Biennial general assemblies approved By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Thursday, June 20, 2002 214th General Assembly Columbus, Ohio June 15-22, 2002 COLUMBUS, Ohio – The year 2004 will be the last annual General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). By a vote of 344-167 the 214th General Assembly approved the recommendation of the Committee on General Assembly Meetings calling for biennial assemblies starting in 2006. The approved recommendation includes: That the General Assembly meet annually through 2004 and begin meeting biennially in 2006. That the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly be authorized to renegotiate planned meeting sites and bring recommendations for meetings at those sites to the 215th General Assembly (2003). That the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the General Assembly Council coordinate with all of the agencies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) the necessary changes in deliverances, policies and procedures that would be necessary to facilitate a biennial meeting and bring those proposals to the 215th General Assembly (2003) for approval. That the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the stated clerk prepare Book of Order amendments that would increase the total number of commissioners to a biennial assembly. That the agencies and governing bodies of the church be encouraged to develop programs and events that would create opportunities for gathering in the years that the General Assembly would not meet. That the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly prepare a full evaluation of biennial assemblies after the 219th General Assembly (2010) and bring a report to the 220th General Assembly (2012). Also approved by the commissioners was an amendment that reads: "Through either a special task group or a committee appointed by the Stated Clerk and the Executive Director of the General Assembly Council which will include at least one member of the General Assembly Council, one member Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, one representative from a presbytery who does not serve on either body. The assigned task shall be to ascertain the impact of biennial assemblies on the PCUSA in terms of its ministry and mission, stewardship including per capita apportionment, mission dollars, and special offerings, communications including member knowledge of the General Assembly and its work in the church, impact on the governance of the church, the form of government and overtures sent to the General Assembly, use of judicial processes and way of dealing with conflictual issues as well as addressing the theology of our Form of Government and how it has been impacted by biennial assemblies." In presenting the recommendation to the assembly, committee Moderator Rebecca Cavallucci said the total cost of a General Assembly is approximately $5 million, including room and board, travel arrangements and supplies for commissioners, advisory delegates, governing body staff, and elected members of General Assembly committees and agency boards. That figure does not, she said, include the costs of non-PCUSA exhibitors and affinity groups. A substitute motion by Comissioner Brian Janssen of Prospect Hill Presbytery that read, "that the General Assembly continue its heritage of annual meetings and request the Office of the General Assembly to find cost-effective ways to conduct these meetings, including shortening the length of the General Assembly by one day" was defeated. In speaking to his motion, Janssen said the assembly was considering making a "historic change. In the 214-year history, the pattern and practice has been annual assemblies. … This action would not have the safeguard of asking the presbyteries their opinion first – like changing the Book of Order. This is it." "This is not a strong initiative from the presbyteries. This is not from the grassroots," he said. Before the vote, a commissioner asked what would happen to the $5 million saved if the motion was approved. Gradye Parsons of the Office of the General Assembly said, "What the plans will be for those monies have yet to be determined."

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