A new Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding study honors the 50th anniversary of the Confession of 1967 and the anticipated adoption of the Confession of Belhar as a confessional standard of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is one of a dozen Christian denominations and ecumenical groups that have sent a letter to the White House, urging the president to do more to help Syrian refugees. The letter, sent this week, said not enough attention is being paid to the circumstances that have led refugees to leave their homes for parts unknown.
Plans are under way for the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) set for June 18–25, 2016, in Portland, Oregon. Check out the new assembly web site, featuring this video about the city and the places hope is flourishing there.
For more than 50 years, the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church has helped local children succeed in school through its own in-house tutoring program. But the Pennsylvania church traces its interest in education back to the late 1800’s.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) collegiate ministries network, UKirk, is expanding. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC) is in the process of adopting UKirk branding for its collegiate ministries, furthering strengthening both the network and ties between the two denominations.
Syria has not known peace since March 2011 when Arab-spring inspired demonstrations for democracy quickly grew into an armed conflict. More than 300,000 people have been killed. Millions have fled. Tens of thousands of homes have been completely destroyed, including some entire cities. The economy has collapsed and, without electricity, much of the country is in darkness. The so-called Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) is growing, as is the presence of foreign military advisors from several countries. Of the 23 Presbyterian churches in Syria, four have been completely destroyed and most have lost the majority of their membership through violence or immigration.
Many PC(USA) congregations will be preaching, teaching, praying or holding a service of healing during October to stop sexual violence. It’s part of the critical global initiative to work for reconciliation in cultures of violence, including our own. Presbyterians Against Domestic Violence Network (PADVN), one of the 10 networks of the Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association (PHEWA), offers a packet of worship and awareness resources to assist Presbyterians as agents of healing from intimate violence.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice (EAD) has announced the theme for next year’s national gathering in Washington, D.C. The gathering is titled “Lift Every Voice! – Racism, Class and Power.” The conference will be held April 15-18, 2016 in Arlington, Va., across the Potomac River from the U.S. Capital building.
While meeting in Lake Balaton, Hungary, the first week of September for a Presbyterian World Mission conference themed “The Church without Walls,” news broke that thousands of asylum seekers, most from the Middle East, had crowded into Keleti train station in the heart of Budapest, and that the station was closed.
The Rev. Dr. Antonio Aja, moderator of the National Hispanic/Latino Presbyterian Caucus, has issued a congratulatory note on the appointment of Tony De La Rosa as the interim executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.