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mission yearbook
War is neither necessary nor romantic. The deaths that come from war are needless and tragic. Those who give their lives in war may be remembered and honored for their selfless sacrifice, but the wars which brought their deaths are not glorious adventures. Our entry into war may at times be unavoidable but must never be sought. We mourn those killed in war on Memorial Day as we grieve the pain of loss and deprivation.
Called to serve at the invitation of our global partners, Presbyterian mission co-workers are important bridge people, helping us understand issues of ministry around the world. Through their quarterly letters, mission co-workers describe how partners are engaged in the Matthew 25 vision in their own contexts. Here are a few highlights they have shared recently with their supporters:
Twenty years ago, the Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel was elected as Moderator of the 214th General Assembly, making him the first Arab American to lead a major U.S. denomination.
Ezekiel and Eduardo
Ezekiel, the Israelite, lived in depressing and politically volatile times, 590 years before Christ. A hundred years before he was born, his country was conquered, first by the Assyrians, later by the Babylonians. Eduardo Perez Verdugo, the coffee farmer from Chiapas Driven from his homeland in search of work, lived in depressing and economically volatile Times, 2000 years after the birth of Christ. Both prophets in exile speak with anguish about Their similar plights and both plead for justice as they search for a vision of hope amid despair.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was hanged for his role in seeking to overthrow the Nazi regime during World War II, once said, “Not to speak is to speak.” Yet the fear of losing members and pledges keeps many congregations silent when it comes to championing the causes of God’s hurting children. The Presbyterian Church of Deep Run in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, is not one of those congregations.
A Boston news station recently shared a story about a Massachusetts church that came up with a unique reparation idea to undo the injustices to those men and women who authored the great African American spirituals in many a hymn book. Each time the choir sings such a spiritual, the church will pay a royalty. It is common practice for churches to pay royalties to publishers for the use of hymns, but according to the news report, Susan DeSelms, minister of music of the United Parish in Brookline, which came up with the idea, “the enslaved people who created this music were never rewarded for their art.”
Rather than cracking open the Good Book alone, why not encounter Scripture in community alongside others seeking to know what’s true about the text?
At First Presbyterian Church of Baraboo, Wisconsin, a small town near Madison, longtime church members wanted to know what it means to be Presbyterian.
Hearing this, their pastor, the Rev. Lisa Newberry, began working on a sermon series for 2022 around the We Believe Presbyterian confirmation curriculum.
It has been said that “justice delayed is justice denied.” However, after a great injustice against the Nez Perce Tribe, the Nimiipuu people recently celebrated the correction of a grave injustice.
Just as they helped launch the nation’s first Truth & Reconciliation Commission in Greensboro, North Carolina, about 20 years ago, the Rev. Nelson Johnson and Joyce Johnson are making plans for a statewide effort they hope will become a national model.
