Earthquakes in Afghanistan and massive flooding in Libya have left scores of people in need of humanitarian aid. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is among those providing help through partners active in the affected areas.
Much has happened in and to our nation since our observance of this historic day last year. We pulled out of Afghanistan, endured the pandemic, remained divided by competing ideologies vying for ascendance in our political system, grieved the lives of countless innocents whose lives were taken in mass shootings and entered a time of financial instability that threatens many of the poorest among us.
More than 300 people are attending this weekend’s Together We Welcome conference put on by Church World Service, which counts the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as a sustaining sponsor of the online conference.
As Afghanistan faces a humanitarian crisis that threatens to take more lives than the United States’ 20-year war in the country, the Office of Public Witness and Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations are calling on the Biden Administration to reverse fiscal policies that are exacerbating the situation.
Wednesday’s online Matthew 25 gathering focused on welcoming the stranger. The 80 or so participants learned from two Presbyterians who are currently working hard to carry out Jesus’ command to do just that.
Next month, Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Dandridge, Tennessee, will celebrate its 236th year in ministry. While that’s a history to be proud of — Hopewell is one of the oldest churches in the Volunteer State — the church’s pastor, the Rev. Brad Napier, told Between Two Pulpits hosts Bryce Wiebe and Lauren Rogers on Monday that the congregation of 88 members also takes pride in its consistent history of giving, especially through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Special Offerings and even during the long pandemic, when the church actually saw increased giving and membership growth.
Balloons swayed in the air, children kicked their swings toward the sky, and laughter floated beyond the fence as congregants and friends of Second Presbyterian Church gathered on the church’s playground after one of its first in-person worship services in months.
For five years Westminster Presbyterian Church in Middletown, New Jersey has assembled a memorable display on its Great Lawn each fall. Beginning in 2012, the church’s “Field of Flags” display has contained one American flag for every service member killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
