Report on the 227th General Assembly

Rev. Dr. Steve Aguzzi, Teaching Elder Commissioner serving the 227^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Peace River Presbytery: Report on the General Assembly

by Rev. Dr. Steve Aguzzi

Example of the size of a typical General Assembly Committee, 227th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Pastor Steve sitting on a giant, eagle-crested chair at a Bavarian restaurant in Milwaukee, WI, location of the 227th General Assembly of the PCUSA. Peace River attendees gathered for dinner in between plenary sessions.

My name is Steve Aguzzi, and I’m the pastor of Moorings Presbyterian Church in Naples, Florida. I am relatively new to the Peace River Presbytery, and though I have gone as an observer and theological advisor for past GA’s, this was my first time as a commissioner. I believe my past experience working with other denominations and teaching theology in a higher education setting has given me some insight into the workings of the 227^th GA. 

First, from a personal perspective, I found the work of the General Assembly, from start to finish, to reflect a very high degree of organization, and more importantly, strong committee leadership and a willingness to lean into expert advising and rigorous, yet respectful debate and discussion. This carried over into the plenary sessions of the entire gathered body. Though they lasted for several hours on end, they expressed a very high degree of ecclesial collegiality, a desire to stop and worship or pray for the discernment of the Holy Spirit, and a high degree of tolerance in addition to a willingness to listen to one another, and exhibit sincere, pastoral sensitivity. When clarification was sought, clarification was given. When others spoke, even those with whom the majority disagreed, an open mind was sought. When others were harmed because of human missteps or the nature of the work at hand, sincere apologies were given and received. This is a sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed at work and that the church is seeking to be an incarnational witness to the reality of Jesus Christ among us.

There was a sincere desire to walk within the strike zone of grace and truth (John 1:17), living in to the assembly’s theme of “Persevering toward Wholeness,” based on Revelation 22:2. The most moving highlights of the week for me, personally, involved listening to the amazing prayers of the Young Adult Advisory

Melanie Worthy, member of Moorings Presbyterian Church in Naples, FL, and member of Faith Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, WI., along with Steve Aguzzi, Pastor of Moorings Presbyterian Church–Sunday morning worship experience in local congregations.

Delegates, and taking part in a gathering that honored the work of Rev. Dr. Diane Givens Moffett, former President and Director of Presbyterian Mission Agency, a significant pastor in our denomination–a powerhouse of preaching and leadership for the equipping of community-changers worldwide. 

I am also particularly fond of the good people from Peace River Presbytery that connected and worked as a team while representing the church in this region: Rich, Janice, Becky, Dylan, Randy, and Melana. Rev. Melana Scruggs’ willingness to act as a resource (non-binding on votes), and to procure Garden Salsa SunChips and gummy snacks during the grueling deliberations made plenary sessions much more palatable. It is not within my own DNA to sit in long committee meetings and wrestle with minutia. Constructive detail, yes–minutia, no. Which leads me to a practical point on the deliberations themselves.

While I was very impressed with the way that the body carried itself in a theological, pastoral, and ecclesial sense, I was less impressed by the sheer volume of amendments that surfaced with each section and subsection of any given overture that was being discussed. At some point, the Presbyterian Church needs to learn how to trust the hard and thorough work of others (ministry teams, committees, etc…), and to avoid the pitfalls of micromanagement, provided there is a general consensus on the why, what, and how of ministry. This is not to say that there is no place for revision and reformation, but more to say that we waste considerable time rehashing already over-hashed items while all the while we could be preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and working for the betterment of the world within that precious timeframe instead.

One of the meeting spaces with a post-plenary dessert gathering for commissioners, advisors, and church-partners at the 227th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

The content of resolutions discussed at the General Assembly is so wide in its breadth that I could not begin to summarize it in this report. Instead, I offer as an addendum an AI Generated summary of the overtures that rose to prominence and even national attention. Ironically, the generation of that content left out the assembly’s vigorous debate on the pitfalls and dangers of generative AI.

Overall, I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve and lead by acting as a commissioner for the 227^th General Assembly. Each one of the votes that I cast was made through a desire to become radically informed on the issues ahead of time and was made prayerfully with attention to both faith and reason. In the end, despite debate and disagreements, the Church of Jesus Christ as expressed in the Presbyterian Church (USA) is one church, a strong witness to the world around us, especially among populations that are traditionally silenced or experiencing the pain of human fallenness, and among the poor and those on the margins of a society that embraces human power and authority over  Spirit-led empowerment and servant-leadership. May this witness to Jesus Christ shine brightly as we “…make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3), and as we “persevere toward wholeness” until the day is reached where the nations and the world are truly healed (Revelation 22:2). 

Five Most Consequential Votes

Monogamy requirement for ministers (CON-10): Referred for study, 433-44.

Gender-affirming healthcare: Approved.

White Christian Nationalism: Approved.

Israel/Gaza genocide overture: Approved.

Non-disclosure covenant ban: Approved, 440-29.

Faithful Members of the Peace River Presbytery