Presbytery of greater atlanta stated meeting

Donations from the PGA Capital Campaign fund the Youth and Young Adult Grants as well as Seminarian Stipends. The YYA grants are for ministries with or by young people aged 12 to 35; Seminarian Stipends are for individuals currently enrolled in seminary and actively serving a youth/young adult ministry in a PGA church. Recipients of Youth and Young Adult Grants are:

1. 
   Sarah Osborne – Sarah is serving one year as a PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteer in Tucson at a Community Food Bank
   
2. 
   L2Reaction – a new ministry with at risk youth that was started by Raphael and Ana Pinto
   
3. 
   Real Life, Inc. – a new ministry with urban young adults that was started by Rev. Richard Hill
   
4. 
   Presbyterian Campus Ministry at Emory – salary support
   
5. 
   Clairmont – outreach to area young adults
   
6. 
   Hillside/First Atlanta Partnership – mission work with youth in Jamaica
   
7. 
   Shalom International Ministry – ministry with young people in the Clarkston and Stone Mountain area
   
8. 
   First Afrikan – Young Adult Ministry Team training
   
9. 
   College Park – youth ministry
   
10. 
    Calvin Center – the Common Soul/Sole program
    
11. 
    Trinity, Decatur – young people ministry
    
12. 
    Presbyterian Church of the Resurrection – youth and young adult ministry
    

1. 
   Brittany Harrold – a student at CTS who is working with young people at St. Luke’s
   
2. 
   Gerald Parks – a student at ITC who is working with young people at Rice Memorial
   

1. 
   Crossroads – start up funds to hire a Youth Director
   
2. 
   Morningside – start up funds to hire an Minister of Young Adults and Adult Education
   

1. 
   Columbia – continued support of refugee family transportation and translation services for medical, social services, and emergencies
   
2. 
   Stockbridge – a new congregation-based ministry which will provide food for homeless and poverty-stricken children
   
3. 
   Open Door Community (endorsed by North Decatur) – purchase of commercial ice machine and bin
   
4. 
   Decatur – the Threshold Ministry which is a new initiative that seeks to create a place of warm welcome and assistance for those living in or on the margins of poverty
   
5. 
   College Park – the Dream Project, an after school and summer program for ESL students
   
6. 
   Clifton Sanctuary Ministries (supported by Morningside and Good Shepherd) – continuation of funding for job development coordinator salary
   
7. 
   Rice Memorial – a new Friday Night Worship Service that gives (a) seminarians an opportunity to preach before a congregation, (b) pastors not affiliated with a congregation an opportunity to deliver spiritual messages, and (c) people who can’t attend church on Sunday the opportunity to attend a worship service
   
8. 
   El Nazareno – building a playground for the surrounding community, will be open to all, a project being supported by Morningside, the Seekers Class at Peachtree, and Shallowford
   
9. 
   Iglesia Presbiteriana Horeb – The New Generation Project, a ministry to 1^st and 2^nd generation immigrant Latino youth
   
10. 
    Trinity, Decatur – work on converting an existing building into a men’s homeless shelter, collaborative effort between Trinity, Decatur, and Clifton Sanctuary Ministries
    

1. 
   Radcliffe – to support the Southeast Ecumenical Emergency Assistance Center/Food Ministry; enable an increased amount of food to be distributed to hungry families that live in zip codes 30310, 30311, and 30331;
   
2. 
   Oglethorpe – provide fresh fruits and vegetables to Food Pantry customers on a weekly basis
   
3. 
   Rice Memorial – continued support of their Food Pantry;
   
4. 
   Clifton Sanctuary Ministries (endorsed/supported by Good Shepherd) – continuation funding for purchase of food to prepare special needs diets for 10 men with diabetes and 10 men with hypertension;
   
5. 
   Memorial Drive (in partnership with Shallowford) – the Bountiful Bags project which provides children at Indian Creek Elementary School with food for the weekend/summer; 75 bags are provided during the school year and 100 bags during the summer;
   
6. 
   Ministerio Hispano El Buen Pastor – the Feed Our Sheep project seeks to distribute food one to two times per week to people living near the church (ministry is housed at Good Shepherd).
   

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  The Synod met at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, October 4‐5, 2012. Rev. Ricky Porter, Moderator, led the opening devotion.
  
  
  
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  Welcome to Tampa Bay Presbytery area by Rev. Nancy Kahaian, Transitional Executive Presbyter (TEP).
  
  
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  The Order of the Day was a one-hour presentation of The Great Ends of the Church by Rev. Joseph Small.
  
  
  
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  Rev. Ricky Porter, Moderator gave the 1st Report of the Committee on Nomination (CON) stating
  

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  Rev. Heahwan Rim, Transitional Synod Executive (TSE), gave his report on the state and future of the Synod based on the GA Report on Mid Councils. He also shared that he has visited 11 Presbyteries since March and will visit the remaining 5 by December. Rim reported increased administration efficiency and revisiting the Synod Mission Plan by our networking with Association of Smaller Congregations, Chaplains Network, and 1001 Worshipping Communities.
  
