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The 92nd General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church is meeting from June 3–9, 2026, at Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. This running daily report will be written by ruling elder Daniel R. Cooke and edited by Linda Foh. Questions or comments may be addressed to Hank Belfield, stated clerk.
The Ninety-Second General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church convened at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening, June 3, on the beautiful campus of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Commissioners, fraternal delegates, and visitors gathered from across the denomination to begin a week of worship, fellowship, and deliberation under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
The Assembly opened not with parliamentary procedure, but with worship. Under the oversight of the Session of Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, commissioners gathered around Word and Sacrament, setting a distinctly Christ-honoring tone for the days ahead. The hospitality of Geneva College and its staff was evident from the outset, and commissioners enjoyed a warm welcome and excellent accommodations as they arrived throughout the day.
The opening worship service was led by the Rev. Brian L. De Jong, moderator of the Ninety-First General Assembly. Drawing from Luke 17:7–10 and Isaiah 66:1–2, Mr. De Jong preached a sermon entitled “Mere Servants.” His message reminded commissioners that Christ’s church is not advanced through personal ambition, ecclesiastical prestige, or confidence in human wisdom, but through humble obedience to the King who calls his servants to faithful labor. The Lord looks not to the impressive or self-assured, but to the one who is “poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isa. 66:2).
That emphasis on humility, gratitude, and dependence upon Christ provided a fitting beginning for the Assembly’s work. General Assembly commissioners bear significant responsibilities in overseeing the ministries of the church, considering reports, addressing overtures, and exercising the broader assemblies of Christ’s government. Yet the opening sermon served as a timely reminder that every commissioner comes not as a master, but as a servant of Christ and His church.
Following the worship service and celebration of the Lord’s Supper, the Assembly was formally constituted at 8:45 p.m., the roll was called, a quorum established, and corresponding members and fraternal delegates were seated according to the church’s standing rules. The Assembly then proceeded with several organizational matters that help prepare the church’s highest judicatory for the work that lies ahead.
One of the evening’s most significant actions was the election of Rev. Everett A. Henes (Hillsdale, MI) of the Presbytery of Michigan and Ontario as moderator of the Ninety-Second General Assembly. As moderator, Mr. Henes will preside over the Assembly’s deliberations, helping to guide the proceedings with fairness, efficiency, and Christian charity.
The Assembly also received overtures, communications, complaints, and appeals; established its schedule for the coming week; adopted the docket; assigned matters to advisory committees; and elected advisory and temporary committees. Much of the Assembly’s detailed work takes place first in these committees, where reports and recommendations are carefully studied before being brought before the full Assembly for debate and action. This process allows commissioners to examine matters thoroughly and helps facilitate informed discussion when recommendations come before the entire body.
Several encouraging statistics highlighted the composition of this year’s Assembly. Twenty-seven commissioners are attending General Assembly for the first time, a reminder of the Lord’s continuing provision of new leaders for His church. Thirty commissioners grew up in Orthodox Presbyterian congregations, while 106 entered the denomination from other church backgrounds. Twenty-eight commissioners attended the last General Assembly held at Geneva College. Particularly noteworthy was the presence of one commissioner, the Rev. Stephen L. Phillips (retired), who was ordained to office in the 1960s, a testimony to decades of faithful service in Christ’s church.
As the Assembly began its work, commissioners were mindful that church government is ultimately a spiritual task. The week ahead will include reports from denominational committees and agencies, consideration of overtures from the presbyteries, judicial matters, and opportunities for fellowship and mutual encouragement. Yet the first evening established the central truth that must govern every discussion and decision: Christ alone is the Head of the Church, and His servants are called simply to be faithful.
The Assembly recessed at 9:35 p.m. and will reconvene Thursday morning, June 4, as commissioners begin the substantive work assigned to the advisory committees and continue the business of the church. Please pray that the Lord would grant wisdom, humility, unity, and faithfulness to all who serve during the week ahead.
The Ninety-Second General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church gathered Thursday morning, June 4, for the first full day of deliberations on the campus of Geneva College. Following Wednesday evening’s opening worship service and the formal organization of the Assembly, Thursday’s docket turned toward the substantial work of receiving reports, assigning matters to advisory committees, and preparing recommendations that will come before the full Assembly.
One encouraging feature of the Assembly’s rhythm is the way worship remains woven throughout the week. Following recesses, commissioners reconvene by singing a hymn or psalm together before returning to the docket. It is a simple practice, but one that reminds all present that the General Assembly is more than a deliberative body. It is the gathered church of Jesus Christ seeking to conduct its work under the authority of God’s Word and in dependence upon his grace.
