Called the “Town Square,” this three-hour event brought together 54 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) agencies, committees, seminaries, caucuses, networks and ministry organizations. The event was held from 2-5 p.m. on June 27 as part of the assembly’s Community Day, before in-person plenary meetings began on Sunday.
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The traditional exhibit hall has been absent from the past three General Assemblies. GA224 in 2020 was held entirely online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. GA225 in 2022 and GA226 in 2024 used different hybrid formats and offered virtual exhibits but no traditional in-person exhibit hall.
Related reading: “The exhibit hall’s successor arrives at General Assembly” by Greg Allen-Pickett, Outlook reporting
In 2024, assembly planners said the hybrid structure and condensed schedule did not leave commissioners enough time to visit exhibits. The decision drew criticism from organizations that relied on the hall to introduce their ministries, connect with church leaders and build relationships across the denomination.
Saturday’s Town Square represented an experiment in restoring that part of the assembly experience within the constraints of another hybrid gathering. Based on the crowds circulating through the rooms and the responses of exhibitors and visitors, the experiment appeared to be well received.
Tom Taylor, president of the Presbyterian Foundation, described the event as “wonderful.”
“Having these conversations and making these connections may be one of the most important things at GA,” Taylor said. “We would really welcome much more of this in the future.”
For Fay Palmer, a theological student advisory delegate from Union Presbyterian Seminary, Town Square provided an opportunity to experience the breadth of the denomination during her first General Assembly.
“The Town Square has been an amazing opportunity to form community throughout the entirety of the PC(USA),” Palmer said.
She encountered people she had previously known only online, reconnected with participants from conferences and events at Union, and met others for the first time. She compared the atmosphere to a fairground, with exhibitors celebrating their work in a relaxed setting.
“Everybody is coming together in this collected and relaxed space,” Palmer said. “We all get to explore the tables and have fun, and then get to meet lots of new people. It’s just been a joy.”
Palmer also volunteered at Union’s table during the event.
“I love to brag on my seminary because they have been loving and supportive of all of their students,” she said. “It is my honor to volunteer and serve.”
The Town Square featured eight agencies and entities of the PC(USA), eight General Assembly committees, six Presbyterian seminaries, and 32 other participants. Those participants represented ministries related to theological education, Christian formation, church music, campus ministry, camps and conference centers, environmental advocacy, peace and justice, pastoral leadership and other areas of denominational life.
Representatives of the Caucus Nacional Presbiteriano Hispano Latino said the event offered an important opportunity to make the church’s diversity and ministries more visible.
“The exhibit hall is a big chance during General Assembly meetings to show commissioners, visitors and observers that our denomination is a lot more than just worship services on Sundays,” Jesus Gonzalez said. “There are so many ministries and so many programs that need to be known in our denomination. We’re proud and happy to be part of it this year.”
Christopher Epperson of Soul Shop, a ministry that equips faith communities to address suicide, said the organization had wanted to participate in General Assembly for several years but had been unable to do so while in-person exhibits were suspended.
“It’s been actually really, really good,” Epperson said. “A lot of people who know who we are have come by and expressed appreciation for what we do, and we’ve also seen new faces, which is a great thing.”
Epperson recalled one visitor expressing surprise at the number of programs and resources connected to the denomination.
Adam Walker Cleaveland of Illustrated Ministry, who raised concerns about the absence of an exhibit hall before GA226, said Saturday’s event allowed his company to reconnect with existing users and introduce its faith formation resources to new people.
“We run into folks who love our stuff, and they’re telling us wonderful stories about the different ways they’ve used it,” Cleaveland said. “We also run into folks who have never heard of us before, so it’s a great way to connect with new customers and give them free stickers.”
Cleaveland welcomed the event but said its limited duration presented challenges.
“It is a lot in three hours,” he said. “Depending on how many people you have at your booth or table, it can feel like a lot all at once.”
Illustrated Ministry is based nearby, making participation relatively easy. Cleaveland questioned whether organizations located farther away could justify the travel and setup expenses for a single three-hour event.
“I don’t know that I would have traveled here for just three hours,” he said. “Being here in Wisconsin made it kind of a no-brainer, but if this were in Portland, Oregon, I can’t imagine that I could justify the expense to get out there for such a short time.”
Brian Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, offered a similar assessment.
“I’ve had a lot of amazing conversations today and met a lot of great people,” Ellison said. “I’m really grateful for this reintroduction of the opportunity for groups like ours to connect with commissioners, advisory delegates and guests of the assembly.”
At the same time, Ellison said he hopes future assemblies will restore a full exhibit hall with more time and greater participation.
“I would also love a return to the full exhibit hall, with more time and more opportunity for the broader community to be present,” he said, “and to create that space where people from across the church can really come together in a more extended and meaningful way.”
Tricia Dillon Thomas, director of programs for the newly renamed Presbyterian Leadership Collaborative, formerly the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation, said Town Square allowed the organization to introduce its new branding and discuss its work supporting pastors and congregational leaders.
“I was energized by the warmth, curiosity and enthusiasm of everyone who stopped by our table,” Thomas said. “We had meaningful conversations with pastors, mid council leaders and others who were excited to learn about our retreats, continuing education offerings and leadership development programs.”
The organization’s tote bags also became a popular accessory as visitors collected materials from other tables.
“They ended up helping people carry all the wonderful resources they collected from exhibitors throughout the event,” Thomas said.
The next General Assembly is scheduled to meet in Puerto Rico in 2028. Several exhibitors said Saturday’s turnout demonstrated a continuing desire for gathering spaces beyond committee and plenary meetings.
“We’re grateful to have been part of Town Square,” Thomas said, “and look forward to continuing these conversations at the next General Assembly in Puerto Rico.”
