Issues....