ga222

Way Forward Commission meets at McCormick Seminary

The Way Forward Commission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) met today at McCormick Theological Seminary to receive updates from its subgroups, engage in an extended discernment exercise and to hear from the Rev. Jan Edmiston, co-moderator of the 222nd General Assembly (2016).

PC(USA) Co-Moderator requests prayer for Syria

The Rev. Jan Edmiston, Co-Moderator of the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), returned early last week from a trip to Syria with a delegation from the church’s Compassion Peace and Justice ministries. Following the chemical weapons attack in Idlib and the retaliatory airstrikes by the United States military, she issued a prayer for the people of Syria and the world.

ACSWP and Foothills Presbytery hold conversations on church’s public witness

Teams from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) and Foothills Presbytery in upstate South Carolina met Saturday, February 18 through Tuesday, February 21. The two groups gathered to discuss differences of opinion on how the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) should make known its Christian social witness.

National Urban Ministry Network honors memory of Eugene Blackwell

In an open letter to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the church’s National Urban Ministry Network honored the memory of the recently passed Rev. Eugene “Freedom” Blackwell and encouraged readers to join them in continuing his fight for social and racial justice “for all of those who suffer in our cities.”

Presbyterian Hispanic Caucus members volunteer at Portland’s Union Gospel Mission

It wasn’t your typical General Assembly celebration, but it did have great impact. Members of the National Hispanic/Latino-a Presbyterian Caucus celebrated their time together at General Assembly 222 (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) by participating in a June 21 service project at the Union Gospel Mission in Portland, Oregon.

Mission in partnership highlighted at World Mission Café

At last week’s World Mission Café, a GA 222 event, mission co-workers and staff, ecumenical partners, mid-council leaders and congregational representatives gathered to share stories of the joys and struggles of day-to-day mission partnership around the world.

Report on Cuba passes committee and heads toward full General Assembly

Rev. Daniel Izquierdo, General Secretary of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church of Cuba (PRCC), spoke to members and invited guests of the Cuba Partnership Network on June 20 at the 222nd Presbyterian General Assembly. Izquierdo said he sees a new openness to dialogue, but after 57 years of misunderstanding and mistrust, it is still going to be a long journey.

Presbyterian Peacemaking Program hosts gun violence prevention discussion at General Assembly

The statistics surrounding gun violence deaths in the United States are staggering. According to the PEW Research Center, more than 30,000 people are killed by firearms each year in this country. More than 30 are shot and murdered each day and half of them are between the ages of 18 and 35. Homicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds and the primary cause of death among African Americans of that age group.