The Rev. Rosemary C. Mitchell, a Presbyterian teaching elder and certified fund-raising executive (CFRE), who joined the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) staff as a mission engagement advisor in January 2014, has been promoted to interim senior director for Funds Development effective March 7.

The board of directors for the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) met last week to report on the financial status of the organization, discuss the 2017 benefits plan, and preview its new online portal for members and, for the first time, employers.

Around the globe, there is a need for faithful, biblically grounded leaders with a concern for reconciliation, tolerance, and social justice. With the help of two scholarship funds established by the Global Mission Ministry Committee at Saint Mark Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, MD, and mission co-workers Eric and Rebecca Hinderliter, students at Lithuania Christian College (LCC) are getting much-needed financial help.

Twenty-six of 46 eligible employees of the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have taken voluntary separation packages as part of cost-savings measures instituted earlier this spring. The program, announced Jan. 7, was offered to PMA staff members at least 60 years of age with at least five years of continuous service at the PC(USA) as of Dec. 31, 2015. The deadline for participation was Feb. 29.

The website that houses Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly business has gotten a facelift and tummy tuck.

PC-Biz, home to assembly business going back to 2006, has a fresh look and an updated structure, improving navigation and accessibility for users. And, the makeover is just in time as commissioners, advisory delegates, and others prepare for the 222nd General Assembly (2016), set for June 18–25, in Portland, Oregon.

In a rare moment of dissent at the February Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) Board meeting, one group took exception with the Justice Committee’s affirmation not to divest from fossil fuel companies. The Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI), part of the Compassion, Peace and Justice Ministry and responsible for recommending action to the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), opted instead to recommend further engagement on climate change with all companies, including those in the energy sector. It’s a recommendation that Fossil Free PCUSA feels kicks the can down the road and fails to meet the General Assembly mandate.

The Rev. Dr. Mark A. Lomax will be the keynote speaker at Compassion, Peace and Justice Training Day (April 15) as part of Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C. More than 1,000 people from various denominations, including 200 Presbyterians, gather annually in the nation’s capital to discuss important national and international issues. The conference wraps up with a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional representatives.

The Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP)—through its Joining Hands program—is inviting people interested in digging deeper into the root causes of poverty to join one of three roundtables focusing on global issues that create poverty and affect our global partners and the United States. The idea is to not only treat the symptoms of poverty but eradicate its causes.

Registration is open for the 222nd General Assembly (2016) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), where some 3,000 Presbyterians and others will gather to conduct the business of the denomination, worship, and fellowship.

Mid council staff, theological institution staff, and observers can now go online to sign up for the biennial assembly set for June 18–25 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Commissioners, advisory delegates, General Assembly agency staff and elected members, and other invited guests are receiving emails with special links to use for assembly registration.

The Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana, a writer, pastor, conference leader, and highly sought-after speaker, has been named the recipient of the 2016 David Steele Distinguished Writer Award by the Presbyterian Writers Guild.