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Issue 3 | September 2025 e Pr e sby
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Contents
Kate Trigger Duffert Reflects on GA as a Mirror . . . 1 PC-Biz Website is Up. . . . . . . . . 2 Former YAAD Describes Transformative Work of the Church Firsthand. . . . . . . . 3 Reflections on Shared Love and Commitment to the Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Milwaukee Played Host to the Largest Gathering of Women in Pulpits in a Single City. . . . . 4 GA Planning Team Pays a Visit to Milwaukee. . . . . . . . . 5
Dates to Know December 24, 2025 Commissioner and Advisory Delegate names submitted
to the 227th General Assembly
Kate Trigger Duffert Reflects on GA as a Mirror Often when we discuss the councils of the church, we say the General Assembly is the highest council of the church. In some sense, this is true in that commissioners arrive at the Assembly through ordination in a congregation, to serving at the presbytery, to being commissioned to the Assembly. But this depiction can leave us feeling that the General Assembly is a distant group, somehow separate from the mission and ministry of local congregations. Recently I’ve had the privilege of simultaneously serving on session, attending presbytery meetings, and coordinating the planning process for the Assembly. In this time of intersection, I have become more convinced of the unique and beautiful role of the General Assembly as both a reflection of and vision for the church.
“The General Assembly does not just reflect the realities of the church at large, but it also reflects new visions to the church — speaking prophetically so that we may embrace God’s continued call in our communal life.” – Kate Trigger Duffert Associate Stated Clerk and Director of General Assembly Planning.
Spring 2026 Business deadlines Available here June 22-24, 2026 General Assembly Committees meet online June 27, 2026 Community Day - service and education opportunities, ministry fair, and community gatherings June 28, 2026 Worship in local congregations and convening of plenary June 29-July 2, 2026 General Assembly Plenary
The work of the General Assembly is rooted in the experiences of local congregations. Overtures begin with one or two members identifying a particular need for the church. There are relatively few hoops to jump through in order for the discernment of a handful of members to reach discernment at the Assembly level. The overture is written and requires only one mid council to approve it before it is passed along for consideration. In this way, the topics that are addressed by each Assembly come directly from the ground up. Due to this grassroots process, the discussions at the General Assembly reflect the mission and ministry of Presbyterians across the denomination in a variety of local contexts. And, just as importantly, (Continued on page 2) 1