What God has been doing among us
Unification Commission Co-Moderator invites applications to the Interim Unified Agency’s governing board
When I agreed to serve on the Unification Commission three years ago, I could not have imagined what God had in store for us. Through this journey, my love for our denomination has deepened. I have met faithful people serving throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), each committed to helping the church live its calling in a changing world.
The Unification Commission is a remarkable mix of voices. Our members are mid council leaders, small, medium and large church pastors, college and seminary students, and ruling elders who are public servants or nonprofit leaders. Many of us did not know each other before being appointed, yet long hours of work together (some behind the scenes, others in front of livestream cameras) have knit us into a community of trust. We have prayed together, envisioned new possibilities together and grown together.
A journey of joy and grief
Our work has brought both joy and sorrow. We celebrated when the 226th General Assembly (2024) approved its first unified budget, a milestone that reflected months of hard work by the staff in collaboration with the UC. That same faithfulness has also upheld us through hard days, like in the aftermath of when senior leadership announced in October 2024 that a next step in unification would include a reduction in force.
Following the announcement of the reduction in force, we held virtual conversations with staff members, which was among the most difficult moments of this work. Co-moderator Cristi Scott Ligon and I joined several Zoom town halls to listen to employees’ questions, grief and anger. We tried to hold space for lament and affirmed our desire to continue to seek God’s guidance in the midst of painful change. We have heard words of encouragement and words of criticism — sometimes all in the same email! And we received them all as signs that people care deeply about this church.
Our mandate and our moment
The 225th General Assembly (2022) originally charged the Commission to unify the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency into a single agency. We now serve as both the Unification Commission and the governance body for the Interim Unified Agency until a new board is elected by the 227th General Assembly (2026).
Unification is not a project with a quick deadline; it is a multi-year journey that builds on two decades of prayer, study, and conversation about how our denomination can faithfully and sustainably face new challenges. The Commission stands in that long stream of discernment, grateful for those who came before and hopeful for what lies ahead.
Guided by shared principles
From the start, we knew that this work had to be grounded in values consistent with our church’s history and vision for the future. The Commission committed to five unifying principles: to be Relational, Streamlined, Nimble, Justice-Focused, and Vision-Driven. We have really leaned into these concepts:
- Relational, because lasting change begins in relationship and trust.
- Streamlined, because our ability to be good stewards will be helped by better structures.
- Nimble, because the Holy Spirit always keeps us on our toes.
- Justice-Focused, because our theological heritage is foundational.
- Vision-Driven, because we are running to catch up to where God is leading us.
These principles have shaped how we make decisions, how we listen to staff, fellow Presbyterian stakeholders, and ministry partners, and how we hold one another accountable. They remind us that structure exists to serve ministry, not the other way around.
A spirit of gratitude
I am deeply thankful for those who are doing the day-to-day work of unification: staff members of the Interim Unified Agency and the Administrative Services Group. They are navigating change while continuing their regular responsibilities, which is an extraordinary act of commitment and dedication. I am also grateful for all who served the legacy agencies, and the members of the former Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, whose faithful work brought us this far.
What lies ahead
In November the Interim Unified Agency made announcements about its new organizational structure. Its permanent name will be crafted through a creative process with stakeholders and will be unveiled in January 2026. This current unification phase represents the movement from planning to implementation. It is another step toward living out the vision that the agency’s leadership, under the Rev. Jihyun Oh, has articulated for the Unified Agency:
“To be a partner that convenes, connects, equips, and empowers the whole church as disciples journeying toward God’s wholeness — in the PC(USA) and beyond.”
A word to mid council leaders
To my colleagues in leadership in presbyteries and synods: you are key partners in this journey of living out the Gospel. You know what it means to balance faithfulness and complexity. You hold together the realities of local ministry and the hopes of the larger church.
As we move through this current phase of unification, please know that the Interim Unified Agency is designing its work with the thriving of mid councils as a core priority.
An invitation to participate
This next phase of unification will depend on leaders around the country stepping forward to shape what comes next. The soon-to-be-named agency is currently receiving nominations for its first governing board through the end of 2025.
We are seeking teaching and ruling elders who bring expertise in leadership, finance, change management, human resources, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We need people who understand both the important work of governance and the practical realities of ministry.
If you know leaders in your presbytery or congregation with those gifts, please encourage them to submit an application by Jan. 12, 2026. Representation from across the church, and especially from those who know the daily work of mid councils, will strengthen the new body’s ability to lead faithfully.
Looking back with hope
When I look back on these past three years of our work as a commission, I am struck by how much I have learned. I have seen how complex and human our systems are. I have been inspired by the grace of staff who are so committed to ministry amid significant challenges. I have benefited from the shared leadership of commission and staff members, as we lean into the abundance of God’s gifts and promise.
We still have a long way to go. The Spirit continues to lead us as we discern how God is shaping us as a Church for what may be ahead. I am grateful to be in partnership with you as we discover that future together.
Part II, “Walking together into what comes next,” will focus on how the new agency will partner with mid councils and invite leaders into the next phase of this work.
The Rev. Dr. Felipe N. Martínez is Co-Moderator of the Unification Commission.
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