Church Relations in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The Church Relations Work Group is one of several interagency groups that regularly convenes to discuss how the six agencies of the General Assembly can work together to more effectively serve the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The stated purpose of the Church Relations Work Group is to build and improve relationships with and through the middle governing bodies to assist sessions and congregations in their ministry. The Church Relations Work Group understands its function and the tangible overlaps that exist between it and the Communications Work Group and looks forward to working in a manner that supports that group's important work.

Several churchwide activities, initiatives, and events require collaboration and partnership among the six agencies. Although some of these are initiated and organized by one of the agencies, it is common for other agencies to participate. Among these are the stated clerk's training, orientation of the General Assembly commissioners (as well as other General Assembly activities), and the annual meeting of the expanded staff leadership team and synod executives. The National Pastors' Conference, held in 2005 and 2007, is sponsored by all six of the agencies, who also each have a representative on the planning team of the event. A conference is being planned for 2009. (The event is held every other year and in the off-year of the General Assembly.)

Below is a brief description of the agencies represented on this blog site.

Board of Pensions

The Board of Pensions continues the Presbyterian Church's long history of supporting servants of the church and their families. The Board of Pensions administers a variety of retirement and medical benefits and provides essential services to ministers and lay employees of the PC(USA).

General Assembly Council

The General Assembly Council (GAC) carries out the actions of the General Assembly. The goals and objectives of the GAC are outlined in the Mission Work Plan and are organized under four broad categories: Evangelism and Witness, Justice and Compassion, Spirituality and Discipleship, and Leadership and Vocation. This work is carried out in six program areas: Theology, Worship, and Education; Evangelism and Church Growth; Peace and Justice; Relief and Development; World Mission; and Racial Ethnic and Women's Ministries (including Presbyterian Women).

Office of the General Assembly

The Office of the General Assembly (OGA) focuses on enhancing the PC(USA)'s self-understanding of its mission and role as it seeks to fulfill its call to be the church of Jesus Christ. OGA publishes The Book of Confessions and the Book of Order and helps "the church be the church" as defined in those publications. OGA's work is carried out under the direction of the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, who is elected by the General Assembly to a four-year term.

Presbyterian Foundation

The Presbyterian Foundation exists to support mission work and the donors who provide money so that the mission of the church can be carried out. The money is distributed according to donors' wishes. Through New Covenant Funds, the Foundation provides solutions to investors seeking to meet personal or organizational goals, to adopt socially-responsible investing principles, or to support the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, Inc.

The Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program (PILP), Inc. is a non-profit corporation of the church dedicated from to providing low-cost loan funds to congregations who are building or expanding their space. The funds for the loans come from investments made by individual Presbyterians, churches, and governing bodies.

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) is the official denominational publisher of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It publishes under three imprints: Westminster John Knox Press, Geneva Press, and the Thoughtful Christian, an online ecumenical resource center. With a publishin heritage dating back more than 170 years, PPC publishes approximately 90 books each year and maintains a backlist of more than 1700 titles that are sold throughout the world. It is a financially self-sustaining agency of the General Assembly. It receives no mission funding from the PC(USA).

Church Relations and the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) is working in partnership with the General Assembly Council and the Office of the General Assembly to mail a complimentary care package to approximately four hundred newly ordained ministers in the PC(USA). This effort is being coordinated through PPC's "Equipping the Saints" program, one of several benevolence programs the denominational publisher instituted to contribute to the larger mission of the PC(USA). The packages include the Book of Order, the Book of Confessions, a free issue of Theology Today, a free issue of Presbyterians Today, and other items. Individuals should receive their packages in December.

Church, individual, and seminary subscriptions to These Days devotional magazine make it possible for PPC to administer the "Equipping the Saints," Disaster Relief, and "In the Beginning" benevolence programs. In 2007 These Days provided free copies of the magazine to hospital chaplains in New Orleans, to more than 600 PC(USA) missionaries, and to Presbyterian churches that have lost items as a result of natural disasters.