New Hope Presbyterian Church in Anaheim, California, can be seen as a stream of flowing water for many African Americans in Orange County, California, where according to the most recent information provided by the U.S. Census, the population of African Americans is 2.1%.
St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Beachwood, Ohio, was recently awarded a woman’s leadership development grant from the Women’s Leadership Development and Young Women’s Ministries, part of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries, because of funds raised through #Give8/28 during the 2020 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Week of Action.
In an ongoing effort to build gender equity, the Women’s Leadership Development and Young Women’s Ministries of the Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries has awarded women’s ministries leadership development grants to two congregations: St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Beechwood, Ohio, where the Rev. Carmen Harwell is pastor, and the Seigle Avenue Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, now known as The Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Shannon Schmidt is currently teaching the ethics curriculum she designed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The course is split between MIT students and incarcerated students who are working toward their bachelor’s degrees and is taught in a prison-based setting. In addition to this work, Schmidt serves as a facilitator for a support group for formerly incarcerated men in Boston.
Women’s Leadership Development and Young Women’s Ministries is a national ministry of the Presbyterian Mission Agency operating within Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries (RE&WIM). The office provides resources and training programs to young adult women ages 18–35 considering leadership opportunities in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
On a day that began with a snowstorm and ended with sunny skies, the 18 pastors gathered at Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center on Lake Tahoe for the Mentoring Event for Leaders of Color in Pastoral Ministry found inspiration in training and continued relationship building during Tuesday’s sessions.
Their amazement at the Secretary-General of the United Nations’ openness to questions from the crowd was second only to their amazement that they got in.
Troy Byrdsong and Alison Oglesby are two young women with big dreams and big hearts. The freshman and junior attend Wayne State University and attended the United Nations 61st Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) as part of the 12-person delegation of the Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
