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General Assembly

Publications

 

The General Assembly consists of commissioners elected by presbyteries. Few will ever have been commissioners to the General Assembly before, but most will have served in one of the other governing bodies of our church: the session, which provides care and oversight of a local congregation; the presbytery, which provides care and oversight of a group of congregations; or the synod which provides care and oversight of several presbyteries.

The commissioners review the work of synods, resolve controversies in the church, are responsible for matters of common concern for the whole church, and serve as a symbol of unity for the church.

The combined insights of all those on assembly committees become the recommendations to the whole assembly. If they are approved, they guide the church in the years to come.

Publications

The following publications are the product of assemblies past and stepping stones for future insight and discernment:

Constitution of the PC(USA)

The Book of Confessions (English, Korean, Spanish)

Book of Order (English, Korean, Spanish)

Book of Order en Español (PDF)

Book of Order, Korean Version (does not contain appendixes)

Companion to the Constitution

Role of the Constitution in the Life of the Church

Advisory Opinions

Constitutional Musings

Minutes of the General Assembly

The documents linked below are large files. For best results, right-click the link (or click and hold for Macintosh), select "save target as" and save the document to your desktop for viewing and printing. Minutes of the General Assembly prior to 2002 are available online at: http://index.pcusa.org.

General Assembly Meeting Helps

Manual of the General Assembly (PDF) (for the 224th General Assembly  (2020))
Organization for Mission (PDF) (as amended by the 223rd General Assembly (2018))
Standing Rules (PDF) (as amended by the 223rd General Assembly (2018))

Parliamentary Procedure (PDF)

 

Resolutions of the General Assembly and Study Papers

View papers by year.

A Reformed Understanding of Usury for the Twentieth Century (PDF)

A Theological Understanding of the Relationship Between Christians and Jews (PDF)

Abolition of For-Profit Private Prisons (PDF)

Advocacy on Behalf of the Uninsured (PDF)

Africa Guide for Study and Reflection (PDF)

Alcohol Use & Abuse - Social and Health Effects 

All-Black Governing Bodies 

Biblical Authority and Interpretation (PDF)

Breaking Down the Walls (as approved by the 219th GA)

Building Community Among Strangers: A Plan for Study and Action (PDF) (Approved by 211th General Assembly (1999))

Charter for Compassion (PDF) (item 11-02)

Charter for Compassion (PDF)

Child Protection Policy (PDF)

Christian Obedience in a Nuclear Age (PDF)

Church Membership Growth (PDF)

Civil Union and Christian Marriage - Final report from the Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage appointed by the 218th General Assembly (2010)

Clergywomen’s Experiences in Ministry: Realities and Challenges (PDF)

Comfort My People: A Policy Statement on Serious Mental Illness, with study guide (PDF)

Comprehensive Legalization Program for Immigrants Living and Working in the United States with Study Guide (PDF)

Comprehensive Strategy for Ministries with Native Americans

Covenant of Life and Covenant and Creation (PDF)

Economic Security for Older Adults (PDF)

Encounter with New Neighbors (PDF)

Ethical Conduct Standards (PDF)

Facing Racism: A Vision of the Beloved Community (PDF)

Family Violence: Study Paper (PDF)

For Human Rights and Civic Freedom: Movements for Democratic Change in the Arab World

Foundational Principles of Church Governance (PDF)

From Homelessness to Hope: Constructing Just, Sustainable Communities for All God's People (PDF)

God Alone Is Lord of the Conscience (Approved, 200th General Assembly (PDF) (1988)

God's Work in Our Hands: Employment, Community, and Christian Vocation (1995)

God's Work in Women's Hands: Pay Equity and Just Compensation (PDF)

Gun Violence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call

Historic Principles, Conscience and Church Government (PDF)

HIV and AIDS Competent Church, Becoming an

Hope for a Global Future: Toward Just and Sustainable Human Development (PDF)

Human Rights Update 2000-2001 (PDF)

Human Rights Update 2001-2002 (PDF)

Human Rights Update 2002-2003 (PDF)

Human Rights Update 2003-2004 (PDF)

Human Rights Update 2010 (PDF)

Human Rights Update 2012

International Criminal Courts, Resolution On (PDF)

Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future (PDF)

Iraq: On Building Peace and Study Guide: To Repent and to Restore, to Rebuild, and to Reconcile (PDF)

Is Christ Divided? (PDF)

Kairos Palestine Study Guide (PDF)

Life Abundant: Values, Choices and Health Care - the Responsibility and Role of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PDF)

Lift Every Voice: Democracy, Voting Rights, and Electoral Reform (PDF)

Limited Water Resources and Takings with Study Guide (PDF)

Living into the Body of Christ (PDF)

Living Through Economic Crisis: The Church’s Witness in Troubled Times

Loving Our Neighbors: Equity and Quality in Public Education (PDF)

Nature of the Church and the Practice of Governance (PDF)

Neither Poverty Nor Riches: Compensation, Equity, and the Unity of the Church

Peacemaking: The Believers' Calling (PDF)

Pornography: Far From the Song of Songs (PDF) (Approved 1988)

Presbyterian Understanding and Use of the Holy Scripture (PDF)

Presbyterians and Human Sexuality 1991 (PDF)

Problem Pregnancies and Abortion: Report of the Special Committee on Problem Pregnancies and Abortion (PDF)

Problem Pregnancies: Toward a Responsible Decision (PDF)

Reformed Faith and Politics

Resolution Against Torture 2006 (PDF)

Resolution on Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse Against Educators (PDF)

Resolution Calling for the Abolition of For-Profit Private Prisons 

Resolution on Christian Responsibility and a National Medical Plan (PDF)

Resolution on Israel and Palestine: End the Occupation Now (PDF)

Resolution on Just Globalization (PDF)

Resolution on the Middle East, 1997

Restorative Justice, Resolution on (PDF) (Approved by the 214th General Assembly (2002)

Revised Catechisms 

Sexuality and the Human Community (PDF)

Sexual Misconduct Policy (PDF) [as approved by the 219th General Assembly (2010)]

Standards of Ethical Conduct (PDF)

That All May Enter (PDF) (Recommendation and Full Text Rationale)

The Church and Homosexuality (PDF)

The Nature and Value of human Life (PDF)

The Power to Change: U.S. Energy Policy and Global Warming 

Transforming Families (PDF)

Turn Mourning Into Dancing (PDF)

Turn to the Living God (PDF)

Turn to the Living God, Spanish version (PDF)

We Are What We Eat (PDF)

Why and How the Church Makes Social Policy Witness

World of Hurt, Word of Life: “Renewing God’s Communion in the Work of Economic Reconstruction”

Other Resources

Conscientious Objection: Answers and Resources 

Open Meeting Policy

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