Mission Yearbook

A view of the Holy City few get to see

The Presbyterian delegation visiting Israel-Palestine this past spring took a unique tour of Jerusalem — one that most who visit one of the most holy cities in the world seldom see. Fayrouz Sharqawi, the global mobilization coordinator at Grassroots Jerusalem, spent three hours with the delegation explaining the realities that she, as a Palestinian woman, lives daily.

Matthew 25 invitation fits ‘like a hand in a glove’

When the Rev. Kirk Perucca of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, Missouri, heard the Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, speak about the agency’s new Matthew 25 invitation, he got excited.

Minute for Mission: Immigration Sunday

“I have faith that God will dry up the Rio Grande so that I may safely cross,” he said. He had been on the journey from Honduras to the U.S. for a month and a half when we met him in a migrant shelter in Arriaga, Mexico. His teenage son was traveling with him. He told us about the pressure on his son to join a gang and the lack of lawful means to support oneself in his nation. He talked of seeing people murdered in the street.

Remembering Rev. Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie

On June 5, the Rev. Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie completed his baptism at 88 years old and passed into the hands of his loving Savior. Known for many accomplishments in his life, not the least of which was his 23 years as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood in Los Angeles, Ogilvie was perhaps best known for his time serving as chaplain of the Senate from 1995 to 2003.

Using Tamar’s story to strengthen Guatemalan girls

Up against some appalling facts — 119 Guatemalan women each day report a violent attack against them and nearly 62,000 women and girls 19 and under became pregnant during the first six months of 2018, many of them the result of rape — CEDEPCA, a longtime partner of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was determined to empower girls in a new way.

Practicing resurrection

There are two constants in life: change and Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In Christ, we live and move and have our being. To be a follower of his is to be forever mindful of the cross, of death’s defeat — and of resurrection power. And, as Wendell Berry wrote in one of his well-known poems, “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front,” we, the church, are to “practice resurrection.”

Seeking inclusive stewardship

A quick search on the internet leads to countless facts about shifting American diversity. For example, in 2007, Rodríguez and García joined the top 10 list of most popular last names in the United States. And, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, beginning in 2030, the country will grow more by international migration than birth within its borders.

World Refugee Day offers reminder of global family

In this season of Pentecost, we commemorate the Holy Spirit’s movement through a local group of apostles sent to proclaim the Good News to the world — dissolving tribal divisions between nationalities and languages. At the hand of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles’ understanding of their community was literally blown wide open. In Pentecost, we are reminded that God’s love extends to all, and that we are part of one family.