The Presbyterian Mission Agency board meeting started Friday morning with a short worship service that took participants back to 1619. But for her talk, “A Conversation on Racism and Matthew 25,” the Rev. Denise Anderson brought up some slightly more recent history — 2016. Read more »
September 27, 2019
Mission Agency board tackles tough discussion of race and Matthew 25
The Presbyterian Mission Agency board meeting started Friday morning with a short worship service that took participants back to 1619. But for her talk, “A Conversation on Racism and Matthew 25,” the Rev. Denise Anderson brought up some slightly more recent history — 2016. Read more »
According to the U.S. Department of State, the Trump administration plans to set the fiscal year 2020 refugee admissions goal at 18,000, a record low that effectively dismantles the U.S. resettlement program established nearly 40 years ago. Today’s presidential executive order also permits state and local officials to block refugee resettlement in their communities. 
When the Rev. Dr. Jason Brian Santos became the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s coordinator for Christian Formation a few of years ago, he never dreamed he’d be hosting a conference on the theology of play and tabletop (board) games. 
The members of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) heard the criticism: While they were making financial decisions about companies that were having a negative impact on the communities around them, the committee members were not engaging with those impacted communities. 
Two members of a special committee appointed to explore the financial sustainability and per capita funding of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) met via video conference with the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board Thursday, asking board members and staff questions ranging from agency cooperation to Friday’s significant board vote on the future of the Stony Point Center, the site for the board meeting. 
The Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary invites registrations for two upcoming courses in its Older Adult Ministry (OAM) course of study in the winter and spring of 2020. 
The Many, a musical group passionate about creating music for people to sing together about peace and justice and a world where all belong, will perform at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, Oct. 14-15. 
Following two days of meetings by the Native American Consulting Committee at the Presbyterian Center, today the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) celebrated Native American Day with a special worship service. 
Presbyterians have always supported public education. Jesus calls us to love God with “heart, soul and mind.” Our Reformed tradition affirms education as one way we develop our mind and one way we love God. The PC(USA)’s most recent policy statement on public education stands in that tradition and recognizes “that quality public schools are essential to our society’s efforts to overcome poverty and address social inequality.” The policy statement states that “quality public schools offer a holistic education, one that equips our children to live both meaningful and productive lives. A quality public school … is a place where they learn to think critically and become effective citizens, where they gain an appreciation for the sweep of human history and for the arts. Public schools are one place where children and young people can learn about their own bodies, how to be healthy and stay fit.” The study acknowledges the role of private and charter schools while affirming that quality public schools impact most of our children. Loving our neighbor means loving our neighbors’ children and supporting the public schools, even if we do not have children attending those schools. 
Overweight but active. Satisfied with their present call but somewhat exhausted, in part because of the long hours the work often entails. Concerned with their congregation’s finances and even its survival, but not too worried about denomination-wide conflict.