2024 General Assembly

GENERAL ASSEMBLY – JUNE 2-6, 2024

The General Assembly will begin with worship and communion on Sunday, June 2, 2024, at 7:30 pm at Knox Presbyterian Church in Waterloo, Ontario. All other Assembly activities will be held at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.

• Sederunt 1
• Sederunt 2
• Sederunt 3
• Sederunt 4
• Sederunt 5
• Sederunt 6
• Sederunt 7
• Sederunt 8
• Sederunt 9
• Sederunt 10

The Assembly’s reports and information are posted on the Reports to General Assembly webpage.

Click images to see the complete album.

Opening Worship – Sunday, June 2

Morning Worship – Monday, June 3
Worship led by the Rev. Paul Kang

Morning Worship – Tuesday, June 4
Worship led by the Rev. Jenn Geddes

Morning Worship – Wednesday, June 5
Worship led by the Rev. Mavis Currie

Morning Worship – Thursday, June 6
Worship led by the Rev. Peter Romeek

1st Sederunt – Sunday, June 2
Election and Installation of the Rev. Dr. Pat Dutcher-Walls as the 2024 General Assembly Moderator.

2nd Sederunt – Monday, June 3

3rd Sederunt – Monday, June 3

4th Sederunt – Monday, June 3

5th Sederunt – Tuesday, June 4

6th Sederunt – Tuesday, June 4

7th Sederunt – Wednesday, June 5

7th Sederunt cont’d – Wednesday, June 5

8th Sederunt – Wednesday, June 5

9th Sederunt – Wednesday, June 5

10th Sederunt – Thursday, June 6

The Rev. Mary Fontaine, Moderator of the 2023 General Assembly

The Rev. Mary Fontaine, Moderator of the 2023 General Assembly’s report to the Assembly.

Cutting Edge of Mission Award

The Cutting Edge of Mission Award recognizes individuals and organizations involved in mission work that is innovative and fresh. Recipients are given $10,000 to honour their work and assist them in advancing it. This year’s Cutting Edge of Mission Award recognizes the work of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, which aims to equip the church at the local level to support mental health and well-being through community, connection and resources. Sanctuary’s CEO, Daniel Whitehead, accepted the award on behalf of the organization and expressed gratitude to the board, staff, supporters, and people who have served through their work.

The Rev. Dr. Eui Sig Kim, Presbyterian Church of Korea

The Rev. Dr. Eui Sig Kim brought greetings from the PCK, noting that the denomination, with its 10,000 congregations, 2.5 million members and 1,500 missionaries, is forever grateful to The Presbyterian Church in Canada for its constant and ongoing support. The Rev. Dr. Kim presented a plaque of friendship to the Moderator.

Canadian Friends of Sabeel (CFOS) presentation

Guest speaker Rula Odeh, Board Chair of Canadian Friends of Sabeel, was accompanied with music by her sister, Samia Odeh (founder and director of the Canadian Music Academy and Montreal Academy of Music). Talking about her family’s Palestinian Christian heritage, on June 5, 2024, during the 2024 General Assembly, Rula gave an account of the realities in Gaza and the West Bank currently and how to counter the dehumanization of Palestinians.

Fr. Bodhan Hladio, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

The ecumenical guest was Father Bodhan Hladio, an Orthodox priest for three decades and former Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. He is now on the faculty at Trinity College for post-graduate studies. His research focuses on the history and polity of Eastern Orthodoxy in North America.

Narratives that Shape Us – An Ecumenical Panel Discussion

The panellists, Rula Odeh, Board Director, Canadian Friends of Sabeel and guest speaker earlier on Tuesday, Dr. Allen Jorgenson, Professor of Systemic Theology, Martin Luther University College, past Moderator of the Assembly, the Rev. Mary Fontaine, Fr. Bodhan Hladio, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, and the Moderator of the 2024 General Assembly, the Rev. Dr. Pat Dutcher-Walls discussed their roots and heritage as a means to illustrate the profound impact these formative narratives have in shaping us, giving the Assembly glimpses into the complexity and diversity that underpin humanity and how these narratives can deliver hope and illustrate the intricacies of our connections.

Offering the Apology Regarding the Role of the PCC in Colonialism and Residential Schools

On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the PCC General Assembly adopted the Apology of The Presbyterian Church in Canada for its complicity in colonization and in operating residential schools. Singing and prayers were led by the Rev. Stewart Laughing Bear Folster, member of the National Indigenous Ministries Council and the Rev. Mary Fontaine, convenor of the NIMC and past PCC Moderator. Members of the Special Committee Regarding an Apology for Residential Schools and Colonization took turns reading the preamble to the Apology, after which the Moderator of the 2024 General Assembly, the Rev. Dr. Pat Dutcher-Walls, read the Apology in full.

Offering the Apology Regarding the Role of the PCC in Colonialism and Residential Schools (preamble and Apology only)

On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the PCC General Assembly adopted the Apology of The Presbyterian Church in Canada for its complicity in colonization and in operating residential schools. Members of the Special Committee Regarding an Apology for Residential Schools and Colonization took turns reading the preamble to the Apology, after which the Moderator of the 2024 General Assembly, the Rev. Dr. Pat Dutcher-Walls, read the Apology in full.

Sharing Our Gifts: The Presbyterian Church in Canada

In Ministry Together: Presbyterians Sharing 2024

Planned Giving – Time to Remember

PWS&D Impact 2023

Inquiries: Contact Terrie-Lee Hamilton if you have any questions about the Assembly at thamilton [at] presbyterian [dot] ca 416 441 1111 or 800-619-7301, ext. 225).