A Report from the 2025 GA

By Rev. Kathy McDowell

Approximately 50 Georgia Disciples attended the 2025 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), held July 12-15, 2025 in Memphis, TN. The four-day event was packed with worship, business sessions, workshops, service, and many opportunities to learn more about the work of the larger church.

**Saturday**

Saturday began with an opening ceremony and roll call, with greetings brought by delegates from 31 Regions across the US and Canada. The evening concluded with worship highlighted by noted preacher, Rev. Dr. Bernice King, Chief Executive Officer of The Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change. In between, as well as on Monday and Tuesday, business sessions took place and included business reports from the Office of the General Minister and President and several ministries of the General Church. In addition to reports, Assembly business sessions included resolutions in two categories:

Operational, Policy and Organizational, which establish policy, institute or revise structures, or procedures, authorize programs, approve directions or mandate actions. Some important changes were approved by the Assembly to the structure and operations of our church, including the makeup of the General Board. In addition, the Assembly voted to move the General Assembly to every third year (2028 is the next in-person Assembly) and holding virtual Assemblies in the off years. These Assemblies would broaden Congregational participation by inviting all Disciples congregations to designate 3 delegates to participate for a total of three years. These changes are detailed in GA-2517 – Amendments to The Design and GA-2518 – Changes to the Special Rules of Procedure for the General Assembly.

Sense-of-the-Assembly, which are an expression of the General Assembly concerning a moral, ethical, or religious matter confronting the church, the nation or the world. Adoption of a resolution must represent agreement by a majority of an assembly’s voting representatives that the conviction or view expressed is based on Christian insights and is a part of their witness to Jesus Christ. At the same, these resolutions do not represent binding policy on individual congregations. Some of these resolutions passed by the Assembly included GA-2512 — Concerning Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Congregations Receiving a Silver Chalice Designation, GA-2513 — Resolution Concerning Disability Justice and Inclusion in all Ministries within the Christian Church, and GA-2515 — Opposing Project 2025 And Other Policies That Are Inconsistent With Our Commitment to Justice, Mercy, and Compassion For Our Neighbors.

**Sunday**

Sunday featured multiple opportunities for community worship, with Disciples and other churches welcoming Assembly participants to a variety of worship services, featuring guest preachers including Rev. Dr. William Barber, who preached at First Baptist Church Broad Avenue, Rev. Virzola Law, who preached at Lindenwood Christian Church (DOC), and Rev. Dr. J. Lawrence Turner, who preached at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church (DOC). Afternoon events also include tours of the National Civil Rights Museum, organized by Disciples Home Missions. Sunday evening worship featured preacher, Rev. Brian Kirk, Lead Pastor, First Christian Church, St. Joseph, MO.

**Monday**

Monday kicked off with multiple workshops in the general categories of worship, proclamation, community, and mission, as well as programs continuing for children and youth. Hundreds of Disciples also participated in the noon “Moral Mondays Memphis,” led by Rev. Dr. William Barber, who along with Tennessee clergy, delivered a report on the number of persons estimated to lose health coverage and SNAP benefits as a result of the 2025 federal budget bill. The afternoon business session continued with more reports from several General Church ministries. Monday evening worship featured preacher Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady II, President of Brite Divinity School.

**Tuesday**

Workshops continued Tuesday morning, followed by an afternoon business session in which three emergency Sense of the Assembly resolutions were discussed by the gathered Assembly and passed. These included GA-2568 – An Emergency Resolution Concerning the Moral Crisis of Federal Budget Priorities in the 2025 Reconciliation Bill, GA-2570 – Emergency Resolution Responding to The United States Federal Government’s Attack on Immigrants, Migrants, And Refugees. GA-2571 – Affirmation of the World Council of Churches. Tuesday evening worship featured Disciples General Minister and President Rev. Terri Hord Owens, along with former GMP Rev. Richard Hamm, who served from 1993-2003, and former GMP Rev. Sharon Watkins, who served the church from 2005-2017. Rev. Owens challenged the church “to be who we say we are.”

Looking Ahead

Some important changes were approved by the Assembly to the structure and operations of our church in GA-2517 – Amendments to The Design. Some highlights that impact Congregations include:

Each Congregation is entitled to name 3 delegates of their choosing as voting members of the General Assembly, with one delegate selected each year, beginning January 1, to serve a three-year term on a rolling basis. Each Region is also entitle to name 3 delegates of their choosing as voting members of the General Assembly. These delegates are in addition to any clergy with standing who are also considered voting delegates.
The General Assembly will meet at least one time every calendar year for an Annual Meeting, set by the General Board, of which the first two will be held digitally. The dates of the digital meetings of the General Assembly in 2026 and 2027 are TBA.
Every third year the Annual Meeting will be known as the Triennial Meeting and will regularly be held both in-person and digitally. The next in-person Triennial Meeting of the General Assembly will be held in 2028, with the time and place to be announced in 2026.

Other changes approved to the way the General Assembly operates can be found in GA-2518 – Changes to the Special Rules of Procedure for the General Assembly and include:

“Statements of Witness” and “Alternate Perspective Reports” for Statements of Witness may be submitted for consideration by the General Assembly through the process described. These replace the current “Sense of the Assembly” resolutions and process.
“Topics for Education, Discussion, and Prayer” are a way for the General Assembly to engage in learning, dialogue, formation, discernment, and prayer on matters of social witness and other matters deemed essential to the witness and ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The General Board shall approve at least one Topic for Education, Discussion, and Prayer (TEDP) for each Annual Meeting of the General Assembly, with the church and its ministries to be widely consulted, including through surveys, about topics. Each Annual Meeting will include opportunities for further study, discussion, and prayer related to these topics.

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