General Information

The 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is hosted by the Presbytery of San Jose, with assistance from the presbyteries of San Francisco and Redwoods.  It will meet at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center (SJCC) in downtown San Jose, California, from Saturday, June 21, to Saturday, June 28, 2008.

General Assembly (GA) participants will include 752 commissioners, 220 advisory delegates, elected members, staff and volunteers from the GA agencies, staff and stated clerks from most of the presbyteries and synods and others from across the denomination. 

Assembly schedule
The assembly will convene at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, and adjourn by noon on Saturday, June 28.  The preliminary docket showing official assembly meetings is available.  Please also review the schedule of events for the complete list of assembly activities.

This year, all commissioner and advisory delegates will attend an introduction to anti-racism training as approved by the 216th General Assembly (2004).  This will take place on Friday afternoon, June 20, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Commissioners and advisory delegates should arrange their travel so they can fully participate. 

Planning to attend?
Before you begin the registration process, please:

• Know the assembly docket.
• Make your travel plans accordingly (see Information on Travel and Ground Transportation).  You will need to know your arrival and departure dates to reserve accommodations.
• Review information about the assembly hotels if you will need accommodations in San Jose.
• Review the schedule of events to know if there are tickets you will want to purchase as you register.
• Have your credit card available for the registration fee (waived for commissioners and advisory delegates) and ticket charges.
• Commissioners and advisory delegates should review the information  included in their mailing before registering.

Online registration is now open
You may register, request accommodations in one of the assembly hotels, order tickets to optional events or download registration and ticket order forms to complete and return by fax or mail.

Accommodations
Rooms are available for assembly participants at eight hotels in San Jose.  Reservations can be made when you register online.

Discounted rates at these hotels are available to all registered participants, including observers.

Dining
Some group meals are provided for commissioners and advisory delegates.  There are concession areas in the convention center, restaurants in the assembly hotels and many other restaurants and other dining outlets in the area

Many of the optional events listed in the Schedule of Events include a meal. We recommend ordering tickets in advance for these events.

More information about dining options on-site and in the area will be available later.

Special dietary requests
When you register, please indicate any allergies or other special requests, especially if you will be participating in any of the optional ticketed events that include meals.

Child care
The General Assembly is primarily a business meeting with very long and busy days and few family-oriented activities.  Child-care options in or near downtown San Jose are limited.  Parents are encouraged to carefully consider whether to bring their children to the assembly and to explore other arrangements with family or their usual child-care providers.

The Office of the General Assembly is compiling information on facilities and programs that may have a few spaces available for children of assembly attendees.  Please check the appropriate box when you register if you are interested in receiving this information. 

Parents are responsible for determining the suitability of these programs for their children, for arranging any necessary transportation and for paying the provider directly for the services. Expect early registration deadlines.

Arrangements for persons with disabilities
The convention center and assembly hotels are accessible by wheelchair.

The following services are available for those who request them in advance:

• Headsets for amplification during business meetings and opening worship
• Real-time captioning of business meetings
• Sign language interpretation during opening worship, daily worship, and business meetings
• Braille copies of worship services (available at those services)

If you have a need for these or other services, or have a health condition relevant to your participation, please indicate this when you register. Contact the GA Meeting Service at (888) 728-7228, x2417 regarding any special needs so that we may provide the necessary assistance.

During the assembly, a Special Assistance counter will be located in the convention center concourse.

Spanish and Korean interpretation
Volunteers will provide simultaneous Spanish and Korean interpretation during the business meetings. Please check the appropriate box on the registration form if you will use this service.

Gift project
The Office of the General Assembly invites assembly attendees to thank our hosts in the Presbytery of San Jose by bringing a gift that will support mission projects designated by the Committee on Local Arrangements.  Information about the items requested and the projects wil be available.

The Gift Project collection table will be located in the convention center concourse.

Notice
The General Assembly represents the bond of union, community and mission among Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations and governing bodies.  As such, individual Presbyterians and many others are interested in the work and activities of the General Assembly.

As a participant or observer at the 218th General Assembly (2008), your image, name and voice, as well as any presentation, speech or written document submitted by you to the General Assembly or any of its committees, may be used, reproduced, distributed and/or modified by the General Assembly and its related entities at any time in a variety of media for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to print, video, photographic, television and radio broadcasts, and sound recordings, all of which may be available on the Internet.

Questions?
(888) 728-7228, x2417
Email