The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) meets biennially in even-numbered years. It consists of commissioners elected by each of its 173 presbyteries. The GA is full of activities: business sessions, committee meetings, an exhibit hall, daily worship services, and mission tours sponsored by the Committee on Local Arrangements.
The assembly acts on hundreds of items of business, which it receives through the reports and recommendations of various assembly entities, and through overtures from synods and presbyteries.
The 223rd General Assembly (2018) will be held in St. Louis, Missouri - June 16 - 23.
In March 2018, the Presbytery Assembly approved concurrence to nine (9) overtures to the General Assembly which will meet in St. Louis, Missouri beginning June 16th and continuing through June 23, 2018. A team of past commissioners and others reviewed overture and nine were brought before the Assembly for consideration of concurrence.
The nine overtures include:
- 08-01, Directing the Board of Pensions and the Foundation to Divest from Fossil Fuel and Actively Invest in Securities that Focus on Renewable Energy;
- 10-11, Establishing a Grant to Develop Resources to Educate Entities Regarding Serious Mental Illness Issues;
- 08-02, Adding to the GA Divestment List All Companies that Meet Specific Listed Criteria;
- 06-07, Amending G-2.0509 and D-10-0401d When Former Ministers of the Word and Sacrament who Renounced Jurisdiction While Being Accused in a Disciplinary Case Wish to Work for the PC(USA) Again;
- 12-03, Creating a Task Force to Examine NCCOP’s Call to Ecumenical Solidarity for Justice for Palestinians;
- 06-12, Amending G-3.0201, Composition and Responsibilities of the Session;
- 06-15, Amending G-3.0303 to Include BOP Participation and Paid Family Leave;
- 06-14, Amending G-2.804, “Terms of Call”, to Include Paid Family Leave;
- 06-13, Instructing the Board of Pensions to Include 12-Weeks of Parental Leave as Part of the Benefits Package.
Please keep The Presbytery of Denver 223rd General Assembly Commissioners in your prayers as they travel to St. Louis to meet, deliberate, and serve, let the Holy Spirit guide them so that the whole church may be joined in love and service to Jesus Christ. - YAD Claire Wineman (05- Mid-Councils), RE Georgia Comstock(10-Mission Coordination), RE Cleve Dixon (11-Social Justice Issues), Rev. Ruth McCollum Huff (06-Church Polity and Ordered Ministry), Rev. Jason Whitehead (09-Peacemaking, Immigration and International Issues), Rev. Carol Fisher (alternate), also members of the Presbytery who will serve in other capacities, Julia Henderson, Sherry Kenney, Jean Demmler, Wanda Beauman, and Amy Mendez, and Olivia L. Hudson Smith.