The PC(USA)’s Unification Commission addresses organizational interdependencies and complexities

Commissioners spend most of Friday in work groups and closed session, receive greetings from Acting Stated Clerk

by Emily Enders Odom | Presbyterian News Service

The Unification Commission met Friday at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Emily Enders Odom)

LOUISVILLE — Following an 8 p.m. dismissal on Thursday evening — which was the first day of what will be a three-day meeting of the Unification Commission at the Presbyterian Center —  commissioners reconvened on Friday in closed session to continue their discussion around personnel and budget matters, on which no action was taken Friday morning.

The Unification Commission, which is working to unify the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency into “a new expression of our national church,” in the words of one commissioner, the Rev. Scott Lumsden, is meeting in person in Louisville from June 22-24.

As a result of the commissioners’ need to extend their conversation of Thursday evening into Friday, Friday’s agenda was revised to move from the roughly 30-minute closed session straight into a discussion of the many interdependencies that inform the commission’s work rather than begin with a presentation on the 2025-2026 budget process, which has been rescheduled for Saturday morning.

The hourlong conversation about interdependencies — illustrated by a helpful grid — grew out of the commission’s ongoing need to better understand the complexities of the total organization and its associated decision-making processes, which will impact not only the budget process but also the commission’s consideration of what a unified agency might look like.

Kathy Lueckert, president of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation, said that the whole enterprise can be “very messy,” making it challenging to come up with a definitive list of interdependencies.

“We stumble on things,” Lueckert said. “Whenever an issue comes up, we try to determine who owns it, and who is the ultimate decision-making authority.”

She said that one good example was the very conference center in which the commission is currently meeting.

“When the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) decided to host the [225th] General Assembly here, that triggered a conversation, which went to A Corp,” Lueckert explained. “From there we figured out how to fund it among all three of us because there wasn’t one, clear decision-maker.”

As commissioners studied the entities represented on the grid, a series of questions ensued, many related to the commission’s authority.

“Is there something we need to say to these groups,” asked Ruling Elder Kris Thompson, a commissioner from National Capital Presbytery. “That we need to be in synch with them? That they need to slow down their work? It seems like making an assumption that we’re going to stay on a parallel track with these groups doesn’t seem the cleanest way to work.”

Lueckert advocated for a “judicious use of [the commission’s] powers.”

“Maybe this is a time when being a little bit more forceful would be helpful for the whole Church as we move through this time,” she said.

Commissioner Carson Brown, a ruling elder from Peace River Presbytery, seized upon the suggestion.

“Since we’re on this topic of authority and what we can do,” he said, “if we were to realize that it might not be advantageous for a Stated Clerk to serve for a four-year term, does this commission have the authority to designate a two-year term?”

Kerry Rice, Deputy Stated Clerk in the Office of the General Assembly, said that he would check whether the term for the Stated Clerk is in the Book of Order or the Standing Rules of the General Assembly.

Rice explained that the commission has authority over everything, including the PC(USA)’s Organization for Mission and the Standing Rules of the General Assembly, which includes setting certain standing rules aside, should they wish. And while the commission would need to report its actions to the Assembly, the Assembly is not required to approve them.

“[The Assembly] could move to undo your actions, but they don’t have to endorse the actions you take because, as a commission, you are the Assembly,” he said.

Lumsden observed that seeing the many interdependencies made him think of COGA and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board (PMAB) and decisions that might be made in those committees that would affect the commission.

“For me, this says something about our meetings, our future agendas and prioritizing our time a little differently than we have,” he said.

As the commission moves toward its goal of unifying the PMA and the OGA, all while the work of so many other entities continues, it faces a peculiar challenge.

“[Our work] might cause us to think about asking the Stated Clerk Nomination Committee to delay the process,” said the Rev. Bill Teng, a commissioner from Peace River Presbytery. “We should perhaps have the new Stated Clerk start with the unified agency rather than have an election two years prior to that.”

Commissioner David Davis, a minister member of Coastlands Presbytery representing COGA, responded to Teng’s thought by saying it was coming “about 24 hours too late,” since COGA just announced the Rev. Bronwen Boswell as Acting Stated Clerk.

“COGA could only do what it was permitted to do, which was to appoint an Acting Stated Clerk until the next Assembly,” said Davis, even though he said that COGA had been contacted about looking for an interim Stated Clerk who would serve until 2026.

As the group continued to grapple with the nature and length of the Stated Clerk’s term in light of the big picture, Lueckert suggested that an opportunity for the commission to meet with the SCNC in either July or August might be beneficial, with which commissioners agreed.

The Rev. Debra Avery, commissioner from Great Rivers Presbytery, added that the whole conversation also made her think about nominations for the PMAB and COGA.

“Since we don’t want to be electing people to four-year terms, we should probably be talking about that, too,” she said. “We need to take the whole process of electing people to these boards and change the terms of these elections.”

Ruling Elder Frances Lin, a commissioner from San Diego Presbytery, said that she believes until the commission has a plan, the various entities should continue to work as they know how.

“I’m not so concerned about the new members coming in because they should all know that we’re working on a plan and that they can expect a change,” she said. “I have no anxiety around that.”

Commissioners were in broad agreement that a time frame illustrating how its work will flow — even if at a very high level — should be one outcome of the current meeting.

After a short break, commissioners returned to just such a proposal with an accompanying timeline, “A Possible Path Ahead for Unification Commission,” which Lueckert presented. She described it as a “work in progress,” which she said it probably always will be until the commission’s final report.

“Although this is very high level, it does give us some direction as to what needs to happen when,” said Lueckert. “We’ll put more specific timelines and tasks for ourselves, and also put where the interdependencies are. It’s something for you to start thinking about.”

Rather than wait until later in the agenda, the commission’s four work groups — Governance, Financials, Common Mission and Consultations — started to meet privately to do their work beginning at 11:30 a.m. in various locations on the first floor of the Presbyterian Center.

Following a break for lunch, the commission’s order of the day at 1 p.m. was to have a conversation via Zoom with Boswell, who on June 22 was named Acting Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Boswell, who is currently general presbyter/stated clerk at Shenandoah Presbytery, will serve until the election of a new stated clerk at the 226th General Assembly (2024) in Salt Lake City, Utah, next summer.

“Thank you for inviting me to be here today,” Boswell said. “As you know, this is feeling much like a whirlwind at the moment. I am looking forward to working with you all in my role as Acting Stated Clerk. I hope to help with the progress of this group as we move forward.”

Before inviting commissioners and staff members to introduce themselves to Boswell, commission co-moderator Cristi Scott Ligon, a ruling elder from Middle Tennessee Presbytery, said, “We are thankful for your ministry and your willingness to say yes.”

At the end of the commission’s 15-minute conversation with Boswell, the four work groups resumed their conversations before the full commission reconvened in closed session at 2:15 p.m.

Following adjournment Friday, the commission will reconvene with prayer at 9 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday.

An agenda and other documents are here. Livestreaming information is here.