The Rev. Harold Kurtz, an Idaho farm kid who became the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s pre-eminent evangelist to peoples without the gospel around the world, died of brain cancer Dec. 18 in Portland, Ore., surrounded by his family. He was 85.
Countless Presbyterians and others have heard Kurtz’s familiar refrain: “The gospel is out of control!” No one has been more responsible for bringing that catchphrase to reality all over the world. As a pastor, missionary for 22 years in Ethiopia and then as director of the Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship from 1983-2000 Kurtz led Presbyterians into evangelistic mission in places most …
In order to take some-much needed time off and to allow readers to focus on family and congregation during the Christmas holiday, the Presbyterian News Service (PNS) will be closed, except for emergencies, from Dec. 21-Jan. 4.
Stories will be posted on Dec. 18 and will resume Jan. 4, 2010. With the close of the year, PNS will have posted more than 1,050 stories in 2009.
PNS Coordinator Jerry Van Marter will be reachable by email and by cell phone at (502) 472-5106. PNS Reporter Bethany Furkin will be reachable by email and by cell phone at (502) 287-7497.
The …
GOLETA, Calif. — The Rev. Darrell Guder, dean of Princeton Theological Seminary and author of Missional Church is the keynote speaker for the eighth annual mission conference of the Presbytery of Santa Barbara on Jan. 16, 2010.
The conference, under the theme “Missional Church,” will take place at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara.
Other featured speakers at the conference are professors Miriam Adeney of Seattle Pacific University and Ryan Bolger of Fuller Theological Seminary. Adeney’s new book is entitled Kingdom Without Borders: The Untold Story Of Global Christianity. As associate professor of church in contemporary culture, Bolger’s scholarly …
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation;
for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created,
things visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers –
all things have been created through him and for him.
He himself is before all things,
and in him all things hold together. — Colossians 1:15-17 (NRSV)
Light is the radiant image of God’s goodness, in creation and at Christmas. The Creator commands, “Let there be light!” 1 — and the universe takes form. At the nativity of Christ, light breaks forth …
The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta has elected the Rev. Thomas Evans as its new executive presbyter, effective Feb. 1, 2010.
Evans is currently executive for Sheppards and Lapsley Presbytery, based in Birmingham, Ala. He has served churches in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Magnolia, Ark. and Buffalo, N.Y. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and holds both Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary.
“We are excited about Dr. Evans coming as he leads this great presbytery into the future in the coming years,” says Elder Charles F. Easley, Sr. chair of …
World peace is largely dependent on the search for peace between Palestine and Israel, Palestinian Christian leaders said Dec. 11 as they released a statement popularly referred to as the “Kairos Palestine Document.”
At a ceremony which brought together a wide spectrum of Palestinian civil society, including church leaders, and more than 50 people from every region of the world, Palestinian Christians said they hoped the Kairos Document would “energize people in their own regions and countries to join the struggle for a just peace in Palestine and Israel.”
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) representatives to the World Council of Churches-sponsored conference …
The Rev. Arabella Meadows-Rogers died from the effects of pancreatic cancer at 4:30 this morning (Dec. 17). Her husband, Rob, and her sister, Louisa, were by her bedside.
According to long-time friend, the Rev. Laura Jervis, Rob and Louisa both report that Meadows-Rogers’ death was peaceful and merciful and that her faith was steadfast to the end.
“Arabella was a strong witness among us,” said the Rev. J. Oscar McCloud, acting executive presbyter for the Presbytery of New York City, in a statement released this afternoon.
“(She was) someone whose faith was deep and whose commitment to Christ …
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of stories about congregations engaged in significant outreach and evangelism ministries, reflecting the General Assembly’s commitment to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide.” — Jerry L. Van Marter
God-seekers scouring the television listings or surfing the Internet in hopes of finding peace, comfort, guidance or divine inspiration through Jesus Christ can now find him by visiting The Well.
Inspired by a group of individuals from First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, Fla., who were not pleased with what they saw on television and the Internet, The Well is a Gospel-centered, …
Import Peace, a Presbyterian group committed to helping Palestinians by selling their fair trade products, is extending the healing power of olive oil.
While Import Peace’s high-quality, organic olive oil isn’t marketed to U.S. consumers for its medicinal properties, their purchase of a substance used as a salve since biblical times is bringing health care to Palestinians. The Brainerd, Minn.–based organization recently gave $4,000 to St. Luke’s Hospital in Nablus, a key health care provider in the Occupied Territories.
This year, St. Luke’s began performing neurosurgery and is the only advanced neurosurgery center serving the West Bank and …
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of stories about congregations engaged in significant outreach and evangelism ministries, reflecting the General Assembly’s commitment to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide.” — Jerry L. Van Marter
Even while earning his living testing water, Archie Fugate never stopped “testing the spirits.”
Nurtured and raised in the 18-member Drift (Ky.) Presbyterian Church in Transylvania Presbytery, Fugate clearly remembered the day when he asked God to give him the wisdom to help the small congregation grow, never suspecting that much of the growth he was praying for would ultimately be his …