PC(USA) Co-Moderator Edmiston speaks on intersection of poverty and racism at APCE

Awards luncheon honors excellence in Christian education

by Gregg Brekke | Presbyterian News Service

Jan Edmiston speaking on ‘ Genuine Hospitality: From Serving the Poor to Dismantling Poverty’ at the 2018 gathering of APCE. (Photo by Gregg Brekke)

LOUISVILLE — The Rev. Jan Edmiston, Co-Moderator of the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), presented the mini-plenary titled Genuine Hospitality: From Serving the Poor to Dismantling Poverty at the 2018 Association of Presbyterian Church Educators conference on Friday morning.

Three “sacred assumptions” framed Edmiston’s talk:

• Hospitality is Political
• Community Organizing is the Church’s Future
• We Want to Follow Jesus

Asking about the ways congregations engage in mission, she wondered how many churches simply wrote checks, were involved in direct mission, or otherwise engaged those their mission giving was serving. “How does your congregation show hospitality in terms of addressing poverty?”

A variety of responses included refugee sponsorship, weekly community meals, winter warming rooms, housing families experiencing homelessness and other methods of interacting with those experiencing poverty in their communities.

Commending the book Always with Us? What Jesus Really Said About the Poor by the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis‎, Edmiston said the second year of her and Co-Moderator the Rev. T. Denise Anderson’s tenure has been exploring the intersections between racism and poverty.

“The more we looked at the impact of racism during our first year as Co-Moderators,” she said, “the more we realized racism was one of the primary contributing factors of poverty.”

“Why are there still homeless people in our community?” she asked, wondering what work the church is doing to address structures that keep people poor. “If we’ve had a homeless shelter in our community for 30 years serving a steady stream of people, we’re not getting far.”

Edmiston said there is a great misunderstanding, and misapplication, of Matthew 26:11, where Jesus tells his disciples the poor will always be with them. “The poor will always be with us because we’re greedy and idiots,” she said. “We have the ability to change, but we don’t because it’s a power thing.”

Saying Jesus was referring to Deuteronomy 15:7–11 when he addressed the disciples, Edmiston said, “Jesus was talking about the way the world is supposed to be, not the way it is.”

She called attention to The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, co-founded by Theoharis and the Rev. Dr. William Barber, as an example of faithful community organizing, calling for wage justice and fair working conditions, especially for those working at jobs paying less than a livable wage.

Edmiston ended her mini-plenary with suggestions to embrace a relational model of doing church, one that extends Christian love, genuine interest and welcome to the community without evangelistic motives.

“We’ve got to get past trying to get people to join our church,” she said. “We need to put that idea to bed.”

2018 APCE Awards

Three awards were given for excellence in Christian education at Friday’s luncheon including Empower, Lifetime Achievement and Educator of the Year.

Deborah Wendell. (Photo by Gregg Brekke)

Deborah Wendell was given the Empower Award, given to a Christian educator who has served in educational ministry for more than five years, is currently serving as a volunteer or professional in educational ministries, has demonstrated their ability to delegate and empower others, is a visionary breaking into new frontiers and who has the ability to influence change within systems.

“Having just experienced Hurricane Irma in Florida, the word ‘power’ is more meaningful than ever,” she wrote. “With the loss of power comes such a feeling of hopelessness, vulnerability and confinement but educators are all about empowerment: hope, strength, and freedom. That APCE would honor me with this Empower Award is both humbling and inspiring.”

Forrest Palmer. (Photo by Gregg Brekke)

The sustain award for Lifetime Achievement was given to Forrest Palmer, who joined APCE in 1976 and says his call to educational ministry goes back to his teenage years in a Presbyterian new church development Sunday School class, when he profoundly felt God’s presence and nudging.

Bestowed upon a leader with or more years of membership in APCE or its partner denominations’ educational organizations, creative and/or distinguished accomplishments in educational ministry, faithful and effective service to the church and profession and a past or present leadership position in APCE, Palmer said, “The church needs Christian education. And the church needs dedicated Christian educators to fulfill its mission.”

He is pursuing a new call in retirement and serves on the National Response Team of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

Rebecca Davis. (Photo by Gregg Brekke)

The enrich award for Educator of the Year was given to the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Davis who said a “fancy theological degree” wasn’t necessary to be a good Christian educator, though she was willing to help those desiring further education find a good program.

“What you have to have is a commitment to educational excellence and to the larger church,” she said. “You don’t wait for the approval of a job or a committee, you do it because that’s what God has called you to do.”

The Educator of the Year award is given to a Christian educator with five or more years of membership in APCE or our partner denominations’ educational organizations, who is active in Christian education leadership for a minimum of 10 non-retired years, is a visionary leader and who has had a formative influence on educational ministry and an advocate for church educators.

The 2018 Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators gathering ends Saturday with a closing worship service.