In the shadow of what many consider the worst refugee camp in Europe is a beacon of hope, operated mostly by volunteers, a group called Lesvos Solidarity.
Thirty-six presbyteries in the United States have formal ties with partner churches in Africa. There are practical reasons for that, the Rev. Debbie Braaksma recently told worshipers in the Presbyterian Center. Among them: The safety of the gospel depends on seeing how it’s lived out in other cultures.
When faced with chaos and danger, four World War II U.S. Army chaplains on a critically damaged Army transport together chose to offer their shipmates the peace they could. When nothing more could be done, these same chaplains laid down their lives, giving a few of those around them a chance for life. (For more about the Four Chaplains, see fourchaplains.org/the-saga-of-the-four-chaplains.)
A Washington activist with ties to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has received an honor from Essence magazine that puts her in company with former first lady Michelle Obama, gymnast Simone Biles and other “movers and shakers,” such as filmmaker Ava Marie DuVernay.
I’ve been spending a lot of time with Genesis 11:1–9 lately, or the story of Shinar and the so-called “Tower of Babel.” It’s a popular Sunday school lesson, an etiology we recount to children to explain why humanity is so varied in language and location. We don’t engage it as much when we get older. For that reason, how we read and are taught the story as children often stays with us well into adulthood.
Once rescued, survivors of human trafficking are often reluctant to talk about their experiences. That is usually out of self-protection for fear of being blamed by family and community for the exploitation and abuse they’ve suffered at the hands of bosses and employment agencies. But that is not so for Juliette (not her real name). Out of concern for other women who may fall victim to profiteers, she even agreed to have her account recorded, trusting that we would share her story with sensitivity.
When more than 50 people representing 31 congregations gathered to prepare for the Presbytery of New York City’s launch of the Vital Congregations initiative, the Rev. Robert Foltz-Morrison, the executive presbyter, felt the Spirit moving.
With political campaigns nationwide ramping up for the 2020 elections, two staffers at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations recently reflected on the varied work they put in each day.
A congregation without a building but with a proven record of innovation for serving the Rochester, New York, community — especially those living in the city’s margins — has accepted the Matthew 25 invitation.
Jesus taught us to love God and to love our neighbor. These are the pillars of our faith and part of what compels Presbyterians to make a difference in people’s lives.
