Every two years the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) gathers. It is an event where profound and prophetic things can happen, and one that would be easy to let happen without much interrogation about why it exists in the first place. For some, the assembly may not seem relevant to the daily work of their congregation. For others, it may feel like a familiar friend who has always been there. As Director of General Assembly Planning, I am challenged to reflect each day on what God is calling us into through the practice of assembling in this way.
The General Assembly does not exist in a vacuum. Rather, it is within and of the whole church. It is not surprising that the General Assembly is rooted in the very basics of our theology. In fact, it starts with God. How do we understand God to be at work in the world? How do we understand our relationship to God and to one another?
Commissioners and advisory delegates pray during plenary at the 223rd General Assembly (2018) in St. Louis. Photo by Michael Whitman.
As Presbyterians, we believe in the sovereignty of God. That there is no part of human life set apart from our life in God. No part of Creation in which God cannot be found. No part of existence that God cannot transform. In recognizing God’s ongoing presence in our lives, the General Assembly meets regularly to discern God’s will for the church in the world. Every two years, the church is invited to examine how we are answering God’s call — both in how we order our church institutions and how we address injustice globally. The assembly engages all aspects of the church’s life, and in so doing recognizes that God is present throughout the whole of our existence, calling us into deeper relationship with God and with one another.
We believe that we were made in the image of God. As God’s creations we are equipped with unique gifts and calls to service. Presbyterians have formed a General Assembly that is comprised of many different people serving in many different roles. Commissioners come from presbyteries across the country. Half are ruling elders who have been ordained to their congregation’s sessions. Half are teaching elders, or ministers. In addition to these voting members, advisory delegates representing young adults, ecumenical partners, mission co-workers, and theological students participate in the whole of the assembly as advisors and guides for the commissioners. We believe it is the responsibility of the whole of the church to equip and empower all participants so that they may answer the unique gifts God provides them. It is not one voice that guides our assemblies. It is the many who carry their own unique revelation of the divine.
Caed, a service dog for a commissioner, rests at the 223rd General Assembly (2018) in St. Louis. Photo by Michael Whitman.
The in-person BIPOC Space was open during committee meetings at the 225th General Assembly (2022). Photo by Rich Copley.
Jo Anna Kauffman, REC, addresses the 223rd General Assembly (2018) in St. Louis. Photo by Michael Whitman.
We believe in a triune God whose very being breaks open our imaginations of what it means to be gathered in unity and diversity. We believe that we are called to be one body. We also believe that the diversity of God’s people is a beautiful expression of the vastness of God’s being. For the assembly to honor this truth, the church must value accessibility and inclusivity in every step of planning and execution. Past General Assemblies answered the call to provide for interpretation and translation into English, Korean, and Spanish. Other assemblies affirmed that the location of the assembly must be one that is safe for those who have come to this country from another home. The assembly should always be a place in which welcome comes without strings.
We believe that God gives grace upon grace. The assembly should reflect a willingness to embrace humility, to accept accountability, and to seek the Spirit at work. Through policies and procedures that allow us to center love and reconciliation in our conversations with one another, the assembly can mirror the grace that we have been given.
We believe that God’s word guides our conscience. From this belief grows the practice of commissioners serving not as representatives who vote the will of their home contexts, but as people who have been called by God to listen and discern at the assembly. Commissioners and advisory delegates are encouraged to vote as they feel the Spirit is guiding them and not be bound by how they perceive their home congregation would vote.
Commissioners and advisory delegates hear from an overture advocate during a committee session at the 223rd General Assembly (2018) in St. Louis. Photo by Michael Whitman.
We believe that God came to us in the full reality of the human body through Jesus Christ. That Jesus knew the realities of human experience, including illness, exhaustion, and the importance of caring for one’s self. The assembly should therefore resist a desire to glorify busy-ness in its business. This has become even more apparent in recent years with the impact of global pandemic and internet fatigue. In planning the assembly, the church must confront its latent ableism and desire to prove our worth through the trials we put our body through. Instead, we must recognize the inherent worth of being God’s children and remind ourselves that God, too, rested. That Jesus, too, slept.
We believe that Jesus Christ is head of the Church. That the Holy Spirit speaks most clearly in community. That God calls us all to serve. And we create ways of governing that reflect those beliefs. We practice our faith in the procedures and policies that form the General Assembly. We live out our faith as Presbyterians in how we are called to govern ourselves.
Young Adult Advisory Delegates discuss business during committee session at the 225th General Assembly (2022) in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo by Rich Copley.
As we plan for the 226th General Assembly in 2024, we are grounded in our theology. We are formed by the very central understandings we share about God as Presbyterians. It is my hope that the whole of the church is invited into moments of reflection where we can each feel God’s call, see God’s image in one another, and discern how God hopes for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to be present in the world.
The General Assembly does not belong to any one of us, to any one office, to anyone other than God. May we seek to honor God in the whole of the assembly.