Editing Presbyterian Church (USA) (section)

=====Structure=====
Six (now five) agencies carry out the work of the General Assembly, two of which (OGA and PMA) are being unified, with a new staff reporting structure that seems to imply that OGA and PMA have been dissolved.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=PC(USA) national offices unification: What's next? |url=https://pres-outlook.org/2024/07/pcusa-national-offices-unification-whats-next/ |website=The Presbyterian Outlook |date=July 2024 |access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref> These are the Office of the General Assembly (OGA), the [[Presbyterian Publishing Corporation]], the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, the Board of Pensions, the Presbyterian Foundation, and the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) (formerly known as the General Assembly Mission Council).

The Board of Pensions is the oldest and largest of the PCUSA agencies, originally founded in 1717 as the Fund for Pious Uses. The Board provides those who work for congregations and affiliated ministries with healthcare, retirement, and income protection benefits. With over $12 billion in assets, the Board of Pensions is one of the largest Church Plans in the United States. The General Assembly directly elects the Board of Directors and the President. The current President is Frank Clark Spencer. In addition to its benefits program, the Board's education department runs CREDO conferences, the PCUSA's largest in service education program for ministers. The Board's Assistance Program provides financial assistance in the form of income and housing supplements, emergency grants, and debt reduction to current and retired members based on need.

The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board (PMAB) (formerly General Assembly Mission Council) was dissolved on December 31, 2024, by a motion approved at a specially called Unification Commission meeting on August 16, two days ahead of the planned PMAB annual retreat.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.presbyterianmission.org/who-we-are/agency-board/ |title=Presbyterian Mission Agency Board }}</ref> The timing of this motion allowed PMAB to celebrate their work in person, as their only remaining meeting, scheduled for October 29–30, 2024, was not in-person.<ref>https://vimeo.com/999688443 at 8:19</ref> The PMAB had 30 members (20 voting; 10 non-voting).<ref>{{cite web |author=Presbyterian Mission Agency Board |date=October 2023 |title=Manual of Operations |url=https://www.presbyterianmission.org/wp-content/uploads/PMA-Manual-of-Operations-October-2023-1.pdf |access-date=September 1, 2024}}</ref> The role of PMA President and Executive Director was phased out, effective October 10–31, 2024, with both PMA and OGA staff now reporting to the Rev. Jihyun Oh, who has been named as Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and Executive Director of the Interim Unified Agency (IUA).<ref name=Jihyun>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcusa.org/news/2024/10/10/the-rev-jihyun-oh-named-leader-of-the-presbyterian/ |title=Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – The Rev. Jihyun Oh named leader of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s interim unified organization |date=October 10, 2024 |website=pcusa.org |access-date=October 10, 2024 }}</ref> The announcement did not include any comment from the PMA President and Executive Director, or even any indication that she had been notified of the changes and agreed with the terms. Details of the IUA leadership selection process have not been disclosed. The constitution requires maintaining an office of the Stated Clerk (Book of Order G–3.0501c), but not an office of the PMA Executive Director. The 2025 and 2026 budgets (page 18), approved by GA in July 2024, fund the office of the PMA Executive Director at $4,524,347 and $4,613,383, respectively.<ref name=Budget/> 

The budget (page 26) anticipated proposing a $5 million reduction over 2 years at the Unification Commission's October 2024 meeting in order to balance. At this meeting, the UC announced informally that the budget had been scrubbed resulting in a planned small [[layoff | reduction in force]]. On November 5, Jihyun Oh announced various program reconfigurations that would balance the 2025 and 2026 budgets, including the planned $5 million reduction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news/new-interim-unified-agency-pcusa-takes-next-step-reimagining-work-going-forward|title=New Interim Unified Agency of the PC(USA) takes next step in reimagining work going forward}}</ref> Further details were announced on November 13, including 12 layoffs, and two vacant OGA positions to remain unfilled.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news/saying-goodbye-and-thank-you-12-departed-colleagues|title=Saying goodbye and thank you to 12 departed colleagues}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pres-outlook.org/2024/11/unification-commission-consolidates-pcusa-agencies-resulting-in-program-changes-and-staff-reduction/|title=Unification Commission consolidates PC(USA) agencies, resulting in program changes and staff reduction|date=November 21, 2024|work=The Presbyterian Outlook |access-date=November 23, 2024|archive-date=November 23, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241123205807/https://pres-outlook.org/2024/11/unification-commission-consolidates-pcusa-agencies-resulting-in-program-changes-and-staff-reduction/|url-status=live}}</ref> The November 5 announcement had also warned of further layoffs anticipated in 2025 related to restructuring. On February 5, 2024, Jihyun Oh announced 35 additional layoffs, where "all World Mission staff positions will be revised, and some will be concluded," reducing staff from 79 to 44 in new roles as Global Ecumenical Liaisons,<ref>{{cite web |url=
https://pres-outlook.org/2025/01/presbyterian-church-u-s-a-announces-major-cuts-to-mission-co-workers-amid-restructuring/|title=PC(USA) announces major cuts to mission co-workers amid restructuring|date=January 23, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://vimeo.com/1039294406|title=January 23, 2025 (Part 1) - Unification Commission Meeting, 29:39–39:02|date=December 14, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news/interim-unified-agency-pcusa-announces-shift-approach-global-ministry-engagement|title=Interim Unified Agency of the PC(USA) announces shift in approach to global ministry engagement|author=Rick Jones}}</ref> by the end of March 2025.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news/2025/3/17/world-mission-leader-addresses-questions-regarding-shift-global-ministry-approach | title=World Mission leader addresses questions regarding shift in global ministry approach}}</ref>

These layoffs were intended to "help us be more nimble in responding to the ongoing shifts in the world and in the church while continuing to foster deeper and broader relationships with faith communities worldwide," based on "forecasting with the help of actuarial consultants for five years" to prevent "a bigger crisis in the near future". PC(USA) faces a backlash over the layoffs from critics who note that the 2024 General Assembly called for retaining mission co-workers and funded their budget at 60.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pres-outlook.org/2025/02/pcusa-faces-backlash-over-mission-co-worker-layoffs/|title=PC(USA) faces backlash over mission co-worker layoffs|date=February 6, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pc-biz.org/search/3001384|title=
[GAEC-32] CR-10 On Reaffirming the Role of Mission Co-Workers in the Global Ecumenical Witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pc-biz.org/search/3001379| title=[GAEC-31] CR-08 On Maintaining the International Presence of Global Mission Personnel to Embody Our Christian Witness}}</ref> On February 7, the Rev. Mienda Uriarte, director of World Mission, explained that "the redesign aims to harmonize compensation and eliminate perceived inequity, thereby enhancing our organizational coherence and employee morale."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news/shifting-patterns-ecumenical-global-engagement|title=The shifting patterns of ecumenical global engagement}}</ref>

Previously, the General Assembly had elected the executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, as the top administrator overseeing the mission work of the PC(USA). Past Executive Director of the PMA is Ruling Elder Linda Bryant Valentine(2006–2015), and Interim RE Tony De La Rosa. Elected in 2018 is Teaching Elder Diane Givens Moffett (2018–2024).

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) is the highest Church court of the denomination. It is composed of one member elected by the General Assembly from each of its constituent synods (16). It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Synod Permanent Judicial Commission cases involving issues of Church Constitution, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission issues Authoritative Interpretations of The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) through its decisions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcusa.org/ko/node/26891 |title=Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) News |publisher=Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref>