Date: Fri, 7 Mar 97 10:17:26 EST From: James Anderson Subject: General Assembly Info. - GET HOUSING NOW! Here is what we know now about General Assembly in Syracuse, Friday, June 13 through Saturday, June 21. 1. HOUSING Hotels are scattered all over the place. Most downtown hotel rooms are reserved for commissioners and church officials. Most PLGC events (our pre-assembly event and our nightly briefings and worship) and our hospitality room will be out at the Holiday Inn Airport, so we are suggesting that PLGC'ers choose that hotel, and make a note on your housing form that you are a "PLGC person" who would like to be close to PLGC events. IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY RECEIVED G.A. HOUSING FORMS, call NOW to request them: 1-800-210-9371. Our more "public events" will be downtown. IF YOU CAN BRING A CAR, do so, to help out with transportation. The Office of the General Assembly will be running shuttle buses to all hotels, but sometimes we have special transportation needs! Here is a preliminary list of our events and spaces. 2. PRE-ASSEMBLY GATHERING PLGC's Pre-Assembly Gathering (Friday 6-13, 6-9 p.m. through Sat 6-14, 9 a.m. to early afternoon) -- Holiday Inn Airport, Ballroom. This gathering will help prepare us for General Assembly. It's a reunion for old-timers and an introduction for new-comers. Come get a head start! (Some PLGC "pros" may want to go to the Witherspoon Society Pre-Assembly Event Saturday morning. See the Assembly schedule that comes with your housing form for details.) 3. CELEBRATION OF RECONCILIATION: Called Out With Our annual General Assembly Celebration of Reconciliation will be held Saturday evening, June 14, following the election of the new moderator (around 9 p.m.) in the Amber and Brass Courts of Hotel Syracuse, 500 S. Warren Street. Tickets ($10.00) will be available from the Office of the General Assembly (your housing form includes a ticket order form) and also from PLGC (P.O. Box 38, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0038). PLGC will also have low-price tickets for low/no-income persons, ranging from $0-$9, whatever one chooses to pay. Our speakers will be Johanna W.H. van Wijk-Bos, Norm Pott, William P. Thompson, Sylvia Thorson-Smith (editors) and other contributors to a new book, *Called Out With*. *Called Out* (1995) recorded "the voices and gifts of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Presbyterians." *Called Out With* (1997) tells heterosexual stories of solidarity. Come celebrate the inclusive church! *Called Out: The Voices and Gifts of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Presbyterians* was published by Chi Rho Press in 1995 ($15.95 plus postage, P.O. Box 7864, Gaithersburg, MD 20898, 301-670-1859). *Called Out With* will be published in 1997 by Westminster/John Knox Press. This new book records the personal stories of 25 heterosexual allies who have chosen to stand in solidarity for an inclusive church. *Called Out With*, with a foreword by Jane Adams Spahr and an introduction by Robert McAfee Brown, will be available at General Assembly in Syracuse. Proceeds from the book will be donated to Presbyterian groups working for justice for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons. Also, our annual INCLUSIVE CHURCH AWARD will be presented! 4. PLGC SUNDAY WORSHIP PLGC Sunday Worship, Sunday June 15, 5:30-7:00 p.m., Park Central Presbyterian Church, 504 E. Fayette St., Syracuse A Welcoming Celebration of God's Love for all people, for all commissioners, visitors, and friends. Scott Anderson, PLGC Co- Moderator and Executive Director of the California Council of Churches preaching. Anderson was a Presbyterian minister until he was outed as a gay man. (Too long? Lop off the last sentence!) 5. NIGHTLY WORSHIP & BRIEFING We will convene each evening (except Tuesday when we have our annual meeting, then celebrate the night away at the Witherspoon Party) for Worship & Briefing, Sun. 6-15 through Fri. 6-20, 9-11 p.m., Holiday Inn Airport Ballroom. 6. PLGC'S ANNUAL MEETING. 8-10 p.m., 6-17 Tues., Brass Court, Hotel Syracuse, downtown, 500 S. Warren St. The results of our annual election will be announced. 7. MIDWEEK WORSHIP with the Shower of Stoles PLGC Midweek Worship, Wednesday, June 18, 10 a.m., OnCenter Ballroom (the convention center). A Mid-Assembly Renewal Celebration for all Commissioners, Visitors and Friends. Come refresh your commitment to justice and mission with all God's people. Featuring the Shower of Stoles and Martha Juillerat, Director of the Stoles Project. 8. PLGC HOSPITALITY ROOM PLGC Hospitality Room, Donwood Room, Holiday Inn Airport. Hours of hospitality to be announced. 9. PLGC'S OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS The PLGC downtown headquarters for our work with commissioners will be in the Hotel Syracuse, Conference Room 224, Hotel Syracuse. Rob Cummings will be in charge of this operation. THIS IS NOT OUR HOSPITALITY ROOM (that's at the Holiday Room). Rather this is our operations headquarters for folks helping us interact with commissioners. THAT'S IT SO FAR -- See you in Syracuse!! Jim Anderson