Presbyterian Mission Agency olanda carr jr. Archives

On Juneteenth, Black Presbyterian leaders share their thoughts on congregational stability and church financial reimagination

Posted June 19th, 2023

In a conversation recorded earlier and aired on Monday during the Juneteenth celebration, the Rev. Michael Lynn Moore, intercultural associate for Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries, welcomed four panelists for an online discussion on “Forty Acres, No Mule: A Conversation of Black Presbyterian Leaders on Congregational Stability and Church Financial Reimagination.” Watch their hour-long discussion here.

Endowment workshop lays out the principles that guide the gifts

Posted September 23rd, 2021

Church leaders often say they want their church to have an endowment. And while that’s good, churches need to be prepared to dig a little deeper and answer some core questions as they establish an endowment, says Olanda Carr Jr., Senior Ministry Relations Officer for the Presbyterian Foundation.

Giving isn’t just for fall anymore

Posted September 15th, 2021

The averted gaze when a member of the stewardship committee approaches. The neglected pledge forms. The Stewardship Sunday sermon the pastor secretly (or not so secretly) dreads giving. The annual stewardship campaign is a rite of autumn that must be endured. Right? Or, could stewardship be about abundance rather than scarcity? What if stewardship was a reason instead of a season?

Day of Learning concludes with guidance for church budgeting

Posted March 8th, 2021

The final session of the Presbyterian Foundation Day of Learning last week focused its attention on “Practical Tips for Church Budgeting.” Presented by Olanda Carr, Jr., East Region Ministry Relations Officer, and the Rev. Dr. Jonah So, Minister of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the workshop provided tools to help churches and their leadership build and present budgets that tell a compelling story of the ministries in which they engage.

Count your blessings

Posted October 3rd, 2019

Leaders of small churches sometimes spend so much time looking back at how things used to be that they don’t appreciate the blessings and assets their church still has, says Olanda Carr Jr., Senior Ministry Relations Officer for the Presbyterian Foundation.