Presbyterian Church Considers Alternative Governance Structures
The Church’s General Assembly Council met on Thursday to consider three alternative models for the size and structure of the Council, which manages the denomination’s business and mission programs between General Assemblies.
The Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S., may change its governance structure in order to “strengthen connectedness” with individual presbyteries and synods.
The Church’s General Assembly Council met on Thursday to consider three alternative models for the size and structure of the Council, which manages the denomination’s business and mission programs between General Assemblies.
The General Assembly, which is held once every two years, is the largest and only full representative body of the 2.5 million-member denomination. Some 560 clergy and lay leaders are elected as “commissioners” to the Assembly, where they adopt policies and statements that speak on behalf of the overall church. These policies are then turned over to the GAC, which takes steps to implement them.
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Currently there are 72 GAC members who serve in four primary committees corresponding to the business of the church: Congregational Ministries, National Ministries, Worldwide Ministries and Mission Support Services. These GAC members are elected at the General Assemblies from among hundreds of nominees, and meet three times a year to conduct business.
This Thursday, the Council members met at the PC(USA)’s main office in Louisville, Kentucky, and discussed three possible alternative models for the size and structure of the governing group.
One of the proposed models would leave the Council unchanged, according to the Presbyterian Church News.
The second proposal would reduce GAC membership to 50 and would furthermore restructure primary divisions to include national mission, international mission and administration, development and support.
The third model would expand the council to 100 members and reorganize their divisions to: Evangelism and Witness, Justice and Compassion, Spirituality and Discipleship, Leadership and Vocation — and a 27-member “Council of Committees” to coordinate the operations.
According to PCNews, these changes would help the council “evaluate, develop and propose a structure of the GAC that will strengthen connectedness with presbyteries and synods.”
Should the changes be adopted, it will be implemented during the next PC(USA) General Assembly, which is scheduled for next summer in Sacramento, Calif.
Every year, the GAC has a program budget of about $125 million a year. This budget is used for mission and outreach programs undertaken by the entire denomination. Such “mission” and “outreach” programs include social advocacy works, Middle East peace works – such as divestment – as well as mission outreach on the national and international scale.