  
  
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  Rev. Heahwan Rim introduced Rev. Gloria Williams (New Harmony) for the first reading of the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
  
  
  
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  Rev. Heahwan Rim, gave the Stated Clerk’s report announcing the status of 2012 SPJC cases. A challenge was made by the complainant and a hearing is set for late October. One case was brought before the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) and GAPJC entered an order to sustain the SPJC decision. Presbytery Minutes Review is set with Georgia and South Carolina clusters. Presbytery minutes review for the Florida cluster was already conducted. The 220th GA took action of overtures submitted for the transfer of 6 Korean Churches from the Synod of South Atlantic to the Synod of Mid‐Atlantic.
  
  
  
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  The Executive Commission (EC) reported the confirmation of the new treasurer, Susan Gendzier. The EC also recommended the Moderator to appoint persons needed for the new Task Force (subject to approval by the body of synod) and presented the 2013 Stated Meeting dates (March 14‐ 15, 2013 in Clinton, South Carolina and October 10‐11, 2013 in TBD, Georgia). Student Center in Gainesville has a buyer and all monies from the sale will be placed in the Presbyterian Foundation until decision made. All presbyteries and commissioners input will be considered.
  
  
  
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  Elder Mike Swanson, Finance and Audit Review (FAR) Committee chair, encouraged everyone to take the Mission Giving and Per‐Capita results back to their presbyteries.
  
  
  
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  Rev. Ken McKenzie, Synod Disaster Response Coordinator reported that Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) had been relatively quiet and introduced Kathy Broyard to give a FLAPDAN video report.
  
  
  
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  Mardee Rightmyer, Regional Resource Director, encouraged all Presbyteries to pay a $100 membership and all of their small congregations will receive a free membership. All VHS has been replaced with DVD’s and relocation from one room, down to one wall at Eastminster PC in Stone Mountain, GA. For more information visit www.regionalresourcecenter.org.
  
  
  
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  Elder Mike Swanson, FAR Chair, brought the Proposed Budget for 2013. Commissioners were encouraged to take their time to look over the proposal before voting on the next day.
  
  
  
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  The Synod recessed to the Columbia at the pier for a nice dinner together.
  
  
  
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  The meeting re‐convened Friday morning with a joint worship service at Wireman Chapel on the
  

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  A recommendation was made by Ford G’Segner to the staff to have a copy of Rev. Joseph Small’s lecture and Rev. Doug McMahon’s sermon forwarded on to all of the commissioners.
  
  
  
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  New Church Development (NCD) Committee Report: The committee approved Annual Progress Reports that were submitted. It also reported that there were no new NCD applications and encouraged everyone to discuss this with their presbyteries. Rev. Nancy Kahaian (Tampa Bay Transitional Presbyter) mentioned the possibilities of incorporating NCD funds into other programs such as “For Such a Time as This.”
  
  
  
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  Covenants and Institutional Relationships (CIR) Committee Report: Led by pro‐tem chair, Rev. Ken McKenzie, reported that Presbyterian Homes of Georgia renewal has been approved. There are several covenants that need to be renewed next year and Ken will continue this discussion with those institutions.
  
  
  
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  Theological Scholarships (TS) Committee Report: awarded scholarships to two seminary students from our presbyteries. The committee presented and recommended administrative changes to the application guidelines and applications and that synod administration develop a plan to track the applicants.
  
  
  
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  Presbytery and General Assembly Relationships (PGAR) Committee Report: Ben Laughlin, Chair reported that two applications were received for the General Assembly 2012 Unassigned Funds and that Peace River Presbytery application was selected by the committee and submitted, however it was not selected.
  
  
  
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  Finance and Audit Review (FAR) Committee Report: received comment for the 2013 proposed budget and made recommendation for approval. The proposed budget was approved. Rev. Lawrence Peebles, President of the Association of Smaller Congregations (Trinity), thanked Synod for financial support for the first time in 25 years of partnership.
  
  
  
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  2nd Report from the CON: The moderator announced the following commissioners to be a part of the Task Force to look at committee structure, synod resources, and updating of the Manual of Operations: Rev. Ken McKenzie (Savannah), Rev. Rick Palmer (St. Augustine), Rev. Gloria Boyd (Trinity), Elder Nancy Reimer (Flint River), Rev. Tim Black (Tampa Bay). Rev. Heahwan Rim, TSE and Rev. Ricky Porter, Moderator will be Ex‐Officio.
  
  
  
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  Report was given by Hispanic‐American Consultant, Rev. Elias Collado, encouraging all of their Spanish Speaking congregations and services, to offer one English speaking service alternative. They are seeing great success with this.
  
  
  
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  Report was given by Presbyterian Women Moderator, Ann Barnwell. With 2,000 women in attendance at the annual gathering in July, the offering to dig wells in Sudan bought in $40,655.82. The PW also collected gift cards to present to the NCD Beth‐El Farm Workers Ministry which totaled $41,246.15.
  
  
  
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  New Business was brought by Rev. Alonza Washington (Charleston‐Atlantic) thanking PDA and FLAPDAN for their work and that the One Great Hour of Sharing stays in tacked and encourages everyone to give through your presbytery.
  
  
  
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  Closing prayer was led by moderator, Rev. Ricky Porter.
  
  
  
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  Business Meeting of the Synod of South Atlantic, Inc. opened in prayer by the Moderator.
  
  
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  Rev. Heahwan Rim reported that the Sales Tax Exemption has been renewed and is monitoring all
  

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  The Synod of South Atlantic, Inc. business meeting was adjourned with closing prayer by Moderator,
  

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  The 26th Stated Meeting of Synod will be held on March 14‐15, 2013 in Clinton, South Carolina.