Dear Rev. Nelson & Co-Moderators Kohlmann and Cintro-Olivieri,
Please know that you and all the PCUSA staff are in the prayers of those of us involved in Presbyterians for Middle East Peace. Your work in this time is so crucial and, from what is publicly visible, you all are doing a great job! Thank you.
In addition to expressing our support for your ministry in this time of crisis, we write to applaud the decision to make the General Assembly this year a virtual Assembly. We hope that what is learned from this experiment will enable the denomination to downsize future General Assemblies in ways that reduce expense on the Assemblies. The money saved can be used for other important ministry.
Finally, we write to express our support for not addressing highly complex social justice and economic issues while 1) attempting a totally new virtual decision-making format and 2) addressing a worldwide pandemic crisis. We certainly have issues that we planned to bring to the Assembly. But bringing them now would be inappropriate and divisive. So we are totally fine with the idea of acting on our issues at a future date.
May God continue to be with you and the staff as you prepare for the virtual Assembly and help the PCUSA be a healing force in our society and to the ends of the earth.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Todd Stavrakos and Rev John Wimberly
Conveners of Presbyterians for Middle East Peace
And on behalf of
The Leadership of Presbyterians for Middle East Peace