Editing Presbyterian polity (section)

===General assembly===
The ''general assembly'' (or [[General Synod|general synod]]) is the highest court of presbyterian polity. Each presbytery selects a number of its members to be commissioners to the general assembly. The general assembly is chaired by its own [[Moderator of the General Assembly|moderator]], who is usually elected to a single term. He or she is addressed as moderator during meetings, but like the other moderators, their position has no bearing outside of the assembly meeting and affords him/her no special place in other courts. He or she presides over meetings of the assembly, and may be called on in a representative function for the remainder of the year.

The stated clerk and deputy clerk of the general assembly administer the minutes, correspondence, and business of the assembly. In some cases a separate business convenor is appointed to deal with the agenda. General assemblies meet less regularly than their subordinate courts, often annually, or in the case of the Presbyterian Church (USA), every other year.

The General Assembly also has members serve as Advisory Delegates. There are four different types of advisory delegates, each with a focus on a different area in the Presbyterian Church like young adult, theological student, missionary and ecumenical. The role of an advisory delegate is to speak about issues or topics that commissioners would usually not worry about or care to speak about during a General Assembly meeting. Advisory Delegates may not present motions or vote in meetings of the General Assembly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/oga/pdf/ga221/221st_general_assembly_yaad_information.pdf|title=General Assembly}}</ref>

The powers of the general assembly are usually wide-ranging. However, they may be limited by some form of external review. For example, the rules of the [[Church of Scotland]] include the [[Barrier Act]], which requires that certain major changes to the polity of the church be referred to the presbyteries, before being enacted by the general assembly.

There may be issues arising between annual General Assemblies which require urgent attention. In these cases some presbyterian churches have a 'commission of assembly' who will deal with the issue and refer it to the next General Assembly for homologation.