Pumroy-Cordero and Schondelmeyer are elected Moderators on first ballot

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MILWAUKEE — GA227 Moderator the Rev. CeCe Armstrong announced Thursday that the 227th General Assembly elected the Rev. Marta Pumroy-Cordero and the Rev. Dr. Kristopher D. Schondelmeyer as its new Moderators. The pair received 250 commissioner votes, securing the majority needed on the first ballot and making additional rounds of voting unnecessary. 

The election concluded a season of discernment that both candidates described as years in the making. During their presentation to commissioners, Pumroy-Cordero shared a Spanish proverb that became a guiding image for their candidacy.

“Cuando el río hace ruido, lleva agua,” she said. “When the river makes noise, it carries water.” The proverb, shared by her husband as she and Schondelmeyer considered whether to stand for election, became a reminder to pay attention to the movement of the Holy Spirit. 

Their story began in 2020, when Schondelmeyer, who was conducting doctoral research on compassion-based civil discourse, contacted Pumroy-Cordero to learn about the listening campaign she was helping facilitate through the church. Schondelmeyer recalled one statement that profoundly shaped him.

“Listen not only to words, but to the heart of the person,” Pumroy-Cordero told him. 

That emphasis on listening became a defining feature of their campaign and resonated with a General Assembly that had spent nearly two weeks wrestling with complex and often emotional issues. For over 90 minutes, the candidates answered questions regarding the denomination’s future, accountability and transparency, advocacy alongside immigrant and marginalized communities, the role of privilege in leadership and their spiritual grounding — from favorite hymns to the three words they hope will describe the PC(USA) at the end of their term. Schondelmeyer and Pumroy-Cordero answered with emotional depth, ministerial breadth and a consistent emphasis on listening to the heart of the church. 

The pair shared how, throughout their discernment preceding the General Assembly, they found themselves repeatedly drawn to Revelation 22. “The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations,” Pumroy-Cordero said. They were struck when the General Assembly theme later echoed the same biblical imagery.

“Friends, the river was making noise again,” Pumroy-Cordero said. “And so we said ‘yes’ to the call to stand as candidates for Co-Moderators of this particular General Assembly, calling the church to be the leaves, to join us in being a healing and hope-filled presence in the world.”

Schondelmeyer connected that vision to the church’s current moment. “As we lean into 21st-century ministry, we believe the Spirit is calling the church deeper,” he said. 

The pair also pointed to the denomination’s plan to hold the 2028 General Assembly in Puerto Rico as another meaningful moment in their discernment journey. Schondelmeyer spoke of watching Pumroy-Cordero’s joy when she learned of the recommendation. “What a gift it would be at that General Assembly for the church to be welcomed there by an amazing Co-Moderator, whose ancestors are from Puerto Rico, and who holds the language in her heart,” he said. 

During the candidates' question-and-answer session, both repeatedly returned to themes of healing, accompaniment and hope. Schondelmeyer spoke candidly about his own experience as a survivor of clergy abuse and his belief that healing comes when the church shows up faithfully for one another. “I’ve seen the church when it’s at its worst, but I have also seen the church when it’s at its best,” he said. “When we show up for one another, when we care for one another, when we bring our best selves to the work that we are called to do, we can provide the healing that this church needs.” 

When candidates were asked for three words they hoped would describe the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at the end of their service, Pumroy-Cordero and Schondelmeyer answered with a phrase that had become synonymous with their campaign:

“Be the leaves.” 

Following the election, past Moderators were invited to the platform to welcome the newly elected leaders into what outgoing leaders described as a unique community of service. The assembly then prepared for the installation of the new Moderators during closing worship.

Speaking for the first time after their election, Pumroy-Cordero began with words of gratitude in Spanish. “Gracias a todo, gracias a mi gente, gracias a los presbyterianos,” she said. She then thanked the assembly for its trust. “We are so deeply moved by the spirit in this place and give thanks and glory to God for bringing us together and bringing us to this moment of time that we can serve you and lead you, comfort you, cry with you and celebrate with you,” she said. 

“This is not just our call; this is the church’s call,” Schondelmeyer said. “Thank you for listening to the Spirit. Thank you for trusting us. We are deeply humbled.” Then, returning one final time to the image that had carried them throughout their campaign, he offered a charge to the assembly itself: “We are so grateful that you are here, and that you have answered the call to be the leaves.”