Presbyterian Mission Agency inclusion Archives

Presbytery welcomes transgender teens

Posted April 25th, 2023

Presbytery of New Covenant in southeast Texas has had a strong youth ministry for decades. A highlight has been its Youth Conclaves weekend retreats that are led by the youth themselves. These retreats are a time to meet other Presbyterian youth and a time to grow as disciples. Our presbytery also recognizes that youth is a time of exploration and identity formation — including gender or sexual orientation. This became apparent in February 2020 when a request was received regarding a young person who was hesitant to attend a retreat weekend because of who she is. Katrina is transgender. She had attended the previous year when she hadn’t fully come out, and she stayed in the boys’ cabin. While she knew she didn’t want to stay there, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stay with the girls. The presbytery’s General Council made a quick decision, with a hastily written policy, that Katrina could attend and stay with the girls. We felt that, at the very least, she could feel comfortable, and we were covered legally. We knew, though, that inclusion of transgender youth in church events had to be addressed because there were more teens like Katrina among us.

Diversity isn’t inclusivity, says the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s manager for diversity and reconciliation

Posted December 6th, 2022

While there’s been a lot of talk about diversity and inclusivity, the one conversation that is needed is how often diversity is mistaken for inclusivity. The two are not the same.

Culture shift

Posted April 8th, 2022

The Rev. Dr. Letiah Fraser’s recent dissertation is on understanding disability as a culture. “We reach out to so many cultures,” Fraser told the Rev. Lee Catoe and Simon Doong during this week’s edition of their podcast, A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast. “If we understand disability as a culture with its own history, languages, worldviews and theology, then perhaps the voices of people with disabilities would be lifted up as well.”

Session stands up to racism

Posted January 24th, 2022

A mostly-white congregation took a public stand against structural racism and its activism is attracting new families.

‘Have you put the leaf in the table of your faith community?’

Posted November 3rd, 2021

As the Rev. Shanea D. Leonard began to talk about radical welcome from Montreat Conference Center, they put on an apron and began to reflect on childhood holidays.

Presbytery takes steps to welcome transgender teens

Posted August 25th, 2021

The Presbytery of New Covenant in southeast Texas has had a strong youth ministry for decades. A highlight has been its Youth Conclaves weekend retreats that are led by the youth themselves. These retreats are a time to meet other Presbyterian youth and a time to grow as disciples. Our presbytery also recognizes that youth is a time of exploration and identity formation — including gender or sexual orientation. This became apparent in February 2020, when a request was received regarding a young person who was hesitant to attend a retreat weekend because of who she is. Katrina is transgender. She had attended the previous year when she hadn’t fully come out, and she stayed in the boys’ cabin. While she knew she didn’t want to stay there, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stay with the girls. The presbytery’s General Council made a quick decision, with a hastily written policy, that Katrina could attend and stay with the girls. We felt that, at the very least, she could feel comfortable, and we were covered legally. We knew, though, that inclusion of transgender youth in church events had to be addressed because there were more teens like Katrina among us.

National award for diversity and inclusion work goes to Board of Pensions

Posted October 13th, 2020

The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has won a 2020 NACD NXT award, a national honor recognizing it for making diversity and inclusion a priority.

Young Adult Volunteers forge ahead for equity and inclusion

Posted June 18th, 2019

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s ecumenical, faith-based Young Adult Volunteers (YAV) program is taking steps to embrace equity and inclusion in its recruitment and programming. As part of this endeavor, YAV teamed up with World Mission from April 30-May 3 to hold a consultation with people of color at the Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center in New Mexico.

Grants help community dismantle racism

Posted April 17th, 2019

When leader Nick Pickrell heard that The Open Table KC, a worshiping community in Kansas City, Missouri, that gathers for dinner and fellowship, would receive a $25,000 1001 New Worshiping Community growth grant from the Presbyterian Mission Agency, he thought, “What? What!”

Conference keynoters focus on inclusion and truth-telling

Posted March 25th, 2019

Dr. Ivory Toldson knows BS when he sees it.To Toldson, one of three Friday keynoters during last week’s White Privilege Conference, BS stands for “bad statistics.” One such statistic that received widespread circulation was the claim there are more black men in prison than in college. That statistic, said Toldson, a professor of counseling psychology at Howard University and president and CEO of the QEM (Quality Education for Minorities) Network, was wrong, even if those who made the claim were “making a legitimate point.”