Planning for the 227th General Assembly is well underway

LOUISVILLE — On Tuesday, presbytery and synod leaders heard from Kate Trigger Duffert, an Associate Stated Clerk and the Director of General Assembly Planning, about what to expect during next year’s assembly, the 227^th in denominational history — and the important role mid council leaders have in making the assembly a success.

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The Mid Council Leaders Gathering began Monday and concludes Wednesday online and at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Trigger Duffert called the biennial assembly, set for June 21-July 2, 2026, “the broadest council of the whole church.”

“The business that comes to GA does not come from some mystical location,” she said, but instead originates in conversations in sessions across the country, from people elected to serve on committees, and from staff. “It all comes together for conversation and discernment,” she said.

GA is also an event, one that’s important to thousands of Presbyterians, and it’s “a community of faith where we worship together,” she said.

The General Assembly Standing Rules “are our core values,” she said. Those values include the worship of God, creation of community, and faithful discernment. “That’s the foundation we work with planning the assembly,” which carries the theme “Persevering Toward Wholeness” and uses Rev. 22:2 as its featured Bible verse.

When Trigger Duffert displayed a slide of the proposed docket for the 227^th General Assembly, which will be held online and at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, some of the mid council leaders actually whooped it up. The biggest change in the schedule, she said, is the Community Day set for June 27. That day will include a community action and a Town Square, where Presbyterian-adjacent groups can set up tables to interact with those in attendance.

The election of the moderators or co-moderators will be on July 2. It’ll be commissioners’ final action before engaging in closing worship.

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Trigger Duffert reminded the gathered leaders of the many things they can do for commissioners and advisory delegates from their mid council. They can share the updates they receive, gather their folks together and check on their training, coordinate the electronic devices they’ll need, arrange for meals and snacks during online committee time and be available to answer questions and help them debrief.

She made it a point to remind mid council leaders they’re all welcome to attend the upcoming assembly.

The Rev. Jihyun Oh, the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and Executive Director of the Unified Agency, asked the first question: How can mid council leaders be helpful in helping to select GA committee leaders?

Those selections are ultimately made by the Co-Moderators of the 226^th General Assembly, the Rev. Tony Larson and the Rev. CeCe Armstrong, Trigger Duffert said. But mid council leaders are encouraged to forward the names of people they know who have the skills needed to moderate a committee. “Let us know,” she said, “and we will pass those names along to the Co-Moderators.”

Larson said that commissioners to the 225^th and 226^th General Assembly are also eligible to serve as committee leaders, but the priority is commissioners to the 227^th General Assembly.

Trigger Duffert said the Town Square is the successor to exhibit halls of past assemblies. “It’s not a massive production,” she said. There won’t be any booths — just tables so that groups can interact with those in attendance.

Once again, seminary luncheons will be available, she said.

Trigger Duffert said she expects the list of committees for the upcoming assembly to be ready by late February 2026. The plan is to have 10 committees, she noted. To date, 13 overtures have been submitted. Committee leadership will also be discerned in late February, “so that’s a quick turnaround,” she said.

The Unification Commission has approved the same format for the 228^th General Assembly in 2028. That format must also be approved by the 227^th General Assembly.