GA25 Summary of Decisions & News

General Assembly 2025 was held Mon 20 October - Thurs 23 October 2025 at St Paul’s Trinity Pacific Church, Christchurch.

See Daily Summary pages

Daily Business video Monday 20 Oct:

Download or watch video of Business session 1, video 1: Includes Procedural Motions; Te Aka Puaho name change to Te Aka Puahou; Very Rev Rose Luxford Retiring Moderator’s address (watch from 49.08)

Daily Business video Tuesday 21 Oct:

Download or watch video Business session 2, video 1: Includes report by Council of Assembly and discussion and recommendations on redress, and PressGo Review.
Download or watch video Business session 2, video 2: Includes Dialogue on Sexuality, Biblical Morality & Leadership report; Mission Enterprise Fund Review including agreement that the Fund be wound up; raft of changes to Book of Order regulations agreed; Introduction to Dialogue Group 2; Moderator Testimonies; Dialogue Group 1 Feedback.
Download or watch video Business session 2, video 3: Includes report by Te Kāhui Whanaungatana Workgroup and agreement that whanaungatanga be put into practice across the Church for shaping strategic direction; GA Review including carried that Book of Order Advisory Committee be asked to draft regulations enabling the possibility of hybrid Assemblies.

Daily Business video Wednesday 22 Oct:

Download and watch video Business session 3, video 1: Includes dialogue groups
Download and watch video Business sessions 3, video 2: Includes GA Review including carried that General Assembly is made freely available for viewing via livestream from 2027 onwards; presentation of the Moderator designate.
Download and watch video Business session 3, video 3: Includes ratification of Assembly Executive Secretary; Book of Order Advisory Committee.
Download and watch video Business session 3, video 4: Includes address by new AES; acknowledgement of current AES; Book of Order Advisory Committee; Quorum for presbytery gatherings; Doctrine Core Group.
Download and watch video Business session 3, video 5: Includes Resource Sub-committee; Nominating Committee including agreement that the Council of Assembly undertake a review of the Assembly nomination processes; Presbyterian Women successor, carried that a task group be established to facilitate the formation of a successor organisation to Presbyterian Women Aotearoa New Zealand.

Daily Business video Thursday 23 Oct:

Download and watch video Business session 4, video 1: Includes General Assembly Review; Leadership Sub-committee includes agreement that Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership be given responsibility for the training and the period of probation of a candidate for local ordained ministry.
Download and watch video Business session 4, video 2: Includes Leadership Sub-committee including carried that local ordained ministry candidates be assessed using the national assessment selection process; carried that remaining business be moved to the COA.

Tuesday 21 October 2025 our new Moderator Right Rev Peter Dunn was in the Otago Daily Times - see the story here.
Wednesday 21 October 2025 our new Moderator Right Rev Peter Dunn was featured in The Ensign newspaper - see the story here.
Friday 23 October our Moderator Right Rev Peter Dunn was interviewed in the Southland Express newspaper, "Church moderator role a big honour" - see the story online here and on the Otago Daily Times website.
Saturday 25 October, our new Moderator Rt Rev Peter Dunn was interviewed in The Press Christchurch, The Southland Times, and The Waikato Times, "Presbyterian church’s new NZ leader advocates time in ‘the thin places".
Our Moderator has also been covered in Anglican Life and CWM News.
31 October 2025, our new Moderator Right Rev Peter Dunn was in the Oamaru Mail - see the story here.