Norcross Presbyterian Church in Norcross, Georgia, held a dedication ceremony during Sunday worship to mark the return to its original house of worship — built by its congregation more than 120 years ago in 1899.
For the people of Greater Pochalla, survival hangs in the balance. Once the food basket of South Sudan, decades of conflict have unraveled the region’s fabric of society that ensured the population’s self-reliance through farming, fishing and trade.
When Nkazi Sinandile learned that refugee women in her adopted city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, were having trouble retaining employment because of various barriers, she created another outlet for their talents in 2009.
What’s great about small churches?
Lots, says the Rev. Ellie Johns-Kelley, Ministry Relations Officer for the Presbyterian Foundation. Small churches have strengths, she says, and those can be celebrated year-round, and especially during seasons of stewardship emphasis.
For every step forward that has been taken toward closing the global gender gap, there have been at least two steps back.
And then some — largely due to COVID-19.
Each year at this time Presbyterians and others celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans to this country.
In the Communicators Network PC(USA)’s first-ever episode of Community Conversations broadcast via Facebook Live on Tuesday, the Rev. Lee Catoe and the Rev. DeEtte Decker didn’t hesitate to share their thoughts on how churches and the denomination can use social media more effectively to help amplify the voices of people who aren’t regularly heard from. Hear the conversation by joining Communicators Network by clicking here.
It comes as no surprise that Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ministers, like many people, face financial challenges. Most ministers report being financially stable, owning a home, paying their bills, and planning for (or living in) retirement, according to research conducted by PC(USA) Research Services. Available in English, Spanish, and Korean, the Minister Finance Report, which does not include educational debt, shows that about half of all pastors report that their household incomes are sufficient to meet their needs and manage debt. In fact, 25% of non-retired ministers report no consumer debt. However, about 1 in 4 pastors report they cannot afford vacations and big-ticket items.
On the 10th anniversary of the adoption of “Comfort My People: A Policy Paper on Serious Mental Health,” the 223rd General Assembly (2018) funded a two-year mental health initiative based in the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA). The mental health questions in the Research Services minister survey were designed in collaboration with PMA staff and are part of a larger study of mental health across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The questions focus on four areas: awareness, training, ministry and self-care.
