Our New Moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA

The process of electing a moderator for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA is unlike anything else in the Presbyterian Church. 

There are campaign buttons, literature, "meet and greet the candidate" forums, campaign speeches, and even a debate-like forum. 

Then the voting begins. 

But that is rarely the end.

The voting process begins with the outgoing moderator calling on the advisory delegates to vote.  These include seminary students, YADs (young adult delegates), ecumenical advisors from those invited from sister denominations and missionary advisors.

As they will do with every vote, these advisory delegates vote first.  Their votes are then projected on a screen so that the commissioners can consider the will of these different groups. 

Presa led each ballot for each of the advisory groups, with the exception of the ecumenical advisors, who consistently voted for the Branson.  What I found interesting about that is that Branson consistently received the lowest number of votes of all advisory groups as well as with the actual commissioners.

Once the commissioners have had a moment to see the advisory delegate votes, the soon-to-be retired moderator will say, "Commissioners, you have been advised." 

Now the commissioners get to vote.

Tonight we had four candidates and four ballots.  We do not elect the individual with the highest votes, but rather the one who has at a clear madate of the majority of all votes.

On the fourth ballot, Neal Presa became the new moderator, receiving 338 votes or 52 percent of the 688 commissioners.

He was escorted into the hall with his family, greeted by former moderators, and commissioned by the Assembly.  A moving moment came when his children led prayer.  One young boy prayed, "Lord, protect my Daddy as he travels."

The Rev. Neal D. Presa, pastor of Middlesex Presbyterian Church in New Jersey was the first candidate his home presbytery, Elizabeth Presbytery, has ever nominated for moderator.

The Filipino-American graduated from San Francisco Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.M.) and Drew University (M.Phil. and Ph.D.). He also studied at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, CA and is an adjunct faculty member at Somerset Christian College and New Brunswick Theological Seminary.

Presa has served as moderator of Elizabeth Presbytery and serves as chair of the General Assembly Special Committee on the Heidelberg Catechism.  He served two terms on the General Assembly Council, including one term (2003-2004) as vice-chair. He has also served on the Committee on Theological Education and on the board of trustees of Princeton Theological Seminary.