We are invited to deliberately seek Spiritual assistance and speak the truth in love
HAMILTON, Ont. – This was the most collegial General Assembly I’ve attended, although my experience goes back only a decade or so. What was remarkable was the respect. At past GAs, we have witnessed anger, emotion and disdain – and it was almost always between those of differing theological outlooks. I saw none of that. The absence of potentially divisive reports and recommendations was definitely a factor.
In fact, what many THEO (traditional, historic, evangelical and orthodoxy) minded commissioners and observers experienced was evidence that The Presbyterian Church in Canada remains alive, spiritually speaking. See related story on the THEO Young Adult Representatives.
Speaking the truth in love – I was actually dreading GA. I was tired and in need of vacation weeks and time away from ministry. I prayed. And with Spiritual assistance, I persevered. The Holy Spirit showed up in three ways.
First, I was gently nudged to go out of my way at this gathering to mix with those who do not share my orthodoxy. The intent is to show them that THEO minds are not cold or dark.
Second, I deliberately opened my listening ears to how God may be speaking in surprising ways. When someone who does not share my theology said something I agreed with – and there were many instances – I tried to thank them afterwards. I did this on two specific occasions.
Third, when at the mic and speaking to a motion, I did my best to speak the truth in love. Speak the truth using words and, where possible, scriptural citations, that are universally accepted. One example was my amendment to a recommendation from the Life and Mission Agency to have congregations who don’t give much or anything to Presbyterians Sharing to justify their inaction and then come up with a plan to move closer to giving 10 per cent of their dollar base. (See more below.) I cited Matthew 18:15-17 and the need to have a conversation with someone first rather than immediately condemning them. I used the word “pastoral” more than once.
“Congregations do not need Presbyterian Assistance In Dying. In fact, great spiritual life can be found in death and decline. Jesus shows up in these places.”
On too many occasions in previous GAs, the THEO-minded have not spoken the truth in love. I am among them. Anger and frustration get in the way. A bit of discipline paid off for me. And I pray that we will see more of this in future assemblies.
Opening worship was a re-creation of 19th century liturgy, which was intentional as the PCC is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Central Presbyterian Church in Hamilton is an old school setting: no powerpoint screen, string quartet, horns and choir, mostly old hymns and Psalm 100 sung using the same words and music as 1875.
Narratives of Hope and Possibility report and Change Leadership Team special commission – This was the major story from GA. This initiative was created by the Assembly Council in November 2023 following roundtable discussions by commissioners at that year’s GA in Halifax. Its mission was to explore options of denominational revitalization. The report was developed by a 23-member working group appointed by AC which largely represented our cultural, demographic and theological diversity. Biblical inspiration came from the resurrection stories of John 20-21: “Jesus shows up, Jesus sends us.” The group believes that the PCC “is ready for revitalizing change that leads to transformation at every level of the church’s life. . . . Our group is convinced that the preferred future of The Presbyterian Church in Canada rests in the belief that Jesus is present with us and that Jesus sends us into the world for the ministry of reconciliation.”
Comment – agreed, but how do we define reconciliation? On one end of the spectrum are those in the PCC who define that as personal recognition of sin/acceptance of Christ’s atoning sacrifice/lives of submission/denial of the flesh/pursuit of Biblical purity. On the other end are those who define it as solely or primarily pursuing social justice serving the poor. And then there is everyone in between.
“What does ‘providing a theological and missional approach’ mean in practical terms? This sounds like the denomination is imposing a specific shared theology and mission.”
The group presented a “preferred future” for the PCC “where, at every level, there is permission to risk, for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Permission to risk isn’t actuarial, lowering the stakes or building a larger safety net. It is readiness to trust God and willingness to learn from failures and mistakes. This is decidedly uncomfortable.” Specifically, this preferred future would have “fewer congregations, resulting from purposeful amalgamations or dissolutions, rooted in a narrative of hope and possibility, which locates our collective identity and purpose beyond the confines of the local congregation. Those congregations would be supported by larger, regional presbyteries who would be resourced with regional staff and structures that easily link to other presbyteries and national resources.”
Comment – I hope and pray that this does not mean bigger is better. The church is alive in places where 10-30 people are gathered. There are hundreds of places where they gather like family to hear the Word, pray, sing, grow and serve. They may be stuck in a different era, but the Light of Christ is shining. I point to Mt. Zion in Ridgetown, where I am interim moderator. If that congregation was to be closed – even if it’s with a larger “purpose” in mind – most of those elderly folks have no desire or energy to go church shopping and they would spend the next 10-15 years cut off from the community. Congregations do not need Presbyterian Assistance In Dying. In fact, great spiritual life can be found in death and decline. Jesus shows up in these places. Allow those congregations to die naturally.
