As the desperate search continues in Haiti for remaining survivors, confirmation has been received that Hopital Sainte Croix (Holy Cross Hospital) in Leogane — a major focus of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission in Haiti for decades — collapsed in the Jan. 12 quake.
The hospital is a ministry of the PC(USA)’s partner church in Haiti, the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti.
A medical worker living in Leogane told National Public Radio this morning (Jan. 15) that the 7.3-magnitude quake, whose epicenter was very near Leogane, destroyed the entire city. “There is nothing left standing,” she said on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
The …
The National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus has condemned an attack on Christmas Eve worshipers in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, that killed eight Coptic Christians.
The Jan. 6 (Orthodox Christmas Eve) drive-by shooting also killed a Muslim security guard and wounded nine others. Two days later, police arrested three men suspected of carrying out the attack.
The full text of the National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus’ statement, signed by moderator the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel and the Rev. Fuad Khouri, chair of the caucus’ Peacemaking Committee:
A statement on behalf of the terrorized Christian community in Nag Hammadi, Egypt
The National Middle Eastern …
The 6th General Assembly of the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC) has concluded its historic gathering and issued a final communiqué. FMEEC includes Reformed, Anglican, and Lutheran churches in the region. The Assembly met from Jan. 11-13.
As reported earlier this week, the Assembly unanimously adopted a statement supporting the ordination of women as pastors by its member churches. The statement was drafted on the spot in response to a report by FMEEC’s theology committee, which found no biblical or theological reasons to oppose female ordination.
Considerable time was spent at the Assembly discussing the precipitous decline …
Two Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) missionaries in Haiti and mission teams from three PC(USA) congregations that were in the country when the devastating earthquake struck Tuesday (Jan. 12) have been accounted for.
The Haitian Red Cross estimated today (Jan. 14) that between 45,000 and 50,000 died in the late-afternoon 7.3-magnitude temblor that struck near the Haitian capital of Port au Prince. Much of the country, particularly areas around Port au Prince are totally destroyed.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has dispatched $100,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing offering funds and issued a special appeal to support ongoing relief efforts. The crisis response …
The Presbyterian Writers Guild (PWG) is seeking entries for its annual Jim Angell Award. The award has been presented each year since 1996 to the Presbyterian author of the best first book published during the previous calendar year.
Nominations are being accepted now for the best first book by a Presbyterian author during the calendar year of 2009. Books may be of any type — fiction, non-fiction, theological, how-to, photos with commentary, poetry, etc.
The award was established by the Guild and the family of James Angell, a prolific and respected Presbyterian writer, as a means to recognize and encourage …
The crisis response team of Presbyterian World Mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is meeting at the Presbyterian Center here today (Jan. 13) to assess the situation in Haiti after an earthquake devastated much of the country Tuesday afternoon, killing thousands, injuring countless others and causing billions of dollars of property damage.
Of immediate concern is the condition of PC(USA) mission workers in Haiti Sharyn Babe and Mark Hare.
The Presbyterian World Mission security team reported late this morning that “Sharyn Babe, the PC(USA) mission worker closest to the earthquake’s epicenter, and her husband, Rodney, have been located and …
The Rev. Jin S. Kim, founding pastor of Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, was unanimously endorsed January 9 by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area to stand for moderator of the upcoming 219th General Assembly (2010). The Assembly will be held July 3-10 in Minneapolis.
Kim joins Elder Cynthia Bolbach of National Capital Presbytery as candidates for the top elected post in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The winner will succeed the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow of San Francisco, moderator of the 218th General Assembly.
Kim, 41, was born in Korea and came to the United States with his family …
Churches like Mill River Presbyterian Church in Mill River, N.C., are learning that doing mission work abroad not only increases understanding of other parts of the world, but also promotes growth much closer to home.
The Rev. Randall Boggs, pastor of Mill River, serves as the chair of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina’s Guatemala Task Force, which puts his church at the forefront of the mission work done with the presbytery’s Central American partners.
“The partnership is a three-way partnership involving the presbyteries of Western North Carolina, Suchitepequez and Sur Occidente,” said Grace Boyer, associate for missions …
Rows of neat suburban houses stand on the parched, barren hillside. A water tower looms over them, irrigating lush greenery in the gardens. But outside this West Bank settlement’s perimeter fence sits the tiny Bedouin community of Umm Al Kher, whose residents are desperate for water.
“On Being A Good Neighbor” is the theme of the 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration planned from 1 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15. The public is invited to join in the celebration.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Cultural Proficiency, in collaboration with other PC(USA) offices, has planned this community event. It will start with a short worship service at the Presbyterian Center, 100 Witherspoon St., followed by a group walk to two locations of significance to reflect on Louisville's involvement with the Underground Railroad, immigrant activism and faith in community.
The first stop will be near …