In 2025, the PCA’s General Assembly voted to raise the registration fee for teaching elders to $575. It was the first Assembly fee increase since 2013. During the discussion surrounding this recommendation, commissioners raised questions about how General Assembly expenses are funded and the rationale for the increase. This article aims to provide some explanation about the economics of the General Assembly and the reasons why the Administrative Committee is recommending another fee increase this year. 

History

Until 2023, teaching elders and ruling elders paid the same fee to register for General Assembly. There have always been discounts and scholarships available for those facing economic hardship. Further, in 2023, the Assembly decided to reduce the ruling elder registration fee, offset by an increase in the teaching elder fee, in order to incentivize their participation. In 2025, the Assembly approved a modest $50 increase for all full-paying commissioners.

This year, teaching elders pay $575 and ruling elders pay $350 to register for General Assembly. Commissioner registration fees are insufficient to cover the costs of the Assembly. The Assembly depends on revenues generated from exhibitors and sponsors to avoid overall losses, as seen in the table below.

 

 

Ruling Elder Participation

In 2023, the Assembly reduced the fee for ruling elders. Despite the registration fee reduction, ruling elder participation remained 21% to 32% of registrants. The data indicates that ruling elder participation is driven as much by issues as expenses. In other words, more ruling elders register when they feel important issues will be before the Assembly. There has been a small general increase in ruling elder participation since 2018. 

Yet, it is difficult to correlate that increase with any variables related to location, hotel room rates, or other financial considerations. For example, in 2013, when the General Assembly was hosted in Greenville, South Carolina, Calvary Presbytery agreed to cover the cost of any local ruling elder to attend GA. Host presbyteries typically have an increase in attending commissioners, but Calvary’s generous offer did not bump ruling elder participation higher than what other host presbyteries see.  

The causes of lower ruling elder participation cannot be definitively determined. Though it is objectively true that the absolute number of ruling elder registrations has increased in recent years, it is also the case that the ruling elder share of commissioners has remained low. 

“As a ruling elder, there’s nothing more I want to see than ruling elders participating in this court of the church,” said PCA Provisional Stated Clerk John Bise. 

Bise’s background is working with companies experiencing financial distress. After examining the AC’s financial records, especially expenses related to the Assembly, Bise believes “all data indicates the need to increase the fee is very real. Many factors contribute to the reduced involvement of ruling elders, but it doesn’t appear that the registration fee is the primary obstacle.”

Year-Long Expenses

Most people tend to think the Assembly’s expenses are limited to the on-site gathering every June. Though this represents the largest expense, it is important to remember that the Assembly works year-round, requiring staff to coordinate and support not only the current Assembly but also preparations for future years of Assembly meetings.

Also, the Assembly requires several groups, coordinated and supported by the AC, to work throughout the year :

• Committee on Constitutional Business
• Interchurch Relations Committee
• Standing Judicial Commission
• Theological Examining Committee
• Committee on the Review of Presbytery Records

These Assembly committees and commissions each require the Administrative Committee to supply staff and support for all of their activities. The “true cost” of the Assembly must account for all these groups, their activities, and the essential support they require. 

In addition, whenever the Assembly decides to form a study committee,  it incurs additional costs. Even when special funding is provided, it falls upon the staff of the Administrative Committee to support and coordinate their work. 

The commissioner registration fee went up in 2026, but it still does not cover the Assembly’s real costs or keep pace with inflation. 

Expense Management

Over the past few years, the Administrative Committee has taken steps to significantly reduce the cost of operating the Assembly. Here are a few examples:

• Enacted a digital-first approach to many GA publications, such as the committee of commissioner’s packets, the commissioner handbook, and the General Assembly minutes.
• Printed fewer reports for onsite distribution and encouraged commissioners to access documents online. 
• Implemented digital submission and distribution of all SJC records, documents, and decisions.

The Administrative Committee is also committed to helping commissioners who need financial assistance. 

“Where there is financial need, we stand ready to assist,” Bise said.

Scholarships for the General Assembly are available, as is guest housing coordinated by the local host committee. The AC is also expanding scholarship fund eligibility. Now, commissioners from churches with less than $200,000 in annual income may apply for assistance. The previous threshold was $150,000.  

Financial Sustainability

The AC is recommending that the Assembly make the teaching elder and ruling elder registration fee for 2027 the same at $650 per commissioner. Though the increase is substantial, it is in line with the increase in the consumer price index since the fee increase that took effect in 2013, as shown below. Moreover, the AC is recommending that the Assembly increase this fee annually to keep pace with inflation while still following the annual approval process 

General Assembly expenses are taken on by the Administrative Committee without any guarantee of receiving enough commissioner registrations to meet the budget. As stated in our previous article on GA site selection, General Assembly registration swings dramatically from year to year, and because contracts are made four or more years in advance, the AC must take on a risk for the General Assembly, not knowing if registration income will keep pace with rising expenses.  

Moreover, the costs of meetings, meals, technology, and travel are not static. While the AC continues to monitor expenses carefully and pursue efficiencies wherever possible, many of these costs inevitably rise over time.

For that reason, the AC must periodically make modest adjustments to the commissioner registration fee, much like a cost-of-living adjustment. Incremental increases allow the fee to keep pace with inflation rather than requiring large, sudden changes after many years without adjustment.

Such increases help ensure that the Assembly’s expenses are responsibly covered while protecting the PCA from having to absorb deficits created by rising costs or fluctuating attendance. In this way, careful stewardship today helps sustain the work of the General Assembly in the years to come. 

Andy Jones serves as the editor of byFaith