GA was also told that this “preferred future requires us to have a vision and a plan, so that we share the responsibilities and possibilities of the use of property for ministry and mission. National resources can help congregations by providing a theological and missional approach to property.”
Comment – What does “providing a theological and missional approach” mean in practical terms? This sounds like the denomination is imposing a specific shared theology and mission onto local congregations. If so, it does not respect the presbytery as the seat of power, where its primary mission is the health of its congregations, which operate in local context. It does not respect diversity: cultural and theological.
All of this was presented with a sense of urgency. Members of the working group reported a level of “desperation” for change or relief among many people during their consultations with Presbyterians from coast to coast. They also pointed to finances. PCC’s head office continues to run at a huge deficit, with a $9.4 million budget in 2025 with revenues of only $5.2 million. The shortfall comes from operating reserves which will run out in a few years unless existing reserves can be repurposed. GA was provided a very detailed report on its financial reserves – the first time for such transparency. The PCC may have $151 million in reserves at 2024 year end ($21 million higher than 2023) but most is in trust or for restricted use. Bottom line: we’re not as rich as we might think. (On a related note, GA approved a recommendation to amend the formula for disposal of funds from dissolved congregations: 10 per cent to the National Indigenous Ministries council, 50 per cent to presbytery, 20 per cent to the New & Renewing Ministry Fund and (NEW) 20 per cent to the budget stabilization fund.
(There’s no space here to fully summarize the Narrative of Hope vision. To be fair to the authors of the report, check out the GA page of the PCC website and on the “Reports, Information and Forms for General Assembly” link and download “Assembly Council – revised”.)
Commissioners approved the recommendation to appoint a Special Commission, to be known as the Change Leadership Team, for a two-year term. This team is “a small group of individuals collaborating to empower the apostolic witness of the church and implement ‘sentness’ . . . a dynamic and passionate group of change leaders who devise innovative strategies and implement them to transform the church through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The commission has significant power as a “delegated court” of the PCC. One commissioner attempted to downgrade this to a “committee” to make it more accountable to GA, but this failed to gain enough support. Another commissioner tried to refer the entire Narrative report to presbyteries and congregations for study and report – which is common practice with new initiatives. In the words of one commissioner (yours truly): “this report proposes generational change of great magnitude and not enough time or consultation was taken to bring us to these recommendations.” However, most commissioners appeared to trust the leadership and felt the urgency was too great to wait. The only amendment to the recommendation was to direct the commission to “collaborate” with lower courts in its work.
My suggestion to the smaller/rural presbyteries and congregation – prepare to provide input to the Special Commission. Watch for the report from GA from the Clerks of Assembly this summer to lower courts, along with ongoing communication from the commission over the next two years.
Other matters.
Presbyterians Sharing – Total revenue to the denomination was down seven per cent in 2024. Of 776 congregations, 89 gave nothing. Approximately 22 per cent of congregations gave more than nine per cent of their dollar base, 43 per cent gave 3.5–8.9 per cent, eight per cent gave 2.5–3.4 per cent and 16 per cent gave less than 2.5 percent. The recommendation that congregations which gave less than 2.5 per cent provide an explanation to their Presbytery and present a plan for how they will support Presbyterians Sharing in 2025 was debated at length. The proposal was problematic in many minds. First, virtually every congregation already has an approved budget for the year; any conversation would not happen until at least Sept-Oct, which would leave little time to rustle up the extra cash — that’s even if a congregation decided to increase its support. Second, what criteria does a presbytery use to determine whether an explanation is satisfactory? Third, the approach came across as somewhat paternalistic or even heavy handed. An amendment (by yours truly) that rather than present a plan to increase, that presbyteries hear the reasons from their congregations, share that information with the Life and Mission Agency and report the findings to the 2026 General Assembly was approved by commissioners. This was a pastoral approach. Rather than assuming these congregations are automatically in the wrong, let’s start a conversation. The shared reasons might point to what is broken in the PCC. It might prompt a future Assembly to make whatever changes are necessary for congregations to regain confidence and restore financial support. The motion was further amended to allow congregation reasons to be shared anonymously. However, the amended motion never came to a vote – a narrow majority of commissioners agreed to a motion to refer it back for more study.
