‘Along the Road’ podcast explores the global Presbyterian family

When it comes to what it means to be Presbyterian and why it matters, it turns out that which country you come from makes a big difference.

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In January, the “Along the Road” podcast hosted a conversation with Rev. Dr. Mofid Wasef, associate pastor of Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, and his daughter, Ruling Elder Dr. Mirna Wasef, about their experiences as Presbyterians in Egypt and in the United States.

Speaking with “Along the Road” host valerie izumi, a ruling elder in the PC(USA), the two were quick to clarify that the cultural expectations around denominational identity are vastly different in the two countries.

Mirna described finding that in the U.S., “there seems to be a fear of offending somebody if you talk about your own faith.” People don’t feel comfortable saying they are Presbyterian or Christian. In Egypt, however, it’s the opposite, she said. “It’s legally recognized that you’re going to talk about your religion because even on your ID card it says your religion.”

Mofid went further, explaining that in childhood in Egypt, there was a sense of competition even between various faiths and especially different Christian traditions, which motivated young Presbyterians to know the specifics of their tradition inside and out. He said that by middle school, young Egyptians were articulating their beliefs and representing their faith to others. This culture motivated them all, whether Coptic Orthodox or Presbyterian, to study and learn even more about their denomination.

“Along the Road” is a weekly podcast designed with mid council leaders and congregational leaders in mind and hosted by izumi, Manuel Silva-Esterrich, and Martha Miller. New episodes are typically released on Wednesdays, and alternate between “Nourish” episodes geared toward ruling elders and deacons, and “Encounter” episodes geared toward mid council leaders. This season has focused on the theme of Presbyterian identity.

In the Jan. 15 episode, titled “Encounter: We Are Part of a Bigger Family Around the World,” izumi reminded listeners that the church — made up of its members, deacons, ruling elders, and teaching elders or ministers — is called “to go forth as agents of God’s mission in the world.” [Book of Order, W-3.0502]

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Mirna shared that her journey of coming to understand and embrace her own Presbyterian identity was borne out of her experiences teaching Sunday school as a high school student in the U.S. and recognizing herself and her own upbringing in those teachings. This sense of identity was further deepened as she traveled back and forth between Egypt and the United States and saw what shared beliefs connected the Presbyterians she interacted with in each place.

Both Mirna and Mofid emphasized that understanding one’s Presbyterian identity isn’t just important for knowing how you are different from other Christians, but also how you are connected to other Presbyterians around the world.

“There is a history behind Presbyterians that’s rich and deep,” Mirna said. “Sometimes we lose ourselves in the U.S. context of Christianity. We think being Presbyterian is just about being in the U.S. and the Bible was written for us right now in the U.S. context. But we take out the richness of the culture of Scripture, and the richness of the people who read their own lives into Scripture too.”

Mirna went on to point out that the Presbyterian Church is global and “every culture has their own experience with Scripture that we should be able to take into account.” Doing so is what it means to be a family, she explained.

Mofid said he believes the pulpit provides a crucial opportunity to teach church-goers what it means to be Presbyterian.   

“If we teach our people, our members, what we believe and that we are part of a bigger family around the world, that will help the people understand. It’s very important to know that you’re a Presbyterian church and what you believe and who you are.”

While they are based in San Diego, Mofid and Mirna travel to Egypt frequently to do missional work. Their work is rooted in responding directly to the needs and desires that those they are serving have voiced. This includes helping 150 Presbyterian pastors there, who each serve at least one congregation, with both financial assistance for their families and ongoing education opportunities. They also minister to those who are living in poverty and need food, housing and medical care, among other things. In California, along with youth volunteers they put on an annual Arabian Night event, which educates and raises funds to support their work in Egypt. All of this work, Mofid said, reminds them that we are all part of one larger family.

When asked what advice they would offer to mid council leaders within the PC(USA) seeking to nourish Presbyterian identity, they repeated the importance of understanding ourselves as one family. 
“Are we, as Presbyterians, strong in our identity?” Mirna suggested as a question we should ask ourselves and our people. “Do we know what we believe or do we just show up to church on Sunday?”

Around the world, people put their lives on the line to go to church, Mirna pointed out. In the face of such danger, the importance of one’s faith identity becomes clear. She invited mid council leaders to encourage their congregations to visit other Presbyterian contexts and communities whose circumstances are different and learn from that exposure who Presbyterians are together.

Other episodes of “Along the Road” released in January include conversations with Dr. Dianna Wright from the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations; the Rev. Scott Anderson, who was the first openly gay person ordained as a minister in the PC(USA); and Ryan Knauber, who was Catholic and then Buddhist before becoming Presbyterian. You can find all episodes of the podcast on the PC(USA) website or on Spotify, Apple, and wherever else you get your podcasts.