“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity. It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.          
It is like the dew on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.”   
Psalm 133 

Dear friends, 

We are blessed to have faithful and diligent leaders throughout the presbytery serving in many ways: the Executive Board, the Commission on Ministry, the Commission on the Preparation for Ministry and a variety of task forces and committees. And this presbytery has delegated much of its work to these entities.  

Although we scheduled a presbytery meeting for this coming Tuesday, April 16, upon reviewing the draft docket, we realized there is no business coming before the body.  

Reports have been filed by the above-mentioned leadership bodies which we encourage you to read and see what business has been conducted on your behalf. But the Executive Board has determined there is no need for an official presbytery meeting and has cancelled it. 

And yet, because we do enjoy gathering as a community of faith, we will still gather on the 16th at 5:30pm at Woodland Park Presbyterian Church for dinner and fellowship. We look forward to the opportunity of simply being together in conversation without any particular agenda before us. 

We do want to assure you though that Scott and I are aware of a few significant items of business with potential impact on our congregations and presbytery. One of them is the changes to the Board of Pensions benefits. We will be attending a BOP sponsored informational gathering on the 23rd of this month and will engage with COM and the broader presbytery to share information and strategize how Seattle Presbytery can be a faithful partner to our churches and pastors amid these changes. 

The other item is the proposed overture to the General Assembly regarding inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity among categories that the church does not discriminate against. We are in conversation with many as we seek to be informed and prepared for how the assembly may vote. 

These – and other – topics will be reviewed and discussed in the next couple of months. We invite you to stay connected and stay tuned. 

In conclusion: no presbytery meeting on April 16th but yes presbytery gathering for dinner and fellowship that same date. Be sure to RSVP so we can plan appropriately. 

Eliana Maxim & Scott Lumsden