2026 General Assembly of the PC(USA)
Book of Order and Book of Confessions:
□ Approved sending an addition to Book of Order to Presbyteries for 2/3 approval:
o “The church affirms its calling to bear faithful witness in public life, speaking and acting from the example and teachings of Jesus Christ for justice, peace, mercy, and the dignity of all people. The church rejects any ideology that seeks to establish Christianity as a privileged or dominant force through the power of the state, or that conflates religious identity with national, racial, or ethnic supremacy. Such ideologies, in all their forms, are incompatible with the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, constitute a theological error, undermine the church’s faithful witness, and are contrary to the church.”
□ Voted to establish a new committee to write a new confession to add to the church constitution, after a currently proposed confession was written by a committee that didn’t meet Book of Order requirements for size and composition.
□ Voted down a request to study the rollout of last General Assembly’s Book of Order’s addition requiring that new candidates for ordination must endorse “the principles of participation and representation” in the church of all people, especially LGBT people, examining how that implementation may affect “freedom of conscience, respect for theological diversity”
□ Sent an amendment to the Book of Order allowing Presbyteries to allow some candidates for ordination as teaching elders to present a ministry portfolio instead of passing the written ordination exams.
□ Moving towards full communion with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Internal Organizational:
□ Increased the budget for national church by 3%, and increased per capita by $2.10 for next year and $1.45 for 2028
□ Created a commission to investigate but “not function as a disciplinary proceeding” the national church agencies and staff about the closure and firing of PC(USA) World Mission
o Also banned the national church from using non-disclosure agreements
□ General Assemblies after 2028 will be held entirely in person, rather than committee meetings taking place over Zoom the week prior to in person plenary
□ Next General Assembly will be in San Juan. After some debate and discussion, especially regarding comments about crime in Puerto Rico that were considered racist, the Assembly resolved that attendees will be required to “undergo cultural competency training and learn about socio-political and historical relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States.” in addition to “Equity Prime trainings”
□ Denomination to author statement defining our guiding theory of mission
Gender and Sexuality:
□ Establishing a spot in church profiles when searching for new pastors to “indicate their openness and readiness to call an LGBTQIA+ candidate”
□ “Direct the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) and the Advocacy Committee for LGBTQIA+ Equity (ACQ+E) to develop a comprehensive theological, biblical, and ethical framework document and study guide that addresses the nature, purpose, and gift of flourishing, life-giving relationships and human sexuality in contemporary contexts.”
o The pastors’ monogamy requirement proposal that got national news was redirected here rather than be directly voted on – for the committees to consider, not necessarily for or against polyamory.
□ Approved funds to start a biennial, in-person national gathering for LGBTQIA+ Presbyterians and scholarships and travel assistance especially for LGBTQIA+ people of color and transgender participants.
□ “Declare that the PC(USA) supports all individuals to have access to all medically necessary, evidence-based gender-affirming healthcare.” (During the debate, the committee responsible for it decided to remove “including minors” from the statement, “with the clear understanding that ‘all individuals’ does, in fact, include people of all ages.”)
Public Statements:
□ Made a statement on AI, signing on to the “Rome Call for AI Ethics”, and encouraging all church leaders not to use generative AI as a substitute for sermon preparation or pastoral counseling.
□ Approved policy stating that
o “The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) acknowledges and repents of its historical complicity in white Christian nationalism.”
o “Christian nationalism is a political ideology that seeks to merge Christian identity with U.S. civic life and national identity. It asserts that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and should continue to be governed according to what its proponents see as Christian values or biblical principles.”
o “Urges all congregations to examine national symbols displayed on church property and in worship spaces, especially the U.S. flag, national and patriotic hymns sung in worship, Presentation of Colors in worship, and the propriety of national pride in relationship to the primacy of God in Christian worship.”
□ Voted against a resolution marking 250th anniversary of the American Revolution which would have noted Presbyterian signers to the Declaration while also criticizing some of them for owning slaves, endorsed liberty and equality of all made in God’s image, self-government in democratic and representative basis, and checks and balances, while also supporting researching and telling history of Native Americans, African-Americans, and various immigrant groups. This was voted down, after debate.
o pcusa.org described the debate: “Oak Arias, a corresponding member of the Advocacy Committee for Women and Gender Justice, said the church should not attach its name to a celebration of the nation’s founding given its roots in conquest and displacement: “This is not our country. We stole it from women, from Two‑Spirit people and from others,” Arias said, adding that to do so “goes against the tenets of our denomination.”
□ Called “the government of Israel's war in Gaza perpetrated with US support against the Palestinian people a genocide”
□ Approved some overtures investigating harms of white supremacy culture, and focusing national church on racial equity.
□ “Directs the agencies of our denomination to find ways of responding to the economic crisis that afflicts the people of Cuba”
□ Resolution mourning those killed by ICE agents or dying in ICE custody
□ Calling the Roman Catholic Church to rescind several 15th century papal bulls recognizing as legitimate territory seized by Roman Catholic monarchs from pagans and Muslims in the Age of Discovery and the enslavement of soldiers captured in wars resisting Ottoman expansion
□ Decrying the suppression by Korean and US forces of an uprising in Jeju, Korea, in 1948 and funding people to travel to Korea for a related pilgrimage
□ Call for nuclear disarmament and creation of study resources
□ Call for tolerance of religious minorities in Syria
□ Call Presbyterians to learn about and support regenerative farming practices
□ Direction that PC(USA)’s social policy should support transitioning away from fossil fuels