Much of Thursday morning and early afternoon’s work took place in advisory committees. Advisory committees are temporary committees of commissioners assigned to review the reports, recommendations, overtures, appeals, complaints, and other matters placed before the Assembly. They do not act in place of the Assembly; rather, they examine the material in detail, hear from presenters, ask questions, consider possible amendments, and then bring advice back to the full Assembly when it resumes general session. The final decisions remain with the commissioners meeting together in General Assembly.
This committee process allows the Assembly to handle a large volume of business with both efficiency and deliberation. Instead of every report being examined first in full detail on the floor, advisory committees provide careful preliminary review. Their work helps clarify issues, refine recommendations, and prepare the Assembly for orderly debate and action.
Each advisory committee is assigned a particular portion of the Assembly’s business. Some committees review the reports of the church’s standing committees, such as Christian education, foreign missions, home missions, diaconal ministries, ministerial care, and coordination. Others examine overtures from presbyteries, matters of appeals and complaints, proposed changes to the Form of Government or Standing Rules, or the review of presbytery records. In advisory committees, commissioners may ask questions that would be too detailed or time-consuming for the full floor, and presenters are often able to explain the background and purpose of their recommendations more fully.
The work is deliberately Presbyterian. Matters are not simply presented and approved. They are tested by brothers from across the church. Ministers and ruling elders from various presbyteries labor together, ask questions, propose amendments, and seek language that will serve the church well. When the advisory committees later report back to the whole Assembly, starting Thursday afternoon, the Assembly receives not merely raw recommendations but counsel that has already been examined in smaller settings.
This structure also helps newer commissioners learn the work of the broader church. First-time attendees are able to sit with more experienced commissioners, observe the handling of reports and recommendations, and participate in the process by which the Assembly prepares to deliberate and act. In this way, the advisory committee system serves both the efficiency of the Assembly and the continuing formation of commissioners in the courts of the church.
Before breaking for the midday meal, the Assembly gathered once again around the Word of God for the daily devotional service. Rev. Stephen A. Migotsky (retired) of the Presbytery of New York and New England led commissioners in a time of Scripture, prayer, and reflection on Matthew 4:1-11. These daily devotional services, held each full day of business throughout the Assembly, provide a welcome opportunity to pause from deliberations and refocus hearts upon Christ and His kingdom. During reports, recommendations, and parliamentary procedure, commissioners are reminded that the church’s work must always remain grounded in the ministry of the Word and dependent upon the grace of God.
Following lunch, the advisory committees resumed their work and continued meeting throughout the early afternoon. Commissioners spent these additional hours reviewing reports, discussing recommendations, and preparing advice for the full Assembly’s consideration. Advisory committee meetings concluded at approximately 3:35 p.m., at which time the Assembly reconvened in general session and began its substantive floor business.
Once reconvened, the Assembly will begin receiving reports from the church’s officers, agencies, and standing committees. Over the coming days commissioners will hear reports from the stated clerk, trustees, statistician, and the denomination’s various standing committees, including Home Missions and Church Extension, Foreign Missions, Christian Education, Coordination, Diaconal Ministries, Ministerial Care, Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations, Appeals and Complaints, Chaplains and Military Personnel, and others. These reports provide the Assembly with a broad view of the ministry of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church both at home and abroad.
For many, this portion of General Assembly offers one of the clearest windows into the life of the denomination. While local congregations naturally focus on the worship and ministry of their own churches, the Assembly allows commissioners to see how the Lord is blessing and advancing the church through missions, church planting, Christian education, mercy ministry, military chaplaincy, and international outreach. The reports are therefore more than administrative reviews. They are opportunities to reflect upon God’s faithfulness, assess the church’s stewardship, and consider how best to strengthen these ministries in the years ahead.
A bit of OPC history may help place this week’s gathering in context. Geneva College has been a familiar host for the General Assembly over the years. In 1997, the Sixty-Fourth General Assembly also met here in Beaver Falls, opening with worship and a sermon from Philippians 3:1–21 entitled “Our Citizenship in Heaven.” The setting has changed in many ways since then, but the essential work remains the same: commissioners gather to worship, deliberate, and seek the peace, purity, and unity of Christ’s church.
This report was written by Ruling Elder Daniel R. Cooke, All Saints Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Suffolk, VA.
© 2026 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
