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The Unification Commission voted Thursday to recommend to the 227th General Assembly (2026) that in-person gatherings of the 228th General Assembly be hosted by el Presbiterio de San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from June 11-22, 2028.
Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, U.S. citizens do not need a passport to travel there.
During a site visit earlier this year, “leaders from the presbytery shared with enthusiasm and delight a desire to host the assembly in partnership with el Presbiterio del Noroeaste, el Presbiterio de Suroeste, and el Sínodo Presbiteriano Boriquén,” said Kate Trigger Duffert, director of General Assembly Planning, in a report to commissioners. “This recommendation comes with deep support from staff, as the opportunity to bring the General Assembly to Puerto Rico arrives amidst the important context of a changing church and nation.”
Hosting the assembly in San Juan, a city of more than 2.4 million people, “recognizes the importance of worshiping communities and congregations in locations which have been minoritized within the denomination,” the report states. “The presence of the General Assembly in Puerto Rico would serve as a powerful statement in affirmation of the inclusive values of the church, as well as make space for the assembly to center language diversity, expand assembly worship experiences, offer economic support and develop communal relationships within Puerto Rico.”
San Juan’s convention center, called the Puerto Rico Convention Center, is being refreshed in 2025-26. According to the report, the meeting spaces are accessible, in proximity to one another and feature significant natural light. Existing hotels have been recently renovated, and two additional properties are being built close to the convention center.
Nearby are restaurants and entertainment opportunities developed and managed by locals. In-house and local audio-visual technology supports are available. The convention center complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Shuttles can take guests from hotels to the convention center and to other regional sites. Language access is available in both English and Spanish, and dietary accommodations are available in hotels and at the meeting space.
Puerto Rico has antidiscrimination laws and hate crime statutes in place, the report states, and it received a “fair” rating for LGTBQ+ equity from the Movement Advancement Project. In addition, local organizations are “working closely to address federal immigration enforcement,” according to the report.
The estimated site cost will be nearly $1.4 million. That includes an incentive rebate of about $150,000.
José Rosa-Rivera, a Unification Commission member from the Presbiterio de San Juan, said he shared the news with friends and colleagues in Puerto Rico, “and they are all very excited.”
“We will start working immediately on this,” he told his fellow commissioners through an interpreter.
“I am hopeful the General Assembly will approve our recommendation. It feels like a propitious time for us as a church to speak about the importance of what makes us who we are,” the Rev. Dr. Felipe N. Martínez, co-moderator of the Unification Commission, told Presbyterian News Service. “The cultural giftedness of the people of Puerto Rico and how it has impacted the life of the country — it feels like a statement of support and appreciation for the legacy of the Presbyterian Church in Puerto Rico, which is longstanding. It’s an affirmation of their legacy.”
In addition to reports from the Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly; the Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and Executive Director of the Unified Agency; the Unification Management Office; and the UC’s three committees, commissioners heard a report from Martínez and his fellow co-moderator, Cristi Scott Ligon.
Martínez said he appreciated the hospitality extended Wednesday evening through a dinner invitation by Global Ecumenical Liaisons and International Young Adult Volunteer coordinators meeting this week at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky. “We received a very warm welcome, and we had an opportunity to hear about their faith journeys and ministries from around the U.S. and from the world in this new role,” Martínez said. “I was struck by their faithfulness, their resilience, and their commitment to be the witness of the Gospel through their ministries and partnerships.”
“As a product of Presbyterian global mission, now four generations back, and as someone who was born and raised in Hong Kong and has now been living and ministering in these United States for the last 53 years, global mission has always been near and dear to my heart,” said the Rev. Bill Teng, a commission member. “But it wasn’t until this week that I had the rare opportunity to meet with most of the Global Ecumenical Liaisons and Young Adult Volunteer coordinators in person over dinner and learned of their personal call and commitment to global ministry and mission. I came away encouraged and heartened as to their renewed energy to carry out the Great Commission in a new setting with the hope to foster potential ecumenical partnerships. Certainly, the success of these endeavors depends on our full support and prayers.”
Martínez also noted commissioners’ efforts to share the importance of applying for a seat on the governing board for the Unified Agency that will be elected by commissioners to the 227th General Assembly next year. That board “will play a very important role partnering with the Unified Agency in this continuing work of unification,” he said. Applications and nomination forms, which are here, are open through Jan. 12, 2026.
“People are excited about investing in the new culture and the life of the church,” Martínez said. “We encourage them to be a part of this.”
