The Accra Confession represents a ministry of ecological and economic justice, with the idea that a different world is possible, said the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

Kirkpatrick spoke at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary's Festival of Theology & Reunion, held April 25-28.

WARC adopted the Accra Confession in 2004. It's not a doctrinal confession — it challenges economic doctrines that exclude the poor and vulnerable and deny God’s sovereignty.

Kirkpatrick, a former stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)' General Assembly and visiting professor of ecumenical and global ministries at LPTS, called …

The Belhar Confession was formed out of parochial necessity, but its appeal is ecumenical and universal, said Allan Boesak, the opening speaker of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary's April 25-28 Festival of Theology and Reunion.

Boesak, a well-known theologian, anti-apartheid activist and political leader in South Africa, spoke about the Belhar Confession's roots, meaning and significance.

Adopted by the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in South Africa in 1986, the confession was a response to apartheid in that country and particularly focuses on reconciliation, justice and unity.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is considering adding Belhar to its Book of Confessions …

Rebecca Barnes-Davies, a student at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and consultant for environmental and social justice ministries for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has been named winner of the Presbyterian Writers Guild (PWG) 2010 Angell Award for the best first book by a Presbyterian author.

Barnes-Davies will be honored at the PWG luncheon at the upcoming 219th General Assembly in Minneapolis for her book 50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Help Make a Difference (Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, Ky).

The Angell Award, named for longtime Presbyterian writer Jim Angell, is given each Assembly …

The latest candidate to stand for moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was named yesterday.

The Presbytery of Western North Carolina endorsed the Rev. Maggie Palmer Lauterer to stand for moderator at its presbytery meeting.

Lauterer is the third candidate for the moderator position, joining the Rev. Jin S. Kim (Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area) and Elder Cynthia Bolbach (National Capital Presbytery). The new moderator will be elected July 3, the first day of the weeklong biennial meeting in Minneapolis. The winner will succeed the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the 218th GA.

Since …

Letters to God opened April 9. It is a film in which the characters talk in a matter-of-fact way about their Christian faith. Co-directed by David Nixon and Patrick Doughtie, it's inspired by a true story about a boy and a man, each with serious problems.

Mr. Nixon was a producer for two other explicitly "Christian" films, Facing the Giants and Fireproof. Both of these earlier low-budget films astounded critics by raking in millions of dollars at the box office, beating out many studio and better-connected independent films during their opening weeks at theaters. Thus, the producers have high …

As church-goers we should "begin to imagine our churches a little differently," said the Rev. Carol Howard Merritt, an author and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister, who spoke April 17 at the Clearwater 2010 conference here.

Using the Israelites' time in the wilderness as a metaphor for today's church, Merritt said, "We’re kind of in a wilderness. We're in decline. Everyone knows it." Addressing the conference theme — "Finding Our Way in the Wilderness" — Merritt asked, "What's over the horizon?"

Speaking of the first congregation she served in Louisiana, Merritt said, "I looked out at my congregation. I started adding …

Donald S. Marsh, 86, who with his companion and collaborator of 50 years Richard Avery provided the soundtrack to a generation of Presbyterian camp- and conference-goers, died at Casa Real Health Center in Santa Fe, N.M. on April 10.

For more than 40 years, Marsh served as choirmaster and director of arts for First Presbyterian Church in Port Jervis, N.Y., a small city 80 miles northwest of Manhattan. During that time he collaborated with Avery, the church’s pastor, in the composition of more than 150 published hymns, carols and anthems.

He also founded a church-sponsored community theater program called Presby …

From the outside, Myung-Sung Church doesn’t look any more imposing than any number of "tall-steeple" churches around the world.

Perhaps it's the church’s location, tucked snugly in a modest neighborhood in high-rise punctuated Seoul. Or the steady stream — but not hectic throng — of worshipers  who make their way from the nearby subway station to the front doors of the building. Or the roomy but not overly expansive plaza that fronts the church building.

But one step inside Myung-Sung assures the visitor that this is not just any First Presbyterian Church in Podunk.

Thirty-year-old Myung-Sung Church is the largest …

Church World Service (CWS), the ecumenical humanitarian agency that includes the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.) has joined President Obama in condemning a new Arizona law that instructs police in that state to  seek out and arrest illegal immigrants.

The new legislation, adopted Friday (April 23), has sparked widespread protests in Arizona.

CWS Executive Director John. L. McCullough said in a statement that the enactment of the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act" "goes beyond anti-immigrant sentiments and supports racial profiling. This legislation feels reactionary and hateful."

The full text of McCullough’s statement:

"We are deeply concerned about …

When Nick Shargo retired from law enforcement in 2003, he in no way saw his career as ending.

The 30-year veteran of crime lab and detective work instead welcomed this latest life passage as an opportunity to strengthen his gifts as a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) elder.

"In law enforcement I always felt that my work experiences were interrelated with my growth in faith and church," said Shargo. "Whether I was taking a class offered by the FBI or called into a tense situation, I know that God was always taking me where He thought I should go. My work and …