The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) continued its major shuffling of denominational offices Friday as the Interim Unified Agency announced a “new organizational structure and ministry alignment.”
“Existing ministry work will continue with no planned staff reductions,” the denomination announced in a news release.
The announcement also includes the specific initiatives in each of four “areas of work” announced in September. It also named each area’s leader, all of whom are current denominational executives.
“This new alignment of ministry and support will allow us to better position ourselves as a partner both within and beyond the PC(USA),” Jihyun Oh, stated clerk of the General Assembly and IUA executive director, said.
“The hope is that it will foster more and better collaboration with partners, as well as within the agency, while also building toward an organization of accountability, trust and sustainability,” she said.
The four areas and sub-areas, together with leadership, are:
- Denominational Life and Witness: Barry Creech.
- Advocacy and Witness.
- General Assembly Support.
- Interpretation and Communication.
- Leader Development.
- Partnership within the PC(USA): Corey Schlosser-Hall.
- Mid Council Connections.
- Restorative Justice.
- Faithful Innovation.
- Mid Council Grants.
- Stony Point Center.
- Partnerships Beyond the PC(USA): Mienda Uriarte.
- Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations.
- Global Ecumenical Partnerships.
- Organizational Planning and Operations: Kerry Rice.
- Financial Planning and Effectiveness.
- Operations and Meeting Support.
- Organizational Development.
“We recognize that moving to this new model will take time and will require us to be flexible,” Oh said. “But with all the changes occurring in the world and in the church, I believe that’s what participating in God’s mission, participating in all the work that God does, in this time and place, means for the agency and for the church. I’m grateful for all those who are praying as we continue this journey.”
Like most mainline denominations, the PC(USA) has lost significant membership over the last several years. Its high point came in 1983, when the two major branches of the Presbyterian Church reunited after splitting over the issue of slavery during the Civil War. Last year, the number of members was 1.04 million and is projected to drop below 1.0 million by the end of this year.
The shrinking of the denomination led to a 2022 General Assembly decision to combine the two primary offices — the Office of the General Assembly, which oversaw ecclesiastical and governance responsibilities, and the Presbyterian Mission Agency, which handled the mission activities.
A Unification Commission was created to accomplish the task and given a deadline of the upcoming 2026 General Assembly to devise a new, unified structure.
The OGA and PMA were combined on July 1 of this year into the Interim Unified Agency.
Two other controversial moves were announced earlier this year: the dissolution of the Office of Theology and Worship and the reduction of mission co-workers to no more than 30. The number of mission co-workers had dropped from about 200 over the last 15 years.
When the closing of Theology and Worship was announced, former staff members Charles Wiley and Marsha Moore-Keish said, “Denominational staff have assured us that there will be a ‘place’ for the theology work, but where that will be lodged is uncertain.”
On Friday, PC(USA) Director of Communications Rick A. Jones said, “Leadership believes theology is part of almost everything we do and so the work of Theology and Worship will be incorporated across the agency.”
In response to the cuts in mission co-workers, several presbyteries and other participants of the New Wilmington Mission Conference created their own mission programs and joined other denominations’ efforts, calling the new alliance “With You Always.”
“My hope and prayer is that God will use the ‘With You Always’ initiative to spark missional renewal among Presbyterians and that God will revive us by recentering us as the sent people of God,” steering team member Don Dawson said.
The PC(USA)’s Jones said mission “as it was, is not being reinstated, but teams are looking at new ways to minister and that is still in development.”