Israel, Hamas and Gaza – GA’s International Affairs Committee statement that “The government of Israel must be held accountable for its use of weapons of war primarily against a civilian population in violation of International Humanitarian Laws” was hardly universally accepted. One commissioner tried unsuccessfully to have the entire report thrown out, claiming it was one-sided against Israel. Assembly heard a presentation from the leader of Independent Jewish Voices, which accuses its home state of genocide against Palestinians. The same “dehumanization” the Jewish nation has experienced is now being practiced on others, said Corey Balsam. A call to encourage “individuals, groups and organizations within” the PCC to take action and boycott “goods and services (including financial investments) that support the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territory and resultant economic oppression of the Palestinian people” was debated at length. A majority of commissioners backed it in support of the victims. Many sympathized but wondered why Hamas itself was also not being called to account, along with oppressive nations in other war zones. The use of the words “colonial” and “imperialist” in the report to describe the State of Israel prompted an additional motion that asked Assembly to declare that “notwithstanding the language of this report the PCC regards the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948 as neither imperialist nor colonial but rather as the restoration of self-determination for an historically oppressed people.” Rabbi David Mivasair, who accompanied Corey Balsam and is a fellow critic of his homeland, was invited to chime in. In his view, “colonialism is a perfect description.” He added: “If you are confused, you don’t know the facts or are afraid to use the language of what is taking place.” The additional motion was defeated.
Ruling elders as interim moderators – Commissioners agreed with a recommendation that ruling elders be commissioned by a presbytery to act as an Interim Moderator Assistant where there’s shortage of ministers. An interim mod would still be in charge, but a trained elder would be allowed to moderate Session and perform other duties under the supervision of a minister. The proposed change to the Book of Forms will be sent to lower courts for approval under the Barrier Act.
New suggested guidelines for remuneration of interim moderators – A recent survey found most presbyteries set payment as a percentage (5-20 per cent with 10 per cent the most common) of a selected increment level in the minimum stipend schedule or the stipend of the outgoing minister. A few presbyteries opted for a fixed monthly dollar amount ranging from $100–$450. The approved recommendation was to set the basic rate in vacancy situations where the congregation is expected to proceed to a call at 10 percent of the fourth increment ($418/mo) or a lower rate, perhaps one-half, where there’s no search process. NOTE: Essex Kent’s standing orders state “no less than 5 per cent of the basic stipend for Ordained Ministers.”
Medical Assistance In Dying (physician-assisted suicide) – the Church Doctrine Committee continues to work on a guide to assist the church to respond faithfully and practically in pastoral situations. An estimated 4.7 percent of all deaths in Canada occur through MAiD, the committee reported. The committee asks: “As MAiD becomes more common and pastoral caregivers are called to be present, how can they ensure their own emotional and spiritual well-being? How might they navigate the cognitive dissonance of being present at an act they believe is wrong? How can they reconcile the perception that their presence implies support for a state policy they might personally oppose?” The committee’s goal is to “recommend a reference point for the church, allowing pastoral practitioners to make decisions that align with the church’s beliefs.” A final report is expected to come to 2026 GA.
Theological Colleges – Only 10 graduated from seminary this spring: Knox College (three) Presbyterian College (three) and St. Andrew’s Hall/VST (four). A few ministers were also received from other denominations. But it’s far below the need. From April 2024 to March of this year, a total of 31 ministers applied to receive their pensions – that does not include ministers who have resigned and departed for other reasons.
National office relocation – Construction on the new offices for The PCC continues as planned. The Presbyterian Church in Canada will be renting shared space at 300 Bloor Street West in Toronto with the United Church of Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada. The tentative move-in date is the fall of 2026.
Funding for the National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation – A total of $5 million was requested from the PCC, Anglican Church and United Church ($1.67 million each). The recommendation from GA was $500,000 over a five-year period. An amendment to increase this to $1 million failed to garner enough support. The recommended amount was approved.
The Pension Fund & investments – The Pension Fund remains in very good shape, with assets up 13.3 per cent in 2024 (up 11.6 per cent in 2023) and the Consolidated Fund was up 17.9 per cent (after being up 13.2 per cent in 2023).
Dissolutions – Eleven congregations ceased to exist, using the usual process. An additional five used the special, limited voluntary withdrawal in which they depart from the denomination and pay the PCC 50 per cent of the value of the property or receive 50 per cent of the proceeds from sale.
Chaplain – I had the honour of being appointed a co-chaplain of the Assembly’s official Prayer Room. In past years, I organized a prayer room in my work with The Renewal Fellowship. We were provided with room somewhere but it was never formally announced and only attended by evangelicals. This year, RF pitched the idea of an official room and the General Assembly Office agreed. To be inclusive, my co-chaplain partner represented a more progressive theological point of view. We worked well together.
