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Mission Yearbook
The director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness recently found out what life is like behind bars. The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, along with other clergy, was arrested earlier this summer while praying outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.
Madagascar, which sits off the southeast coast of Africa, is the fourth largest island in the world. More than 90 percent of its flora and fauna are found nowhere else on Earth, including more than 8,000 plant species. Yet for all of its natural resource richness, Madagascar is among the world’s least-developed countries, according to the U.N. Nearly 90 percent of its residents live on less than $2 a day and only one-third have access to safe drinking water.
In response to the prevalence of hunger, local congregations are making an impact on hunger in their communities by going beyond traditional food pantries and community meals. They are now establishing things like “blessing boxes” on church property and offering nutrition classes, often by partnering with other organizations.
Tomorrow Presbyterians will join in prayer with other Christians worldwide to observe the Day of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
For hours, Fossil Free PCUSA representatives lay scattered across the floor outside of the convention hall at the 223rd General Assembly (2018) in St. Louis. The “die-in” was in response to the commissioners’ decision to accept a minority report asking the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) to continue its engagement with fossil fuel companies.
A Presbyterian church in Minneapolis is taking steps to help children affected by civil war in South Sudan.
The war began in 2013, two years after South Sudan gained independence. The conflict has displaced more than 5 million people, leading to massive human suffering and widespread famine. As part of its response, the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) passed a comprehensive overture that provides a robust platform for the denomination’s Office of Public Witness to advocate for an end to the war.
It was just another Sunday morning in the Cornhusker State. The faithful entered Southern Heights Presbyterian’s sanctuary, filling the room with chatter before the start of worship. The bell chimed and the chattering — as well as the rustling of coats, worship bulletins and those marking the hymns for the day — subsided. The Christ candle was solemnly lit, leaving a flickering flame to aid in prayerful contemplation. The prelude broke the silence. It was time to stand for the Call to Worship. Now sit for the Confession. And back up again for the singing of the Gloria Patri.
More than 1,000 people representing churches around the world recently met in Arusha, Tanzania, for the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) Conference, which is held every decade.
The attendees included a strong contingent from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The participants explored the conference theme, “Moving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship.”
“You won’t go to India to do something an Indian cannot do,” the Rev. Thomas John told me. He was the site coordinator for the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program in India, and I was a college senior, interviewing to serve as a YAV on the other side of the globe. I don’t think I had any delusions of single-handedly transforming the world, but I was surely guided by a desire to help, to contribute and to be of service. That was in 2002. Today I serve as site coordinator for the YAV program in Colombia, and I encounter those same motivations again and again in current applicants.
When racially insensitive photos surfaced at Cal Poly University in April, Front Porch, a coffeehouse and 1001 worshiping community in San Luis Obispo, California, began to engage students — the majority of whom were disgusted by what they saw.
