Sounds of the Black American National Anthem Lift Every Voice and Sing permeated the chapel at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Center as employees celebrated Black History Month during today’s chapel service.
With bumper stickers and hashtags, Facebook pages and community partnerships, the Freedom Rising initiative to improve the plight of the African American male is beginning to take off in the five cities where the program will be piloted. The initiative approved by the 222nd General Assembly (2016) seeks to assist communities in Baltimore, Charlotte, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and New York City by addressing problems specifically related to African American males.
An estimated 80,000 people crowded the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina over the weekend to take part in the 11th annual Forward Together Moral March, led by the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. Organizers say it was the largest crowed in the march’s history.
The small town of Lebanon (pop. 5,800) sits 70 miles southeast of Louisville in the heart of central Kentucky. Surrounded by lush farmland, the area is known as a hub for bluegrass music, manufacturing facilities and bourbon production. It’s also home to United Presbyterian Church, which hosted a prayer service last Friday in response to President Donald Trump’s January 27 executive order on refugees and immigration.
The National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus (NMEPC) has written an open letter (below) to President Trump opposing the ban on immigrants imposed on seven predominately Muslim countries. Enforcement of the executive order was halted by a Washington state judge last Friday and is currently under judicial review.
Mientras que la Casa Blanca y los tribunales luchan por la legalidad del veto de refugiados y viajeros de siete países, las iglesias presbiterianas alrededor de los Estados Unidos todavía esperan una solución rápida. La orden ejecutiva que prohíbe a los refugiados y viajeros de países predominantemente musulmanes ha generado una fuerte reacción en ambos lados del asunto.
In a letter issued today by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC) and the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC), the groups challenged a recent proposal by the Governance Task Force (GTF) of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board (PMAB) to dramatically reduce the board size and remove formal representation in advocacy groups.
While the White House and the courts battle over the legality of the travel ban on refugees and travelers from seven countries, Presbyterian churches across the U.S. are still hopeful for a quick resolution. The executive order banning refugees and travelers from the predominantly Muslim countries has drawn strong reaction on both sides of the issue.
A decision by the U.S. House of Representatives to roll back a signature bi-partisan anti-corruption law has Presbyterians and other ecumenical groups concerned about the impact on poverty-stricken countries. Under the anti-corruption rule known as “Section 1504,” or the “Cardin-Lugar Anti-Corruption Provision,” oil and mining companies would be required to publish the payments they make to governments around the world.
The National Committee of the Self-Development of People wrapped up its first meeting of the year by voting to re-configure some of the processes of completing its work. Reduced giving and the retirements of nearly half the SDOP staff in 2016 have prompted the committee to make changes to better meet the needs of communities seeking assistance.
