presbyterian

First Arab woman ordained as Presbyterian Minister of Word and Sacrament

Though we often hear only the dark and disturbing stories coming out of the Middle East, on February 26 there was an historic moment of celebration. The Presbyterian Church in Tripoli and the National Evangelical (Presbyterian) Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL) ordained the Rev. Rola Sleiman as the first Arab woman to serve as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.

PC(USA) partners respond to Palm Sunday terror attacks in Egypt

Two Orthodox Coptic churches were the subject of suicide bombings on Palm Sunday, April 9, killing 44 and wounding 126. The first attack occurred at St. George’s church in Tanta, about 50 miles north of Cairo. The second occurred at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, on the Mediterranean coast.

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.

Registration for Compassion, Peace and Justice Training Day reaches record number

Every year, an average of 200 Presbyterians gather in Washington, D.C. for Advocacy Training Weekend as an opportunity to worship, attend workshops and fellowship with other Presbyterians and Christian denominations. But this year’s attendance for Compassion, Peace and Justice Training Day is hitting record levels and people are still signing up with less than two weeks to go.

California congregation commits to democracy, peace and human rights in Central Africa

Five representatives of the Congo Mission team at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church (LOPC) recently traveled to Sacramento for a meeting with the staff of California’s new junior senator and former state Attorney General, Kamala Harris. Two members of a Bay Area organization for Congolese nationals in Diaspora, Congo Prosperity Catalyst, joined them.

International Romani Day celebrates culture and raises awareness

April 8 is International Romani Day, celebrating the Romani (Roma) culture, history and people and raising awareness of the issues they face. The Roma are the largest minority group in Europe and are commonly known in the English-speaking world as “Gypsies,” a perjorative term. Like “Native American,” “Roma” is an umbrella term for many subgroups.

Korean ‘feminist evangelist’ crosses the Pacific to find answers

Min-Hee Kim was one of 12 young women sponsored by the Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries Young Women’s Leadership program who participated in the United Nations’ 61st CSW. Each year the ministry provides scholarships to young Presbyterian women from around the world to attend the event.