Many of us have heard that the United States’ form of government was influenced by the practices and beliefs of Presbyterians who crossed the ocean to find religious freedom. Even today, our local municipal meetings and sessions of Congress mirror what takes place in church meeting rooms as elected ruling elders lead each congregation. However, we may not always know how traditional Reformed theology has influenced the beliefs that are the bedrock of the Constitution. Read more »
July 20, 2018
A Presbyterian understanding of the 1st and 14th amendments: freedom of religion and equal protection under the law
Many of us have heard that the United States’ form of government was influenced by the practices and beliefs of Presbyterians who crossed the ocean to find religious freedom. Even today, our local municipal meetings and sessions of Congress mirror what takes place in church meeting rooms as elected ruling elders lead each congregation. However, we may not always know how traditional Reformed theology has influenced the beliefs that are the bedrock of the Constitution. Read more »
Mary Mikhael is a familiar face in Presbyterian circles. For years, she has met with churches, synods and seminaries about the ongoing crisis in Syria. This fall, she returns to the U.S. once again as an International Peacemaker. 
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stressed that zero carbon emissions must be achieved by 2050 by the world if we are to avoid catastrophic climate impacts such severe and recurrent droughts and record-breaking storms as well as the inundation of small island states and coastal cities. 
Glory Banda was born in Malawi. She was also born deaf. Soon after her parents realized that their child couldn’t hear, her father divorced her mother.
Glory’s mother, desperate and brokenhearted, returned to live in her parents’ home. A child, who should have been a blessing, became the source of grief and pain. 
Ministry candidates talk about them. Moderators share them with session members during meetings. Pastors do sermon series on them. “They” are the Great Ends of the Church — statements crafted in the early 20th century to guide the vision and mission of the Presbyterian Church. But who can recite all six Great Ends? (Be honest.) And what do these Great Ends look like when lived out? Presbyterians Today explores how congregations embrace these guiding principles in ways that show their communities the power of love in action. 
Denise Anderson, Co-Moderator of the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has accepted a new position with the Presbyterian Mission Agency. Anderson has been called as the new coordinator for racial and intercultural justice, working in connection with the agency’s Compassion, Peace & Justice and Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries. 
Strong hurricanes, record flooding and massive wildfires have taken their toll on volunteer groups aiding in cleanup and recovery in recent years. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance says groups have been working hard to help communities rebuild, but the number of powerful hurricanes and other natural disasters is making it harder to find enough people to meet the need. 
It’s one thing to see or read about the struggles of people living in poverty, stretching every nickel or dime. It’s another to get a true sense of what the daily struggle is like. First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, Texas, recently gave young people a small dose of what many low-income residents in their community deal with when it hosted a camp for students in fourth through eighth grades. 
Founded in 2011, South Sudan is the world’s youngest country. But infighting among its two largest tribal groups — friction that dates back to the 19th century — has plunged the country into civil war and forced many of its young citizens to become soldiers instead of doctors, teachers or farmers. The Rev. Michael Muot Put, from the Nuer tribal community, is working to educate communities about the importance of peace among different ethnic groups and to provide a platform based on peace and unity. 
It’s a far cry from 2014 in the Presbytery of Nevada. This past year 12 of its 21 congregations experienced numerical, and spiritual, growth.
Just a few years ago, churches were leaving the presbytery and the remaining congregations were resistant to paying per capita.