General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Encyclopedia
Presbyterian Church in Ireland
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland , is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Ireland, and the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland...
, and is thus the Church's governing body. The General Assembly normally meets annually, during the first full week in June.
In common with other presbyterian churches, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is governed by courts of elders. That is to say, it is governed by presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
. At the bottom of the hierarchy of courts is the Kirk Session, the court of the individual local churches; representatives of several Kirk Sessions form the Presbytery, the local area court. As in many other presbyterian churches the Synod, or regional level, is now left out. A Synod had authority over a group of presbyteries. At the level of the island of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the General Assembly stands at the top of this structure.
Every minister is a member, and every congregation sends one lay elder. Women's and youth organisations, deaconesses and sister churches are also entitled to send delegates, giving a total membership of around 1,300.
The sitting Assembly first installs a new Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the most senior office-bearer within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, which is Northern Ireland's largest Protestant denomination....
, who acts as a presiding officer for the rest of the session. After the Assembly rises at the end of the week, the Moderator spends much of the rest of the year as its ambassador.