06/15/2026
On the Road to General Assembly 2026
The monthly newsletter from the Presbyterian Church (USA) leading up to the 227th General Assembly is titled “On the Road to GA”, which is a fitting name for my preparations. On Sunday, June 21st, I will be letting go of all my normal angst of overpacking and trying to hit that 50-pound checked bag limit (I clocked in at 49 lbs on my most recent vacation). My car will happily accommodate the extra laptop screens, Books of Order (yes, multiple), printed copies of overtures in binders (call me old school), and extra cardigans (I’m a Mr. Rogers Presbyterian) as I hit the open highway for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
As a member of the Advisory Committee on the Constitution (ACC), I will have the opportunity to be on-site for the committee meetings as commissioners meet over Zoom. Please hold in prayer the commissioners from the Presbytery of Detroit: Rev. Ruthanne Herrington, Elder Debbie Lennis, Rev. Rebeka Fergusson-Lutz, Rev. Charles Sadler, and Elder Mary Lloyd as they spend countless hours each day in front of computer screens at home, meeting via Zoom and engaging in the committee work of the assembly. They will then make the journey to be in-person for worship, Community Day and plenary sessions of the Assembly from June 26th to July 2nd. They will spend time in prayer and discernment, having both voice and vote, as they share and reflect on the wisdom and experience of the wider church on the matters before the assembly.
There is a lot of business before the General Assembly this year. Commissioners will consider overtures on whether or not to return to all in-person assemblies in the future, the impacts of the changes in global mission, access to gender-affirming healthcare, taking a stance against White Christian Nationalism, matters related to the ongoing violence and genocide in Gaza, the proposal of a new confession, discussion regarding the definitions of family (including non-monogamous relationships), and further clarification regarding the ordination process and role of Commissioned (Pastors) Ruling Elders.
You can learn more about the business of the GA by visiting the “MYGA” website: https://myga.pc-biz.org/. Committee and plenary sessions will also be live-streamed. After General Assembly, the “Presbyterian Outlook” will publish bulletin inserts for congregations.
And, as often happens when the General Assembly meets, some topics of discussion may attract national media coverage. Topics will make their rounds across social media, blogs, and church parking lots. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is no stranger to the fact that we the church have diverse ways of approaching, praying for, and deliberating what it means to discern the will of Christ together.
Though we live in an incredibly polarizing time, where it is normalized to lob outrage and opinions on social media, I encourage us to remember that our Presbyterian polity does invite us into a different way of being. A way that one person does not get to make broad and sweeping declarations. A way that encourages listening. A way that invites process and deliberation. A way that, no matter how messy and sometimes confusing it may be, invites the Holy Spirit to keep shaping and reshaping us as the body of Christ.
May this road to General Assembly be one in which we faithfully seek to follow where Jesus leads.
Peace,
Melissa
