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.

Joseph D. Small, director of Theology, Worship and Education Ministries, has named Clare Lewis publisher of Congregational Ministries Publishing. The appointment furthers the implementation of CMP’s recently revised strategic business plan.

The General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) recently approved the strategic plan that will lead CMP to financial self-sustainability in all English language resources.  In the revised business model, sale of resources will cover expenses for all English language material. The GAMC will continue to support the net cost of educational resources in Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, and Braille as an integral part of the ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  …

"On one level I told people that there is no one more surprised at this than I am — though at the same time it has been a very profound sense of call," said the Rev. Roger Dermody, the new deputy executive director for mission of the General Assembly Mission Council.

"I was at a stage where I had been at the same place for 25 years. We were starting some satellite campuses, I had taken a sabbatical, my wife, Megan, and I had adopted three children, moved into a new house — things were pretty stable, pretty settled," recounted …

Recently, I was invited to preach at the 150th anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church of Fairborn, Ohio. It was a grand occasion with good music, good stories, and good fellowship — despite the lack of any charter members.

This congregation has an interesting history. In the early part of the 1900s, they were the First Presbyterian Church of Osborne. They had a very fine brick Victorian Gothic church like many across the country in that period.

Then the Great Dayton Flood of 1913 hit. It caused huge damage and led to the first flood district control in the nation. …

The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly has released his greatest "Hopes for the 219th General Assembly (2010)" of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The University of Dubuque has decided to “step away” from plans to collaborate with Sheldon Jackson College (SJC) to revive part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)-related school. 

In a June 4 letter to the SJC trustees, Dubuque President Jeffrey Bullock said the Iowa college has problems with the trustees’ response to UD’s proposal for taking over a part of the campus, and also with the reaction of city officials to UD’s proposal for a financial contribution by the city. 

“It appears you aspire to have an entity take over your campus and, in effect, run it as it was previously …

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

The best way to reach people is simply to talk to them. That’s been the experience of the Rev. Rick Baggett, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Ardmore in Oklahoma. 

Located between Oklahoma City and Dallas, Ardmore is a mid-size city in the heart of cattle country. First Presbyterian is an old congregation and is typical in that it has mostly …

The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People has approved grants totaling $260,070 to 14 self-help projects in the United States.

The money is from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering.

Projects range from financial literacy education for newly arrived refugees in Maine to support for a group of residents in a low-income Puerto Rican neighborhood to create a landscaping service business.

Grants were approved at SDOP's national committee meeting in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic May 19-22.

The projects and grants:

Community Financial Literacy, Portland, Maine: $20,000 to provide this community of newly arrived refugees with financial education …

Records show that Kake Memorial Presbyterian Church was chartered with 15 members on Nov. 26, 1912. Eighteen months from now, the hardy congregation — still numbering about 20 members — will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

"If we had a pastor we’d probably have a few more members," says Mary Ann Kondro, who moved with her husband, Leo, to Kake from their native Washington state 32 years ago. Mary Ann, who serves as clerk of session, has been a member of Kake Memorial for 26 years. On the day she joined the church, Leo and their two children, Karen and Ben, …

The Rev. Michael Jinkins, academic dean at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has been called as the new president of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He will start Sept. 1.

Jinkins succeeds the Rev. Dean K. Thompson, who has served as president since 2004.

"Of the many diverse and qualified candidates we considered and engaged in prayerful conversation and discernment, Dr. Jinkins most commendably envisioned our mission to educate men and women to participate in the redemptive ministry of Jesus Christ in the world," said the Rev. Conrad Sharps, a trustee and chairman of the search committee. The committee comprised …