Unification Commission approves new structure and priorities for Unified Agency

LOUISVILLE — Following more than four hours of closed session on Thursday to discuss property and personnel, the Unification Commission approved a new organizational structure for the Unified Agency.

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The new structure establishes four areas of work:

• Denominational Life and Witness, described by the commission as “who we are together as Presbyterians. It holds our connectional identity and keeps us grounded in faith, giving us a shared voice” as a denomination.
• Partnership Within the PC(USA), which focuses on mid councils and how they are governing the church in their geographic area, leading and guiding the witness of their congregations and new worshiping communities, and nurturing the covenant community of disciples of Christ within the mid council. The goal, according to a Unification Commission news release, is to “walk alongside mid councils as partners in ministry for the strengthening of their life and witness.”
• Partnerships Beyond the PC(USA), which connects the denomination with the broader world. “This is how we live out companionship, advocacy, and mutual mission alongside global, ecumenical and interreligious partners,” the release stated.
• Organizational Planning and Operations, which will ensure that “every ministry has the resources and support it needs.”

Commissioners also approved five priorities for the work of the Unified Agency: thriving mid councils, disciple formation and leader development, life of the denomination, restorative justice and witness, and unifying. They also confirmed managerial employment levels for the Unified Agency. Additional employment classifications will be reported at the commission’s Dec. 4-5 meeting.

“These actions provide a framework that we hope will support and enable the living out of the new agency’s purpose, values and priorities for the next chapter of its ministry on behalf of the General Assembly and the whole church,” said the Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) and Executive Director of the Unified Agency.

“My hope is that we in the agency will be able to ground our work, not just in what we do, but in who we are and how we show up in the world as partners and witnesses to God’s good news in Christ Jesus for this time and place.”

“God’s mission, the work that God does, is for the wholeness of the world and it is also for the wholeness of the church,” Oh said. “The structure is designed to help us imagine and work toward the integration of the ecclesial and missional aspects of our denominational identity, a more whole understanding of who we are and what we do, so that our witness to God’s love and justice is consistent, coherent and impactful in the world.”

Commissioners began their meeting Thursday with worship led by the Rev. Dr. Francis Lin, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Riverside. Near the end of the service, she asked commissioners and staff to form a circle in the Chapel of the Presbyterian Center. Lin distributed small crosses from the Holy Land and asked her colleagues to take one, pray over it, and then pass it to their neighbor, an action repeated about 15 times to remind commissioners of their many blessings and all the people who are praying for them.

During a brief morning session open to the public, Commission Co-Moderator Cristi Scott Ligon read the report of the Co-Moderators. She and Co-Moderator the Rev. Dr. Felipe Martínez have been meeting weekly with Oh. “The check-ins with Jihyun offer us valuable time to be supportive of her, to hear her reflections on the ministry of the Interim Unified Agency, and to offer our perspectives on the work that is in process,” the commission co-moderators wrote. “Today’s agenda includes many reports that demonstrate our progress on our way to completing our mandate’s tasks. We are so grateful to you, our Commission members, for your thoughtful and careful work.”

Following the closed session and the announcement of the new structure and priorities, commissioners heard a report from the Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226^th General Assembly (2024). “It’s been a robust season of traveling as your co-moderators,” Larson said. “We have been encouraging [Presbyterians] during heart-breaking and frightening and divisive times. We are trying to encourage the church to engage those difficult conversations and while we do, not to replicate how those conversations are happening in the larger society.”

“As Presbyterians,” Larson said, “we need to be more inclusive of who’s at our tables so we aren’t just talking to ourselves.”

Staff of the Unification Management Office — Vivian Blade, Dr. Cynthia Ganote and Jim Quiggins — updated the commission on their progress since the July Unification Commission meeting. Of the 31 highest-priority projects, the UMO has completed two, while 15 are in process and 6 are being initiated. They’ve not yet begun work on eight others.

Ganote reported on the change management model being used and progress being made. Quiggins discussed the internal communications efforts that are well underway.

“Most important is care for the staff, bringing everyone along on the journey,” said Blade, the UMO manager.

Committee reports

Two of the commission’s three committees presented items for approval, and all items received approval.

The Mission Coordination Committee proposed that per diem at the 227^th General Assembly be increased from $57 to $70. The committee also presented what it called a “high level, big picture” docket for the upcoming Assembly, which is being held June 22-July 2 online and in person in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The committee also announced the winners of the Walton Awards for 2026, the Fuente de Gracia new worshiping community in the Presbytery of San Juaquin and Our Table in the Presbytery of Donegal. Each award is for $50,000 and goes to support efforts in both new worshiping communities.

“It was a lovely piece of our meeting,” said the committee’s moderator, the Rev. Debra Avery, “to hear those beautiful stories.”

Commissioners also approved a motion to approve the celebration of communion at Board of Pensions gatherings through Aug. 31, 2026.

The Resources Coordination Committee moved two items, which were both approved by commissioners.

The first was to add an additional $200,000 of restricted funds in 2025, above the existing Mission Development Resources Committee grant cap.

The second authorizes $85,000 — $25,000 in 2025 and $60,000 in 2026 — for the funding of contract staff and resource materials for the work of the Funding Model Development Team.

The Unification Commission meets Friday in closed session at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky, to complete its committee work. Follow the work of the commission here.