As a Synod executive based in Texas and now Florida, Valerie Young is exceedingly familiar with Hurricanes. The striking thing about the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is the breadth of the area severely impacted by the storms.
The Rev. CeCe Armstrong and the Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderators of the 226th General Assembly (2024) , joined members of Foothills Presbytery and two staff from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for a time of sharing on Tuesday at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina.
Just a few days before visitors from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Synod of South Atlantic, the Presbytery of Tampa Bay, together with the Executive Director and Stated Clerk of the General Assembly for the interim unified agency, the Rev. Jihyun Oh, arrived at Maximo Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Thursday, “this place looked awful,” said the church’s pastor, the Rev. Bobby Musengwa.
On Wednesday, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance spent the first day of a 10-day solidarity tour with staff from the Synod of South Atlantic and Peace River Presbytery hearing from some of the faith communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
In the midst of organizing hurricane relief to secure the physical well-being of neighbors, PC(USA) leaders recognize the spiritual effects of trauma. With back-to-back hurricanes striking Florida within less than two weeks and disasters in general becoming more intense because of climate change, “there is so much loss of life, so much stress,” said the Rev. Dr. Kathy Riley, Associate for Emotional and Spiritual Care for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has entered into a covenant agreement with the Synod of the Sun and its 11 presbyteries for coordinated disaster response.
Like with many congregations in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), for the 90 or so churches in the Presbytery of Arkansas, worship is now a different experience than it was before the pandemic, the Rev. Stewart Smith said last week during an episode of the Synod of the Sun’s “SunSpots” podcast.
The Presbyterian Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) voted at its Oct. 11 meeting to expand the criteria for recommending companies be placed on the General Assembly’s divestment/proscription list.
