Rev. Camden Bucey (Historian of the OPC) reported. He showed a memorial video of ministers who passed away in the last year. Two new books are about to be released, Anthology of OPC History and a second edition of History for a Pilgrim People. Mr. Olinger reminded the Assembly that it is only 11 years from the 100th anniversary of the OPC. Mr. De Jong spoke on the project of a video history of the OPC prior to 2036.

The 91st General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church met from June 4–10, 2025, at Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, Illinois.

Rev. Brian L. De Jong of Grace OPC, Sheboygan, WI, was elected as moderator.

When the Assembly tested their voting devices they answered statistical questions with the following results:

• 34 commissioners are attending the General Assembly for the first time;
• 21 commissioners were raised in the OPC;
• 32 commissioners were ordained in the 2020s;
• 35 in the 2010s;
• 29 in the 2000s;
• 22 in the 1990s;
• 13 in the 1980s;
• 5 in the 1970s;
• and 3 in the 1960s.

The statistics for the OPC for 2024 indicated that the number of local churches declined by five to 300. Unorganized mission works increased by five to 41. Total membership grew by 179 persons (0.54 percent) to 33,566 members. Morning worship attendance increased by 695 persons (2.70 percent) to 26,441 in November. Total offerings of $85.7 million represented an increase of 4.24 percent from 2023. The church received 20 new ministers in 2024. Ther were 703 members received by professions of faith, 1,147 new members by reaffirmation of faith, and 780 covenant children by baptism.

The Committee on Foreign Missions Report: (1) Rev. Heero E. C. Hacquebord, missionary to Ukraine, spoke of his ongoing ministry in Ukraine and the struggles due to the war in that nation. He reported that Sunday services continue at area churches, despite ongoing attacks. In L’viv, where the Hacquebords reside, life is relatively normal. He asked for continued prayers for peace and an end to the war and for Christians serving and living in hostile areas. (2) The Committee reported that over the last year two missionaries have come off the field and two other missionaries have gone to the field.

Rev. Eric Hausler (Christ the King OPC, Naples, FL) reported on the Special Committee on Criminal History and Officer Qualifications. He reminded the assembly of the statement adopted by the 90th General Assembly that leaves final jurisdiction on the ordaining of officers to the local session. The Committee was dissolved with thanks.

The report of the Committee on Christian Education (CCE). Elder John Dunahoo, Interim Executive Director of Great Commissions Publications, shared a video about the 50th Anniversary of Great Commissions Publications, a joint venture of the OPC and PCA.

Dr. David M. Van Drunen (WTS, California) addressed the Assembly regarding the CCE’s work on the Modern English Study Version (MESV) of the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of the OPC, including appendices containing all changes between the constitutional text and modern English Study Version text. The MESV will be posted on opc.org following the Assembly.

The Assembly adopted two recommendations that (1) the General Assembly direct the stated clerk to send the MESV to each Church/Federation with which the OPC has relationships and to the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) and NAPARC, for their information, comments, or advice; and that (2) the committee prepare a printed version of the MESV to be made available to all ministers and sessions of the OPC who request a copy.

The Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension (CHMCE). This is the oldest standing committee of the OPC which was established at the first General Assembly on June 12, 1936. At the end of 2024, the denomination had 305 established congregations and 36 mission works. In 2022, 9% of congregations were mission works; in 2023, 10.6% congregations were mission works; in 2024, 12% of congregations were mission works. In 2024 the committee supported six new mission works, twenty-four continuing mission works, twelve regional home missionaries, two church planting interns, and five special evangelistic projects.

The Committee on Coordination focuses on recommending to the Assembly a combined budget for the three Worldwide Outreach Committees of Christian Education, Foreign Missions, and Home Missions and Church Extension. The Assembly approved the committee’s proposed budget for Worldwide Outreach of $5,789,000. The Assembly adopted the Advisory Committee’s recommendation that the Assembly instruct the Committee on Coordination to allocate any 2025 Thank Offering receipts in excess of $1.6 million to the Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension.

The report of the Committee on Diaconal Ministries (CDM): Elder David Nakhla (Calvary OPC, Glenside, PA) serves as the Administrator of the CDM. The CDM receives designated giving for Refugee Ministry, The Persecuted Church, Medical Missions, and Special Relief—USA. Mr. Nakhla also reported that the National Diaconal Summit will be June 4-6, 2026, and urged the commissioners to encourage their local deacons to attend. Funds for Hurricane Helene relief reached $182,000 and funds for Hurricane Milton relief reached $166,606.

The report of the Committee on Ministerial Care (CMC): The committee seeks to support the ministers of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church as they strive to be faithful to their calling. Financial planners volunteer their time to meet with ministers. The OPC Pension plan had 407 participants at the end of 2024 which represents 67% of eligible pastors. The David E. Haney Memorial Fund continues to give sabbatical grants and retreat grants to ministers. Mrs. Anneke Fesko continues to serve as Care Coordinator for Ministers’ Wives.

The Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations (CEIR): The OPC has ecclesiastical relationships with forty-eight other Presbyterian and Reformed churches. There are three different levels of relationship. Full relationship is Ecclesiastical Fellowship; Corresponding Relations is a getting to know one another stage; and . Ecumenical Contact is establishing initial relationships with other churches. The OPC is also a member of NAPARC and ICRC.

The Assembly adopted the following recommendations: (1) That the 91st (2025) General Assembly invite the Presbyterian Free Church—Central India (PFC-CI) into a relationship of Corresponding Relations. (2) That the Assembly invite the Reformed Churches of Brazil (RCB) into a relationship of Corresponding Relations. (3) That the Assembly clarify its understanding that the OPC’s ecclesiastical relationship with the Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (CRCN) is more accurately reflected in a relationship of Corresponding Relations and requests the CEIR to adjust its Schedule of Current Ecclesiastical Relationships accordingly. (4) That the Assembly support the application of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Peru (EPCP) for membership in the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) and agree to serve as one of the two required Member Churches in sponsoring that application.

Rev. Camden Bucey (Historian of the OPC) reported. He showed a memorial video of ministers who passed away in the last year. Two new books are about to be released, Anthology of OPC History and a second edition of History for a Pilgrim People. Mr. Olinger reminded the Assembly that it is only 11 years from the 100th anniversary of the OPC. Mr. De Jong spoke on the project of a video history of the OPC prior to 2036. This video project will be broken up in short episodes that can be used in Sunday school class and small group studies. The committee played a video sharing an overview of this project and providing a preview of one of the episodes.

The Committee on Appeals and Complaints: There were four judicial appeals and three complaints on appeal presented to this Assembly.

Complaint 1 involved a session appealing the judgment of the presbytery in sustaining the complaint of members of a congregation regarding actions involving one of the pastors of the congregation. Complaint 1 was sustained.

The Assembly allowed Complaints 2 and 3 to be withdrawn by the complainant. They were against the actions of a session relating to their interpretation of Genesis 1:28.

Appeal 1 was considered. This appeal is from a Ruling Elder against a session. The session found the Elder guilty of “failing to follow the Biblical process of resolving conflict in violation of the instruction of our Lord regarding Matthew 18:15” and “causing dissension within the body of Christ.” Appeal 1 was sustained with all specifications of error.

Appeal 2. This involved an appeal from a member who is appealing the ruling of a presbytery in pronouncing the censure of excommunication. The appeal was not sustained.

Appeals 3 and 4. Appeal 3 was an appeal from a Ruling Elder regarding the judgment of a Presbytery in the case of the judgement of a session to request the session to reconsider its level of censure rather than to reduce the level of censure to rebuke. Appeal 4 is tied to Appeal 3. The Assembly ruled that no specifications of error were sustained so Appeal 4 was not sustained, which upheld the judgment of the lower court. This rendered Appeal 3 moot.

Overture 1 came from the Presbytery of the Midwest asking the assembly to erect a Special Committee to review the Form of Government (FG) and the Book of Discipline (BD) and report to the 93rd General Assembly (2027) any recommendations for amending The Book of Church Order (BCO). Overture 1 was granted and a committee was elected.

Recommendation 5 from the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations was referred to the newly elected committee: That the Assembly erect a Special Committee to Study the Power of a Presbytery to Dissolve Congregations… to consider whether the powers of the presbytery enumerated in Form of Government XIV.5 should be expanded to include situations in which a presbytery concludes that the dissolution of a particular congregation might be in the best spiritual interests of the members thereof, even when the people have not requested such and/or the session involved has not advised such, and to bring recommendations regarding such to a future General Assembly.

Advisory Committee 2 was a request from the Presbytery of the Southeast seeking advice regarding an exception to the educational requirements for licensure and the eventual ordination of Elder Ben Stahl (Doraville, GA). The Assembly adopted the following: That the Assembly advise the Presbytery of the Southeast that it has no objections to the presbytery’s licensing Mr. Stahl without his having completed a course of study of at least a year and a half at a theological seminary, and that the Assembly further advise the presbytery that seeking advice regarding possible exception to seminary education requirements for ordination would best come following Mr. Stahl’s licensure and probation as a licentiate.

The Committee on Chaplains and Military Personnel: 1) That the General Assembly approve the URCNA’s application for full membership in the Presbyterian and Reformed Commission on Chaplains (PRCC). 2) That the 2025 General Assembly maintain its previous level of contribution of $1,500 per OPC chaplain equating to a total 2026 budget assessment of $19,700.

The 2026 (92nd) General Assembly will be held at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA, from June 3-9, 2026.

Rev. Todd Smith, Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Coeur d’Alene, ID.