219th GA: The Committees Meet

The nineteen General Assembly Committees, such as Committee #8, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations (photos right), started meeting Yesterday (Sunday, July 4) afternoon but most of their work was preliminary and organizational. The hard work of reviewing reports, considering overtures and commissioner resolutions, and debating the issues really begins today.

Part of the committee process involves holding open hearings, offering an opportunity for interested individuals to speak for a minute or two about the particular issues they are concerned about. After hearing testimony, the committee will begin debating the issues and formulating a report, which will then be presented to the Assembly in plenary.

Most Committees will work through today and into tomorrow. Some committees might finish their work early tomorrow (Tuesday), some will continue working throughout the day, and a few could end up working even longer.

As committees finish their work their reports will be prepared for electronic distribution to all Commissioners who will act on those reports in plenary. Reports might be received in whole, rejected with the adoption of a minority report, or amended. The process of receiving committee reports begins Wednesday afternoon.