The Presbytery of Milwaukee is just about set to host the 227th General Assembly
The Committee on Local Arrangements practices its warm welcome on PC(USA) national staff
MILWAUKEE — On Wednesday, members of the Presbytery of Milwaukee’s Committee on Local Arrangements joined with staff from Presbyterian Life & Witness to tour some of the 1.3 million square feet Baird Center, which beginning next month will host the 227th General Assembly.
After the tour and a short walk to Pere Marquette Park, the site of the “Healing Not Harm: A Walk to End Gun Violence” action set for June 27, the group spent part of the evening chatting over light snacks.
“They say the work is hard, but it’s not,” said Lee Tan, a ruling elder and chair of the COLA that’s working to welcome commissioners and advisory delegates in part by taking care of hundreds of tasks large and small. “We have had a lot of volunteers step up. We’re sure it will all come together — like church,” Tan said, when many worshipers arrive just in the nick of time.
He said he’s especially looking forward to the ecumenical worship service on June 30 and the Moderator election on July 2, just before the assembly’s closing worship.
The Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and Executive Director of PL&W, thanked the COLA team and quoted one of her predecessors, the Rev. Jim Andrews, who liked to say, “We could hold a meeting, but it wouldn’t be a General Assembly without the COLA.”
“You are stewarding ministry and mission here,” Oh told the group, “inviting people to come and see what God is doing in your midst.”
The Rev. Ann Gibbs, Presbyter for Ministry Vitality at the Presbytery of Milwaukee, said that at present, “things are full.”
“As with any presbytery, there’s the life and ministry of the presbytery — and there’s 1,000 people from across the country” preparing to come to town. The COLA “is a small team, but it’s a hard-working team that really cares and is excited.”
Gibbs said she’s eager for visitors to enjoy “our rich immigrant heritage” and the festivals that are held throughout the summer. “Most revolve around the ethnic communities who make their home here,” she said. “The city is a lot of fun, and our presbytery also rocks. We have amazing ministers and elders — people who care about their church and their communities. There’s a wellspring of gifts to support their congregations and others in their communities.”
Of the 41 congregations and one new worshiping community in the presbytery, about 20 are within 30 minutes of the Baird Center and will welcome commissioners and advisory delegates to worship and enjoy a meal on June 28. “Some of the churches are rich in music, and some in liturgical arts,” Gibbs said. One is led by ruling elders, and one congregation holds its services online only. “Everybody,” she said, “gets lunch and recognition.”
Immanuel Presbyterian Church, founded in 1837, is the oldest state in Wisconsin, having opened 11 years before statehood. Founded in 1846, Carroll University in Waukesha, which is affiliated with the PC(USA), is the state’s first university.
Other distinctions include Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church’s Sarah E. Dickson, who in 1930 became the first woman ordained as ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Lois Stair, a ruling elder at First Presbyterian Church of Waukesha, was the first woman to be elected Moderator of the General Assembly, in 1971. Margaret E. Towner was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament in 1956, the first woman in the PCUSA to earn that title. Her first call was to serve what is now Faith Springs Presbyterian Church in Pewaukee.
“The congregations in the presbytery — especially those hosting [attendees] for worship — are looking forward to having people with celebratory energy,” Gibbs said.
Krista Momsen, Director of Events Services, led the group through the Baird Center Wednesday afternoon. Visitors saw the North Lobby, which will house the Town Square event following the “Healing Not Harm” action on June 27.
Just hours after a large group had cleared out following its gathering, Momsen showed the large plenary space. When General Assembly Planner Kate Trigger Duffert pointed out the Baird Center’s high-quality internet capabilities, Momsen shared the secret: officials for both the Republican National Convention in 2024 and the Democratic National Convention in 2020 installed the internet equipment they wanted, “and we got to keep it,” Momsen said. “Each added their own touches.”
Just off the plenary area are offices for any number of groups, including the Advisory Committee on the Constitution, the Unification Commission, the Administrative Services Group, the Co-Moderators, rooms for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, the Stated Clerk/Executive Director, a family room, and a spot for COLA members.
After a short walk to Pere Marquette Park, Gibbs discussed plans for the “Healing Not Harm” action, which can be accessed either in person or through interactive activities in the Baird Center. A series of speakers will offer talks under the park’s large pavilion. A Guns to Gardens blacksmith will demonstrate the craft of taking already broken-down gun parts and transforming them into garden implements.
Participants will then walk a couple of blocks to City Hall, stopping to pray every 12 minutes, which marks how often a resident of the United States is killed by gun violence. They’ll then return to the Baird Center, where they too can participate in the interactive components.
The roadways won’t be closed during the event, but the sidewalks are wide, and there are no stairs along the route to impede access.
Learn more about the 227th General Assembly here.
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