Dear Cornerstone Family,
In Presbyterian government, there are historically three ruling bodies or courts. First, there is the Session, which is the name given for the ruling body of a local church (e.g. the eldership of Cornerstone Pres). Second, there is the presbytery, which is the name given for the ruling body of a particular region. The presbytery is made up of all the teaching elders (pastors) and commissioned ruling elders from each member church in that region (e.g. Nashville Presbytery) Lastly, there is the General Assembly. This is the name given for the ruling body of the entire denomination. It’s made up of all commissioned teaching elders and the prescribed number of ruling elders from every church in the denomination.
Once a year in the summer the General Assembly (GA) of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) meets together. Pastors, ruling elders, delegates from fraternal denominations, and guests from around the globe gather to worship, fellowship, and conduct the business of the church. This year’s annual meeting is June 28-July 2 in St. Louis, MO. Rev. Tony Giles, Rev. Ben Griffith, and yours truly, along with two of our ruling elders, Mr. Jim Smith and Mr. Jim Payne, will be attending as commissioners this year.
Before I attended my first General Assembly (GA) in 2005 as a seminary student, I wondered, “What happens at GA?” For simplicity’s sake, let me identify four main purposes of the GA.
First, GA is where our denominational organizations and agencies such as Mission to the World, Mission to North America, Covenant College, Covenant Theological Seminary, Reformed University Fellowship, etc. meet yearly with pastor and elder representatives to submit budgets, make personnel changes, give reports on ministry health, and address any other pertinent matters of business relating to their organization or agency.
Second, GA is a time for pastors and elders to receive ongoing education and training for the work of ministry. Every year there are dozens of seminars led by ministers and scholars on a vast array of theological, historical, and practical subjects. This year there are seminars on church planting, leadership, worship, doctrine, intergenerational relationships, social reform, and a vast array of counseling related subjects.
Third, GA is also a time for the whole denomination to come together for worship and fellowship. Each day’s session of GA is closed with a worship service, and the breakfast, lunch, and dinner slots are reserved for organized and casual opportunities for pastors and elders to spend time together in fellowship.
Fourth, the leading purpose of the GA is to address mission critical denominational matters of business. This includes but is not limited to matters of theological, cultural, ecclesiastical, and administrative importance to the denomination and its churches. There are a number of significant matters of business facing the GA this year. Please take time this week to pray for the commissioners of GA. Specifically, pray that consciences would be held captive to the Word of God and that the business conducted will bring glory to God (Heb. 10:22; 1 Cor. 10:31).
Once the business is complete and the smoke has cleared, I will pull together a summary of highpoints and key actions. In the meantime, if you have interest in learning more about this year’s GA, you can visit pcaga.org.
Your servant,
