Guide to General Assembly

The General Assembly is the Church's supreme legislative, administrative and judicial authority, and like all other subordinate church bodies and congregations, is governed by the church constitution. The P & P Manual is the constitution and government of the Church; every court, congregation and member of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa is governed and protected by it.

The senior figure of the General Assembly is the Moderator. This is an elected post and changes every three year. The Assembly consists of: two third of all active ministers, a third of retired ministers in each presbytery, all paired by a representative elder from presbytery. Commitees and heads of deaprtments are invited to sit and deliberate. In a similar way, delegates from sister churches are invited to listen but they have no vote.

The General Assembly normally meets at PCEA St. Andrews Church hall in Nairobi. normally in the first quarter of the year, beginning with a divine service on Tuesday Morning and drawing to a conclusion on Saturday afternoon. On the first day of the Assembly, members join with invited guests and members of the public to install their new Moderator who chairs the week's proceedings and represents the Church throughout the next three years. After formal proposing and seconding, the Moderator Designate is officially appointed to the chair.

The business sessions of the Assembly begin on Tuesday morning and for the next four days approximately 500 delegates and commisioners hear reports and debate resolutions presented to it by the pricipals clerks, commitees and Commissions of the Church. These include financial and administrative reports as well as reports from the church wide ministries and mission directed by the Assembly. 

With the exception of a brief private session, where judicial matters are dealt with, the Assembly is open to everyone. Only commisioners, however, can take part in debates or vote.