Moving into its implementation stage, the Unification Commission revamps its committee structure

New committees will coordinate relationships, ministry and resources

by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Debra Avery

LOUISVILLE — Meeting via Zoom on Saturday, the Unification Commission voted on a new committee structure as it moves from studying the unification of the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of the General Assembly to implementing unification.

The Governance Work Group proposed forming three new committees — possibly with additional members to supplement the 12-member commission — under what the Rev. Debra Avery called the interim governance committee structure. The new coordination committees are labeled Relationship, Ministry and Resource. Each new committee will be working through the commission’s interim governance period.

The Relationship Coordination Committee will:

• Take responsibility for understanding, navigating and making recommendations to the commission regarding mid-council relationships and support
• Identify and make recommendations regarding existing and future linkages with other boards, commissions or entities
• Receive reports from and provide any necessary linkage to the General Assembly for its advisory and advocacy committees or other groups or entities that currently report through or work with the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, both of which were sunsetted by the commission last month, effective Dec. 31.
• Receive reports from current PMAB and COGA members who serve on other boards and committees. Those members have been given the option to continue serving on those entities through the 227^th General Assembly (2026), Avery said.

The Ministry Coordination Committee will:

• Work with COGA/PMAB leadership to transition mission critical work currently being done by them in order to provide oversight, including personnel and budget, to accomplish these missional strategies and priorities
• Coordinate with and provide oversight for executive leadership
• Coordinate with and provide support for the yet-to-be-named Unification Management Office as needed
• Interface with staff as needed to receive reports and bring concerns to the commission
• Ensure coordination of any decisions related to the 227^th General Assembly procedures and planning.

The Resource Coordination Committee will:

• Coordinate with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation Board where necessary and appropriate for the overall stewardship and resources of the PC(USA)
• Coordinate with the Administrative Services Group regarding critical issues that emerge related to financial resources, stewardship of property, technological resourcing and human resources
• Receive regular reports from the A Corp’s chief financial officer and chief technology officer and any other PC(USA) executives as requested in order to recommend any necessary actions to the commission
• Provide oversight for ongoing unification and agency communication.

Avery told fellow commissioners the new committee structure is subject to change as commissioners delve deeper into this new phase of work. The membership of the three committees could be announced as soon as the commission’s next meeting, which is Oct. 9-11 in Denver.

The Rev. Scott Lumsden of the Finance Work Group reported that Ian Hall, the A Corp’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, has, together with other PC(USA) staff, identified $2 million of the $5 million cuts required of the 2025 and 2026 unifying budget. In addition, a surplus accumulated during 2024 could well be sufficient to fund the three-member Unification Management Office. That office, expected to be staffed this fall, has a four-point charge:

• Implementing the commission’s decisions
• Setting up a comprehensive unification program plan
• Developing a change management and communications strategy that supports the unification program
• Implementing and monitoring progress against the program plan and change management/communications strategy.

After completing about 75 minutes of work in open session, commissioners held a closed session to discuss personnel and property matters.