The first full day of the 2026 General Assembly began with morning worship, led by the Rev. Susan Brasier of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul in Montreal. Liturgists formed striking tableaus to depict passages from Acts 16: 6-15. Following a land acknowledgment, the Moderator, the Rev. Lara Scholey, declared the 151st General Assembly open, reminding those attending to use the opportunity while gathered to see the small mustard seed grow into a tree, as people seek and make connections.
A highlight of the day was the Cutting Edge of Mission (CEM) Award, which this year recognized the work and ministry of UpperLVL, a vibrant, spirit-led mission hosted within LevelTwo Nightclub in growing downtown Nanaimo, BC. While UpperLVL’s DJ presentation could not be live-streamed due to copyright restrictions, that did not stop some commissioners from taking to the floor, inspired by the beat. Receiving the award, DJ Austin Penner noted that addiction and the loss of his job during COVID-19 led him to a personal “crash”. Yet, Christ broke through, after which came conversion and a call. For Austin, God spoke first and will speak last. Austin expressed gratitude for the $10,000 award, saying, “This support from the PCC puts incredible wind in our tired team’s sails. So thank you.”
Today’s ecumenical guest, Jim Bear Jacobs, Program Director of Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, shared his experiences of neighbours coming together recently to counter ICE agents during state-sanctioned violence against the people of Minneapolis. Drawing a straight line to the Papal Bulls of the 15th Century that have given the world the Doctrine of Discovery, he sketched out how some lives are valued, and others are decreed disposable. As an Indigenous person, he spoke about an Indigenous-led Civil & Human Rights Rally in Minneapolis where 4,000 red ribbons were tied to the fence outside the ICE detention centre, one for each of the people held inside. Many of those ribbons remain tied to the fence–a visible reminder that Indigenous people are present and watching, knowing that “Operation Metro Surge” had little to do with undocumented people and more to do with disposable people – those who would not support the government. Jim Bear ended his talk by quoting the Catholic theologian and Jesuit priest Fr. James Keenan: that sin is not just when we are weak and struggling, but the greater sin is when we are strong and can’t be bothered.
The Moderator of the 150th General Assembly, the Rev. Jeffrey Murray, gave his final “Moderator Monday” reflection in person after a year of these reflections on social media. He spoke of his visit to Palestine and Israel, the power disparity between the two, and the narratives that seek to obscure and escalate violence against Palestinians. He found hope while visiting organizations where Christians, Muslims, and Jews worked together to stand against the violence and hatred seeking to divide them. Jeff also spoke about visiting Thunder Bay and noted the resonance between the two trips as he read the Apology of 2024 and listened to survivors of residential schools speak of the dehumanization of lives backed by white supremacy. This year, Jeff was encouraged and moved when he visited the Indigenous ministries supported by the PCC. He described them as “spaces of love and acceptance, places of healing and of strong faith amid pain and struggles.” Jeff then spoke about how the Clerks of Assembly recently received a reaffirmation of faith from the Presbytery of Eastern Han-Ca, to honour the foundation of faith and to express their desire that ministries of different cultures and backgrounds can continue to live and worship together, given liberty of conscience. During these anxious and uncertain times, we continue to bear witness to God’s unceasing love. Finally, Jeff expressed gratitude for the opportunity to “come and see” more of this Presbyterian Church of ours by visiting Presbyteries, congregations, and theological colleges – each bearing witness to God’s love in the world.
Other presentations included a report by the Rev. Dr. Pablo Kim of the PCC’s Intercultural Office on “belonging and becoming”, of co-creating something new together. Two years into a five-year pilot project, the Intercultural Office team is working to cultivate a seedbed and think about how a church this size, like a seedbed, grows in stages, each leading to the next. “Belonging without becoming,” he said, “is inclusion without transformation. Becoming without belonging is change without relational depth. We need both belonging and becoming – that is the whole of it. From Genesis to Revelation, we are invited to become God’s vision, together.” Carol Stymiest, President of the Atlantic Mission Society (AMS) presented the report on the work of the six presbyterials and 32 auxiliaries, noting that members of the AMS serve on national committees, including the Assembly Council, and that the AMS gives out four bursaries of $1200 to anyone across Canada planning on going into ministry. Despite the challenges of declining enrolment and increasing age, members continue to have a passion for mission, learning and gathering in fellowship. Janet Brewer, the president of the Women’s Missionary Society (WMS), presented their report, noting that despite declining membership, the goal remains to gather people together, encourage one another, pray, study and serve.