Presbyterian Mission Agency new covenant presbytery 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.

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.

Presbyterians mobilize to help the people of Texas recover after Hurricane Harvey

Posted August 27th, 2017

As news comes in on the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is organizing a response that will help sustain life and restore hope in the coming days.

And the walls came tumbling down

Posted October 24th, 2016

For more than a century, the manse next to First Presbyterian Church in tiny Baird, Texas (population 1,600) served many functions: as the church’s first sanctuary, as a home for a string of pastors, and as space for vacation Bible School and adult Sunday school classes. In recent years, however, it had become an albatross, a dilapidated structure that was too expensive to repair and too expensive to demolish.

Presbytery of New Covenant

Posted June 12th, 2016

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance helps Texans recover from flooding It has been roughly a year of endless flooding for parts of Texas, challenging volunteers in their cleanup efforts. The seriousness of the high water took on new meaning last month with the deadly flooding near Fort Hood that claimed the lives of nine soldiers. Swift flooding swept the soldiers’ 2 1/2-ton vehicle from a low-water crossing. Three soldiers were rescued.