The Polity Conference provides opportunities for mid council staff leaders to gather with OGA staff leaders to learn about polity issues, share common concerns, discuss the current state of the church, and discern our common life together. This year’s event will be preceded by 5 events that will be held concurrently: Association of Mid Council Leaders, Association of Stated Clerks, General Assembly Committee on Representation Synod Training, Moderators’ Conference, and New Stated Clerk Training.

PHS will be offering two workshops at the Polity Conference:

Looking Back and Moving Forward by Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Beth Hessel

Sunday, October 11th at 2pm. 

We will be exploring the way knowledge of our past can help us as a denomination, mid-councils, and congregations move with courage, wisdom, and faith into our present and future. The Confession of 1967 grew out of a period of turmoil and change in our country and world, change that prompted faithful Christians to look at the ways in which we live out our beliefs affects society and interpersonal relationships. C-67’s focus on reconciliation, relationships, and justice provides useful reflection points for us today.

Records and Archives in the Digital Age by Records Archvist, David Staniunas

Monday, October 12th at 10:45am. 

David Staniunas, Records Archivist at the Presbyterian Historical Society since 2011, will help you understand the kinds of records you’re creating, and whether to keep them forever. Together, we’ll sketch a path to authenticity for born-digital text documents, we’ll talk about preserving email accounts, and we’ll talk about your storage environment. We’ll discuss what to do with personnel records, records of camps and conference centers, and records of dissolved churches. Finally, we’ll examine the idea that keeping good records makes you a better Presbyterian.

Please visit http://oga.pcusa.org for more information.