2022 Synod Assembly Votes and Actions
The Commissioners and YAADs had a full agenda of issues to consider and vote upon during Synod Assembly. At the beginning of the Assembly during worship Rev. Stephen Park Choi was installed as the Moderator of the Synod. The Moderator put the Constitutional Questions to Rev. Park Choi and prayed with him.
Elections
Elder Lisa Baker, Presbytery of Southern New England, was elected as the Moderator-Elect. The Assembly re-elected the Synod Stated Clerk, Rev. Nancy Talbot, for another four-year term.
Revisions to the Standing Rules
The Assembly approved the proposed revisions to the Standing Rules:
The upper age of YAADs is now 23 to match the General Assembly. The new language about YAADs codifies the process of moving into the Committee of the Whole before the business is conducted which ensures that YAADs have a seat at the table as equals. Due to the rules of the current Book of Order, all votes taken with YAADs are ratified by the Ruling Elders and Teaching Elders elected as Synod Assembly Commissioners once the Assembly has moved out of the Committee of the Whole.
The Standing Rules clarified who may be elected to serve on the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission, removing Mid-Council Leaders from eligibility. It also clarified that whoever is elected from a presbytery to serve on the Synod Mission and Ministries Commission automatically serves as one of the presbytery’s Synod Assembly Commissioners.
The word Networker was removed because this position no longer exists under the new Synod staff structure. The delegation of authority to oversee the Robert Washington Scholars Fund and Servant Leadership Institute is relocated from the Committee on Representation to the Connectional Ministries Working Group. The word Interim is changed to Transitional which reflects the title of the current Synod Leader.
The Standing Rules may be found on the synod website, www.synodne.org, on the Governance page. The changes agreed upon in this Assembly are in bold.
Presbytery Minutes
The Assembly authorized the Synod Mission and Ministry Commission to approve presbytery minutes on behalf of the Assembly once they are finalized.
Permanent Judicial Commission
The Assembly elected the following 3 nominees to the synod Permanent Judicial Commission, class of 2028, and allows the Mission and Ministry Commission to elect the 4th and final person to this class.
Elder Madelynne Lindsey (Northeast New Jersey)
Rev. Evan D. Hansen (Geneva)
Elder Carrie Demers (Northern New York)
2023-2024 Budget
The Moderator introduced the proposed 2023-2024 budget, recommended by the Synod Mission and Ministry Commission. The Assembly amended the budget to maintain the per capita assessment at $4.10, at a cost of $18,000 and voted 36-24 to disapprove an amendment to remove from the budget the Small Church Residency Program. The budget was then approved.
Discernment Team
The Assembly elected the following members of the New Discernment Team who will work with the Transitional Synod Leader to begin collecting data, create an evaluation process, hold listening sessions and bring an initial report in the fall of 2023 followed by the development of a draft vision proposal for the synod that will be presented at the October 2024 synod assembly.
Rev. Joseph Chu (Eastern Korean American)
Elder Letty Heredia (New York City)
Rev. Heather Kirk-Davidoff (Albany)
Rev. Jyugin “Jenny” Lee (Coastlands)
Rev. Hollie Hale Thompson (Long Island)
Rev. Sabrina Slater (Geneva)
Rev. Eric A. Thomas (New York City)
Rev. Dakota Whitaker (Northern New England)
Rev. Jeromey A. Howard (Hudson River)
Elder E. Magdalene McClarrin (Long Island)
Commissioner Resolutions and Other Business
The Assembly approved a Commissioner Resolution from Commissioner Rev. Ashley DeTar Birt (New York City) and Commissioner Elder Nicole Aronson Champagne (Southern New England), which was introduced by Corresponding Member Elder William Reyes (Coastlands Presbytery, Synod Hispanic Latino Caucus). The resolution denounced and condemned the inhumane illegal abuses that Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, recently committed against innocent decent human beings who are asylum seekers and children of God who happen to be immigrants from Latin America when they sent them to New York and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. The resolution directed the Synod Stated Clerk to
send the resolution along with a letter, to all its presbyteries and congregations to pray and move to action on behalf of our Latin American Immigrants as well as to Governor Ron DeSantis and to Governor Greg Abbott, condemning and denouncing these inhumane acts.
New Business
On the advice of the Hispanic Latino Caucus, the Assembly observed that there are no Latino commissioners to this Assembly and directed the Synod Stated Clerk to write all presbyteries expressing this concern, encouraging them to elect Hispanic Latino commissioners to synod assembly in the future.
Stated Clerk Installation
The assembly installed the re-elected Stated Clerk. The Moderator put the Constitutional Questions to Rev. Talbot and the Assembly and prayed with her.
YAADs' Reflection
Michael Casey (Albany) spoke on behalf of the YAADs, thanking the synod for including their valuable voices. The Moderator thanked the YAADs for their fine participation and presence at this assembly.