church leaders

Mental health panel discussion leads pastors to reveal the stress of their pandemic losses

During a Pastors and Church Leaders Mental Health panel discussion, four church leaders discussed ways that stress has manifested itself in their lives — and in the lives of those they serve. The Rev. Bertram Johnson spoke about his work at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he offers spiritual health care support for students.

Seminarians of Color Conference nurtures and supports future Church leaders

Presbyterian survey of seminary life revealed a pressing need among students of color, which at the time represented a small percentage of seminarians attending various theological institutions nationwide. The study found that, in some cases, there were very few seminarians of color per campus, and most frequently, they were not members of the same racial or ethnic group.

Practicing lifelong discipleship formation during COVID-19

As more than 50 pastors and other church leaders recently explored together “Lifelong Discipleship Formation” — which is one of the Seven Marks of Vital Congregations — it became apparent that during the coronavirus crisis they are discovering new ways to help people live out their Christian faith.

Mid councils share sorrows and concerns

Fear, exhaustion and grief came through as the primary emotions as a group of mid council leaders gathered on a Zoom call in late March. The group was brought together by the Presbyterian Mission Agency to listen to their concerns and learn how the Church might best help mid councils and congregations during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

OGA delegation finds resilience and hope among church leaders in Puerto Rico

A delegation from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of the General Assembly visited Puerto Rico this past fall and came away surprised and encouraged by what they saw. The six-member group met with presbytery leaders and pastors to share information and to look at ways the national church can help local churches move forward.

Minute for Mission: Evangelism Sunday

Evangelism is all about relationships . . . . In meetings with church leaders, I continue to grow in my faith and in what it means to follow Christ. Through these encounters I am going deeper into what I already know in my heart: that evangelism is good news, relational, messy, and takes time.