Chippewa UPC has voted 104-1 to leave PCUSA

• Post Gazette
• Fort Mills Times
• Beaver-Butler Presbytery
• Chippewa UPC

Voting Tuesday: Detroit and Lehigh

Presbytery	2009 Vote	2001 Vote
Detroit	141-92 (replace)	48%-52% (keep)
Lehigh	60-46 (replace)	45%-55% (keep)

Lehigh has sent out a special letter about the 2 min per side, until one side runs out of speakers or 50 minutes. Their agenda shows a 5:00 starting time for debate.

Detroit has an interesting agenda:

CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENT B
4:40 Description of the process and expectations.  Moderator (15)
4:55 The Constitutional history and consequences (15) Stated Clerk
5:10 Presentation of the cases  (20)
Pro: (5) The Rev Mary Austin
Con: (5) The Rev. Johnie Bennett
Pro: (5) Elder John Lovegren  (Detroit, Jefferson Avenue)
Con (5) Elder Francile Anderson (Waterford, Community)
5:30 Recess to Kaleidoscope Bible Study Groups
5:40 Convene Small group discussion  (Kaleidoscope Bible Study) (60)
6:40-7:40 p.m. (Special order of the day) WE SHARE GOD’S BOUNTY 
Dinner & Fellowship—Table and room reservations available for small groups
7:40 Small groups reconvene (30)
“I intend to vote (yes/no) because _______.”
“I am not sure how I will vote because ______.”
“Other “I” statements or “pass.”

8:10 Reconvene in Plenary (Special Order of the Day)
8:10 D. Coordinating Cabinet:  Rev. Sue Ellis Melrose
Debate on whether we shall approve Amendment B.  (limited to 2 minutes) (30)
8:40 Vote by ballot

Translate Liberal Speak

"The big story here is that many traditionally conservative areas of the country voted to accept gay clergy and lay officers in the church," said Tricia Dykers Koenig, national organizer for the Covenant Network of Presbyterians.

Translation:

We have driven out those who disagree with us, by voting on this, over and over and over again. Sometimes they left one family at at a time, sometimes a whole church. Many times we where able to steal their property as well. We made up the rules as we went along, since we have no higher power than ourselves. We will vote again, break the rules, bend the rules and harass and call names those who speak out against us.

More Hanging Chads for PCUSA

All three sites that I use to gather voting information; Presbyweb, Yes08, and Layman as not tracking abstain votes of the delegates. I notice that many leaders of organizations have a tendency to ignore abstain. As an amateur parliamentarian, this make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Since most votes are determined by majority of those voting, the abstains officially count as NO votes. SO, in a close vote, not counting abstains, could illegally alter the vote. This depends on the rules of each Presbytery. Nationally, the Abstains mean No, as it is majority of all Presbyteries, whether they vote or not.

One blog happened to mention that the Presbytery of San Francisco vote was 167-177-4. This changed %No from 51.45% to 52.01% or 167-181. I hope each and every clerk (Presbytery, Session, ...) knows better and it is only the web sites that are sloppy in their reporting.

By my count 6 Presbyteries are in the 2% difference bracket. Could any of these votes be invalid?

• National Association of Parliamentarians
• American Institute of Parliamentarians!
• Wikipedia

Saturday Results - IT IS DONE 69-88-1

• Northern Plains: 21-33: NO
• Boise: 25-34: NO
• De Cristos: 59-48: YES
• Sierra Blanca: 23-30 NO

News Coverage:

• FORBES (AP - short)Presbyterians reject gay clergy, but vote closer
• Dickinson Pres (Longer AP)Presbyterians reject gay clergy, but vote closer
• Christian Post: PC(USA) Presbyteries Vote to Keep Fidelity, Chastity Requirement

When is a web page not a web page?

Executive Summary: When it does not follow Standards. (non-proprietary coding).

Details: Sometimes website work by accident. Web programmers/admins, etc. have gotten lazy or complacent, and still thinks the web revolves around Microsoft's Internet Explorer(IE). The latest figures show IE market penetration falling as fast as PCUSA membership. These figures are from March 2009 and represent Global usage. FF has about double the market share in Europe.

• 67% Microsoft's Internet Explorer(IE)
• 22% Mozilla's Firefox (FF)
•  8% Apple's Safari
•  1% Google Chrome - Beta
•  2% Other

What web pages have irritated me enough to write this blog entry?

• Presbyweb Vote Info Uses multiple tables to fake one table
• Bartlesville Sunfest Works on IE only

PC(USA) Probes EPC's Role in Church Splits

Christian Post: PC(USA) Probes EPC's Role in Church Splits

The Layman: Five PCUSA ministers will investigate unattributed allegations against EPC

Break Even

• San Jose: 84-81 (2001: 85-75)
• South Louisiana: 42-55 (2001: 51-71)
• Total 65-82

All-in-All, no change, but the "pro-equality" group can not afford to break even at this stage.

Next Up:

• Apr 17: Alaska
• Apr 21: National Capital, Salem, San Francisco, Wabash Valley
• Apr 25: Boise, de Cristo, Northern Plains, Sierra Blanca
• Apr 28: Detroit, Lehigh

IF the "pro-equality" group "wins", will they give equal treatment to those churches who do not want a LGBT Pastor, Elder, or Deacon? Or will they be required to have a "balance"? That is liberal code for quotas.