On October 19, a group of 14 — pilgrims, really — from the Synod of Lakes and Prairies arrived at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As part of their civil rights journey through Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, they came to walk the grounds where history holds its breath, to witness a Presbyterian institution that bears the weight of the past with the dignity of the present and the promise of the future. Read more »
November 12, 2024
A Presbyterian heritage of courage and faith
On October 19, a group of 14 — pilgrims, really — from the Synod of Lakes and Prairies arrived at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As part of their civil rights journey through Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, they came to walk the grounds where history holds its breath, to witness a Presbyterian institution that bears the weight of the past with the dignity of the present and the promise of the future. Read more »
Talking about money, and even more directly, asking for money as part of church stewardship, can make people uncomfortable — including church pastors and leaders. 
During the episode of “Leading Theologically” that dropped Monday, the host, the Rev. Bill Davis, engaged not one but two seminary presidents — the Rev. Dr. José R. Irizarry, president of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and the Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, president of Columbia Theological Seminary. Their 35-minute conversation is here. 
“Your neighborhood is full of people who will likely never come to your church” reads the call to action inviting leaders to a “missional entrepreneurship immersion” event in Sterling, Virginia from Jan. 29-31, 2025. 
The Rev. Dr. Margaret Kibben, a PC(USA) pastor and retired rear admiral who’s been serving nearly four years as Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, prayed in the House Chamber Friday for the nation’s nearly 18 million veterans. Watch her prayer here courtesy of C-SPAN. 
Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tells the story of her grandfather, John Wesley Rice, in the second decade of the 20th century, coming from rural Greene County, Alabama, to an educational institution in the former state capital, Tuscaloosa. 
As a Synod executive based in Texas and now Florida, Valerie Young is exceedingly familiar with Hurricanes. The striking thing about the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is the breadth of the area severely impacted by the storms. 
Memphis, Tennessee’s history with the Civil Rights Movement and current concerns around rights and relationships with Indigenous people ground pre-event offerings for the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE)’s 2025 annual gathering to be held in Memphis and online from Jan. 29–Feb. 1. Attendees will have an opportunity to arrive early to the historic Peabody Hotel and sign up in advance for tours of the National Civil Rights Museum; the Lynching Sites Project; its gospel, soul and R&B scene; and an “interactive learning experience that teaches the Indigenous rights history rarely mentioned in American history.” 
As the plaintive strains of “Be Still, My Soul” filled the Presbyterian Center, worshipers gathered for prayer, both online and in the chapel, on the morning following the national election. 
The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance solidarity visit following Hurricanes Milton and Helene concluded last week with a day in Holston Presbytery in Tennessee, where resilience, innovation and togetherness were on display just as they were throughout the 10-day visit.