While the setting sun cast long shadows over the land, residents of the Sacred Stone Camp gathered near a community campfire as volunteers nearby prepared the evening meal. Children and a handful of dogs welcomed the night as if it were day, running and playing, oblivious to the changing weather and the cause that brought so many to the Missouri River in Cannon Ball, North Dakota.
Reconciliation is at the heart of Christian faith. It is arguably the most radical and transforming work done by God and practiced in our own lives. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 the apostle Paul teaches us that through Christ, God was “reconciling the world to himself” and calls us to a ministry of reconciliation with each other. But what does reconciliation mean? Does it mean we forgive and forget? Or convince others that we are right?
The day following an unprecedented election of this nation’s 45th president, many were left wondering about the state of cultural diversity and immigrants in the U.S. To help the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) move past cultural differences, 22 coaches from across the country met in Louisville, November 9-11, 2016, for Racial Ethnic & New Immigrant coaches training.
Wonderful things can happen when the church listens to its neighbors. That, according to the Rev. Dr. Melvin Lowry, was the genesis of the Belle Terrace Health and Wellness Center, now known as Medical Associates Plus, in Augusta, Georgia.
A statement by J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the PC(USA) General Assembly, a response to the violence on America’s streets after the election of Mr. Donald Trump as President–Elect of the United States of America.
Presbyterians have a long history of helping those in need and have shown time and time again that they are willing to roll up their sleeves and go to work. Presbytery of the Peaks is a good example of people in action. Denise Pillow is the Hunger Action Advocate (HAA) for the presbytery, which includes 125 congregations across Central Virginia.
In 2014, a year before Madison Presbyterian Church’s 200th anniversary, Jill Wiest and I volunteered to see what information we could find to enhance the celebration. After looking through many old files we wondered if we had found everything—after all, there are many nooks and crannies in our 1846 church building. What about that old safe in the small room off the kitchen that had been the pastor’s study in the 1800s?
Alex Pappas, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ministerial inquirer under the care of Grace Presbytery, has received the Grace Presbytery Fellowship to fund her full seminary costs as she pursues a Master of Divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
In late June, mere days after winning Pero’s presidential election by a thin margin, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski turned his eyes on the troubled community of La Oroya, where for more than 15 years Presbyterian World Mission and the Presbyterian Hunger Program have joined with partners Joining Hands Peru (Red Uniendo Manos Peru) in seeking justice for city’s residents.
Business is looking good for a group of Somali refugee women seeking to support their families in Columbus, Ohio. The group is part of the Capital Park Women’s Empowerment Project, working to give low income women an opportunity to forge their own path and market their business.
