The office of the Moderator of the General Assembly was the highest elected position in the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA). The Moderator was responsible for presiding over the meeting of the General Assembly, which was held annually between 1789 and 1956. After the meeting, which lasted for about a week, the Moderator served as an ambassador of the denomination throughout the remainder of the term. After completing the term, most former Moderators took on the role of a church statesman.