The Encouragement of Presence

A Letter from Doug Tilton, mission co-worker serving in Southern Africa

Fall 2024

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Dear friends,

“Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” – 1 Thess. 5:11

It was a great joy to have an opportunity to spend the second quarter of this year itinerating in the USA, visiting congregations, sharing how I have seen God at work through our partners in Southern Africa, and witnessing the multitude of ways that PC(USA) churches are modeling Christ’s justice, peace and compassion in varied situations. After a hiatus of nearly five years—thanks both to a global pandemic and a longer-than-anticipated stint as Africa area interim co-coordinator for World Mission—I had almost forgotten how valuable and encouraging it can be to interact with congregations and to learn about their ministries.

Preaching on Pentecost at Calvin Presbyterian Church, Zelienople, PA

I was grateful for the many invitations I received. It was lovely to rekindle friendships in congregations that I have been visiting for decades, and it was equally exciting to form relationships in churches that I was visiting for the first time. For me, being invited to preach for the first time (on Pentecost, no less!) in the church my father pastored when I was growing up was a particular highlight. So, too, was the opportunity to share the pulpit with a pastor in Charlotte, NC, to reflect together on the challenges of building relationships across cultures, particularly in the context of seeking justice for people of varied sexualities and gender identities. I rejoiced in the spirit of inclusion and welcome apparent in so many of the congregations that I visited.

In my role as regional liaison, I see frequently how much our partners derive profound encouragement from having other members of Christ’s family visit and recognize the good work that they are doing. As I travelled in the USA, my experiences reinforced my appreciation of the importance of the “ministry of presence” that comes from simply being together.

 At the conclusion of my period of interpretation, I was honored to be able take part in the 226^th General Assembly as one of eight Mission Advisory Delegates—the last class of MADs, as it transpired. It was a great blessing to be a part of this Presbyterian “family reunion” and to interact with colleagues, friends and global partners in both formal and informal settings, to worship together, to pay tribute to former Stated Clerk, the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson III, and to witness the election and installation of our new Stated Clerk, the Rev. Jihyun Oh. Co-Moderators Revs. CeCe Armstrong and Tony Larson led the proceedings with wisdom, compassion and good humor.

 During the virtual committee sessions that preceded the in-person plenaries in Salt Lake City, Utah, I served on the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relationships Committee (ECU).

Mission Advisory Delegates with the Co-Moderators of the 226th General Assembly

Two actions consumed the bulk of the committee’s time. One sought to define a more flexible process to permit PC(USA) mid-councils to forge relationships with worshiping communities within their bounds, particularly those linked to global partners whose polity may differ from the PC(USA)’s. The second authorized a new and more sensitively worded study document denouncing anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, building on the one adopted by the 225^th General Assembly.

Seventy-six actions that elicited overwhelming consensus in committees were placed on the consent agenda for General Assembly approval. One of these, entitled “On Maintaining the International Presence of Global Mission Personnel to Embody Our Christian Witness,” emerged from the General Assembly Entity Coordination Committee in response to two similar Commissioners’ Resolutions. In approving the action, the General Assembly:

• Affirmed the vital global partnership that mission co-workers and area coordinators provide in strategic international postings.
• Strongly encouraged the Unification Commission to preserve the critical placement of mission-coworkers and PC(USA) leaders “on the ground” in ecumenical, interfaith, and civil society contexts globally, understanding the unity of evangelism, justice, peacebuilding, and sustainability in the witness we have built over years of dedicated effort.
• Strongly encouraged the Funding Model Development Team to create funding modes that prioritize the historic Presbyterian commitment to international missions.

At the same time, the General Assembly approved changes to its Standing Rules that eliminate Mission Advisory Delegates and create a new category of Partner Advisory Delegates consisting of the existing 15 Ecumenical Advisory Delegates plus five new Advisory Delegates from non-ecclesial partners. A motion to restore MADs was defeated on the floor of the Assembly, as it had been in committee.

The most compelling argument for the change was that mission personnel are the only members of staff who are invited to share their opinions with the Assembly through their advisory votes. When a commissioner asked what alternative role mission personnel might play at General Assemblies, the response was that, like other staff members, they could be invited to be resource people for specific items of business (and would thus be restricted to providing factual information about such business). Given the wealth of experience and insight that all PC(USA) staff members can share, I hope that future General Assemblies will  seek to identify equitable and appropriate ways to tap their knowledge—including that of mission co-workers (provided that the PC(USA) continues to discern a role for long-term mission personnel).

Grace and peace,

Doug Tilton