Many people know the famous line "Houston, we have a problem," referring to the Apollo 13 lunar mission.

Now, in light of possible cuts of government funding for NASA and its programs, it's Houston that might have the problem. Workers at Johnson Space Center are looking at potential layoffs that could affect as many as 12,000 people, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty.

President Obama has already announced cancellation of the Constellation Program, and Congress is considering further budget cuts for NASA, which would likely mean job cuts in October, the beginning of NASA’s new fiscal year.

The Rev. Steve Oglesbee, …

The Rev. Byron Wade, vice moderator of the 218th (2008) General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), looked out on his audience at the Clearwater 2010 conference here, and asked for a show of hands from the “boomers.”

He told them, “You are the last generation that goes to church on a regular basis.”

In an April 17 address on change in church, Wade spoke about a church in a foreign land. The conference had the theme, “Finding Our Way in the Wilderness.”

“We’re going through something in the church,” Wade said. “Our current church is in a foreign culture. …

Anyone involved in U.S.-Mexico border issues, will tell you that there are no easy answers. But that does not negate the need to continue raising the questions.

The April 15-17 "Crossing Borders, Encountering God" conference here — co-sponsored by the Synods of the Sun and Southwest of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Presbyteries of Noroeste and Israel of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico — brought together close to 200 participants from both churches for worship, workshops, teaching and learning from one another about the complex border relations between the two countries and churches.

Among the questions that were …

The Rev. John A. Dalles, pastor of Wekiva Presbyterian Church in Longwood, Fla., has been named winner of the 14th annual hymn-writing contest sponsored by Macalester Plymouth United Church of St. Paul, Minn.

This year’s contest — for a hymn to be sung Labor Day weekend — asked for “words that especially address the plight of the unemployed. Traditionally, we have celebrated work on Labor Day. But what if one does not have work of is under-employed? Denied the opportunity to earn a living, an unemployed worker often questions his or her value and worth. We hope to explore …

General Assembly Mission Council Executive Director Linda Bryant Valentine today announced that the Rev. Roger Dermody has agreed to accept the position of deputy executive director for mission. In this position, Dermody will oversee the council's mission activities.

Dermody has served as a pastor for 13 years, including the past nine years as executive pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian Church, a thriving 3,000-member congregation in Los Angeles, Calif., where he manages and oversees the senior leadership and the day-to-day ministry of a staff of 67 employees and an annual budget of $9.8 million.

"I am humbled and thrilled," said Dermody, …

After two years of planning, the timing of the April 15-17 "Crossing Borders, Encountering God" conference seemed so perfect as to be providential.

"We are gathered here to have this conference around issues of immigration and borders and on the very day we gather we have these two events — ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids throughout Arizona and the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1070, mandating law enforcement to determine immigration status, going to the governor's desk," said the Rev. Mark Adams, director of Frontera de Cristo Ministries and a member of the conference planning team.

Co-sponsored by the …

Columbia Presbyterian Church here was filled to the rafters as the Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS) community gathered April 12 to celebrate the inauguration of the Rev. Stephen A. Hayner as the ninth president in the school’s 182-year history.

The event had the feel of a family reunion and in the middle of it all stood a grinning Steve Hayner.       

The colorful, not quite solemn, processional reflected the growing diversity at Columbia Seminary and across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The music — in many languages — was yet another symbol of the changing denomination.

After the attendees reaffirmed their baptismal vows, …

The moderators and vice-moderators of the 18 committees for the 219th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have been named. The leadership was chosen from the 712 commissioners to this year's assembly, to be held July 3-10 in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the 218th General Assembly (2008), selected the leadership with the assistance of the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, the Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council, the Director of Operations for the Office of the General Assembly, the chairperson of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, a …

Editor’s note: This is the first in series of articles leading up to the Uniting General Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council to create the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Jerry Van Marter of the Presbyterian News Service will serve as English-language reporter for the Council event.

When delegates to the Uniting General Council (UGC) gather this June here for a Pow-Wow, they will be celebrating at the heart of this city’s faith-filled history.

It is here, in a culturally rich city near the shores of mighty Lake Michigan, that the World Communion …

It is rainy season in Haiti. While that sometimes creates terrible challenges for those whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake, it is also good news. The rainy season is the growing season. And for thousands of farmers, it is both an opportunity for economic recovery and a chance for them to play an important role in their country’s healing process.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is partnering with the Presbyterian Hunger Program to provide funds and staff support for seeds of hope for Haiti. PDA has committed $500,000 to purchase seeds and tools for farmers who are trying to feed …