The PC(USA) rolls out its new website

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LOUISVILLE — The new PC(USA) website, pcusa.org, which had an initial launch on Tuesday, features an enhanced user experience with improved navigation, a faster and more robust search function and easy-to-access links to the information users need when they need it.

“From a technological perspective, this project is not just about building a website — it is about creating a flexible design system that empowers us to adapt quickly to changes without requiring significant overhauls,” said Vicente Guna, who coordinates Digital Enterprise Solutions in the PC(USA)’s Administrative Services Group (ASG).

Guna called the new website’s enhanced search and translation capabilities “key advancements.”

“The new search function is designed to help users efficiently find the information they need, improving over time with continued use,” he said. “Additionally, we’re proud to soon introduce multilingual support in Korean, Spanish and English, ensuring accessibility for all our communities with a mirrored site experience in these languages.”

Those mirrored pages will be introduced in January, according to Fred Tangeman, who’s part of the team that developed the new website.

A “How We Serve” section helps visitors connect to ministry areas and General Assembly committees across a range of issues and initiatives, Tangeman said. Other sections will provide worship resources, news stories, and an overview of the PC(USA). The new site, designed and developed with leadership from APAX Software, the Interim Unified Agency and ASG, merges seven websites — presbyterianmission.org, pcusa.org, oga.pcusa.org, pda.pcusa.org, newchurchnewway.org, specialofferings.pcusa.org and history.pcusa.org — into one, Tangeman noted.

Church leaders across the PC(USA) have communicated their desire for a one-stop shop for worship resources, educational materials and resources, and other critical information, including directories, statistics and liturgical tools. This expression led to the creation of a more topic-driven site structure, ensuring that worship leaders can easily find sermon planning tools and lectionaries and that church policies are readily available without having to sift through multiple areas of the site.

In addition to enhanced search capabilities and multilingual support, the new site contains:

• Language simplified for the layperson
• Intuitive navigation and user flow
• User grouped content connected to identified groups, including mid- council leaders, and the journeys they might take through the website
• Modern and youthful design to be more inviting to younger audiences.

The initial release that began Tuesday showcases what Guna called “a partial version of the platform.”

“This phase is aimed to invite engagement and gather valuable feedback as we prepare for a second, more comprehensive release” next month, Guna said, a phase that will include “additional content and features, such as multilingual support.”

Recognizing that current platforms were not meeting constituents’ needs, the Administrative Services Group and the Interim Unified Agency (formerly the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency) built a new, unified website. Like the technology that powers it, pcusa.org will continue to grow and adapt to the church’s changing needs and will never be stagnant. The website will continue to evolve based on user feedback, analytics and overall site use.

To ensure a smooth experience, a website development committee has assembled a dedicated web support team to address questions, concerns and feedback. Send your thoughts via email or through the website’s newly introduced live chat feature, available as you navigate the site.

“We couldn’t have gotten this far without leadership from the site’s steering committee, Build Consulting and lots of page preparation and page building from ministry area staff and the Website Ministry Team in PC(USA) Communications,” Tangeman said, with “significant page building support” from Mari Evans, Natalie Shilstut, Angie Stevens, Leo Dorsey, Dana Dages, Katie Snyder and Andrew Yeager-Buckley.

“This new platform is more than a website — it is a living, breathing tool designed to serve the ever-changing needs of our church and the communities we serve,” Guna said. “I want to personally thank everyone who contributed to this monumental effort and invite all of you to join us in shaping this exciting new chapter.”

“Agreed!” Tangeman said. “As the opening headline of the site suggests, we’re looking forward to always reforming the site, so it works better and better as a tool for information, connection and inspiration.”