After in-person meetings in Chicago, task force members are forming focus groups and relying on a survey to aid their work
by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE — As a result of action taken by the 226th General Assembly, the Task Force to Explore the Theology and Practice of Ordination now has more members and new tools to help it complete its work ahead of the 227th General Assembly (2026).
Task Force members met last week in Chicago, where they made progress on a number of fronts, according to task force co-moderators the Rev. Dr. Deborah Boucher-Payne, executive of the Synod of Mid-America, and the Rev. Dr. Juan Sarmiento, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of San Fernando. The task force leaders spoke with Presbyterian News Service at the conclusion of the meetings.
The task force reflects the “breadth of the PC(USA),” the moderators said, including BIPOC members, those representing immigrant congregations and fellowships, new worshiping communities, the Committee on Theological Education, and mid council leaders.
“We are working at full speed,” Sarmiento said.
The mandate of the task force, authorized by the 225th General Assembly in 2022, is to “explore the theology and practice of ordination, including commissioned ruling elders, as well as membership, church structure, accountability and chartering,” with a report due to the 226th General Assembly (2024). The most recent Assembly expanded the task force membership to include two more members — a minister of Word and Sacrament ordained in the last five years, and a person currently enrolled as an inquirer or candidate working towards ordination. Liaisons were also identified for three advocacy committees, and the Assembly extended the timeline for the task force to report to the 227th General Assembly.
In recent weeks, task force members have taken to social media to spread the word on the input that they seek from mid councils and individuals.
According to Boucher-Payne, the task force will be hearing from about 15 focus groups to “involve people in the recommendations that will come from our work.” The task force will also be informed by a survey being prepared by Research Services.
“We are realizing that this is going to be quite a bit of information,” Sarmiento said. “It’s a recognition of the good things that are happening.”
Task force members “are well aware of the creativity happening in small churches that are the majority of churches in our denomination,” Sarmiento said. “We have sensed the General Assembly impetus to really acknowledge that and facilitate that.”
According to Boucher-Payne, the task force has been asking for information from presbyteries “about ways they are using commissioned ruling elders now” and about their “processes for preparation, where are they placing them, where are they called to serve and how are they utilizing their gifts.”
“We are seeing a lot of creativity out there. Presbyteries have more flexibility than some of them seem to realize,” she said. Part of the task force’s work will be “to help share those practices.”
A topic that came up more than once during last week’s meetings was a discussion of guardrails and flexibility, Sarmiento said. In many presbyteries, committees including the committee on ministry and the committee on preparation for ministry “rightfully highlight the importance of guardrails” but at times “fail to see the flexibility that our form of government allows for,” he said. A “reality of the new worshiping communities movement,” he said, “is the salient presence of flexibility and perhaps the need for greater guardrails.”
Boucher-Payne said there’s also the question of “what can be done to make it easier for commissioned ruling elders to be able to serve across presbytery lines.” For example: A CRE may live in one presbytery and there’s an opening in an adjoining presbytery. “Is there something that can be done to make that easier to happen?” she asked. “Is there a tweak to the system that will allow that?”
Sarmiento said the task force “is very representative of the breadth of the church. We are very content with the diversity present within us, and yet we want to see beyond all our vantage points.” Some mid councils are more engaged with new worshiping communities than others, he noted, “and many are concerned with the needs of smaller churches.”
“Our whole reason for being,” Sarmiento said, “is to see good ministry happening at the local level in communities.”
“Added to that,” Boucher-Payne said, “we are asking questions about the ordination process itself. That is a new piece added to [the task force’s] work — particularly what is working in presbyteries and what isn’t.”
The task force has organized itself into four working groups: one to address the foundational theological perspective to support the final report to General Assembly, one on the practice of ordination, a third on the process of ordination, and one on membership, including chartering new worshiping communities.
“Another piece of that,” Boucher-Payne said, “is how do we include the diverse voices of these other worshiping communities into the work and ministry of a presbytery and the denomination?” In some presbyteries, Boucher-Payne pointed out, the number of worshiping communities is the same or greater than the number of congregations, “and they don’t have voice and vote,” she said.
Regular task force meetings are supplemented by online meetings of the working groups. “These folks who have agreed to serve are investing an incredible amount of time and energy,” Boucher-Payne said. Added Sarmiento: “The General Assembly trusted us enough to give us more work. We are grateful for our new members.”
The meetings in Chicago were strengthened by involvement by the Committee on Theological Education. “A representative gave us good insight into an increased sense of collaboration among PC(USA)-related seminaries,” Sarmiento said. “We found that encouraging and refreshing.”
Boucher-Payne urged Presbyterians to watch social media notifications of focus groups as they’re being formed. “That input is so valuable to the work we have been asked to do,” she said.
The Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, Associate for Worship in the Office of Theology & Worship, staffs the committee. Reach Gambrell here.
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