MILWAUKEE – The General Assembly Operations (GAO) Committee of the 227th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) presented its final item of business during the evening plenary session on Wednesday night.
GAO-01 outlined the committee’s recommendation and extensive planning by Presbyterian Life and Witness (PL&W) to hold the 228th General Assembly of the denomination in Puerto Rico in 2028.
During committee deliberations last week, some members of the committee expressed concerns about the safety of holding the assembly in Puerto Rico.
Stated Clerk Jihyun Oh spoke to commissioners at the assembly about these equity concerns, based on these remarks and other comments that observers and moderators deemed inappropriate, racially insensitive, and uninformed. She offered “guidance about the expectations or respectful and faithful discussion of this matter during plenary.”
Oh said, in part, “Loving neighbors as ourselves, and being loving neighbors as God commands is at the heart of this commitment. What makes this hard sometimes are the ways our minds have been formed and informed. Media coverage, the words that are used, the ways our attention is drawn to particular issues about particular people and particular places often form images in our mind that are far from reality.”
Kate Trigger Duffert, acting director of General Assembly Support and associated stated clerk, affirmed that contracts had already been signed to hold the assembly in Puerto Rico and that the planning team believed there were no other suitable locations available to hold the assembly during the scheduled time.
Ruling Elder Commissioner Brandon Tacadena from Seattle Presbytery introduced a motion to amend GAO-01. The amendment would include training for those attending General Assembly in an official capacity – beyond what is already included in their orientations – to ensure knowledge of Puerto Rican history and culture.
The text of the amendment read: “In addition to Equity Prime trainings, PL&W will require all GA commissioners, advisory delegates, volunteers, and staff to undergo cultural competency training and learn about socio-political and historical relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States.”
Speaking in favor of the amendment was corresponding member Ruth Santana-Grace, co-moderator of the 225th General Assembly. As the daughter of parents born in Puerto Rico, she approached the microphone surrounded by former moderators of the General Assembly and was joined via video by Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri, co-moderator of the 223rd General Assembly, from Puerto Rico. She reminded the assembly of the need to be “curious and respectful” in its discourse and urged the approval of the amendment and the committee’s recommendation to hold the 228th General Assembly in Puerto Rico.
“May we be bearers of the counter-cultural Christ who calls us to recognize the humanity in the other,” she encouraged. “Let us show the world and one another that when we speak our passion will be framed by compassion. May you speak in love, remembering that we are talking about us, members of our own body as Scripture reminds us.”
A vote on the amendment was approved by the assembly 437-19.
Turning to the amended overture, co-Moderator CeCe Armstrong recognized no motions to amend the overture and only persons wishing to speak in favor of it in the voting system, and, therefore, called for a final vote on GAO-01.
Advisory delegates advised unanimously to approve the recommendation, and the assembly voted to approve GAO-01 by a vote of 467-5.
Co-moderator Armstrong invited representatives to the General Assembly from Puerto Rico to the assembly stage for a brief recognition and celebration, after which Anne Wilson, moderator of the General Assembly Operations Committee, concluded the report of the committee, saying, “How wonderful it is that through this action today we have a wonderful opportunity to strengthen and deepen our relationship with our Puerto Rican siblings.”
GA227 attendees from Puerto Rico presbyteries celebrated the decision and are eager to begin planning to receive the delegates, staff and guests in 2028.
“Both my parents and my grandma serve in the Presbyterian church,” said Veronica Acosta-Colon, a young adult advisory delegate from the Presbiterio De San Juan and Sínodo Presbiteriano Boriquén youth co-moderator.
“We are really proud of having the opportunity of bringing you all to Puerto Rico so you can see that we’re not just an island; we’re not just a territory of the US. We are more than that. We have a great culture. We have great music. We love to invite people to come to our island so they can see what we are capable of doing and how special we are.”
Her mother, Rosa Colón Rodriguez, moderator of the Presbiterio De San Juan, said she has been part of the Presbyterian Church for 52 years and was elated to experience this vote during her first time attending General Assembly.
“When the opportunity arose that the assembly could be in Puerto Rico, even though I realized that there was going to be a big challenge and there will be a lot of work ahead, it also gives us the opportunity as Presbyterians to know where we are from and what we have to contribute — and that we’re just equal to [the rest of the PC(USA)],” she said. “I’m very excited to begin organizing and see what we will have to offer once we’re there.”
A historic first, this action of the assembly marks the first time the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will hold its General Assembly outside the continental United States. The Sínodo Presbiteriano Boriquén (Synod of Boriquen) is one of the 16 synods of the PC(USA) and is headquartered in Mayagüez. The synod encompasses three presbyteries: San Juan, Noroeste (Northwest), and Suroeste (Southwest). The synod, in partnership with its three presbyteries, will host the 228th General Assembly in San Juan from June 11-22, 2028, at the Puerto Rico Convention Center.
