The 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) declared the years 2022 to 2032 to be the Decade to End Gun Violence and called on the church to recommit itself to the work.
After a deadly shooting at Westside Middle School near Jonesboro, Arkansas, David Gill and others pined for a way to aid students in their emotional and spiritual recovery. He began delving into the idea of holding a healing camp at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center, where he worked a few hours away.
A theologian, a scientist and a Hebrew Bible scholar stepped into a Presbyterians for Earth Care webinar last week, and the result was an informative exploration of Pope Francis’ Oct. 4 Apostolic Exhortation, “Laudate Deum,” which implores “all people of good will” to turn from their consumptive lifestyle and care for God’s Creation before it’s too late. Watch the 72-minute webinar, hosted by PEC Moderator the Rev. Bruce Gillette, here.
When Kat Green first arrived at her current call as director of Children’s Ministry at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park, Maryland, recruiting volunteers was her first priority.
The Rev. Dr. Dieter T. Hessel, a Presbyterian minister, educator, author, and leading religious advocate in the global ecological justice movement, died Sept. 22 at the age of 87 at his home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Last Thursday night, the Presbyterian Historical Society celebrated the completion of the Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon Digital Collection, a collaborative effort among PHS, The Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership at Union Presbyterian Seminary and The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary (Columbia University Libraries).
Coinciding with the fall PHS board meeting, the event saw friends of the society mixing with PHS staff, seminary leaders from Richmond and New York City and members of the Cannon family. After outdoor food and refreshments, attendees gathered inside for a speaker’s program.
In the tradition of beloved writers including Frederick Buechner, the Rev. Dr. Anna Carter Florence has written “A is for Alabaster: 52 Reflections on the Stories of Scriptures,” published earlier this month by Westminster John Knox Press. Carter Florence, the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary, appeared last week alongside the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty of the Presbyterian Foundation on his show, “Leading Theologically.”
Earthquakes in Afghanistan and massive flooding in Libya have left scores of people in need of humanitarian aid. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is among those providing help through partners active in the affected areas.
“Representation is not simply having more diversity in gatherings, but discerning in such a way that a multiplicity of voices can be heard,” said the Rev. Eric Thomas, co-moderator of the General Assembly Committee on Representation (GACOR).
Thomas was talking about the committee’s process observation during the last General Assembly, when its members moved between assembly spaces, observing discernment and decision making in committees and plenaries. He could also have been summarizing a core principle of all GACOR’s ministry.
The Rev. Dr. Cleo LaRue appeared online earlier this month as part of the Synod of the Covenant’s Equipping Preachers series. His nearly 90-minute webinar, hosted by the synod’s executive, the Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick, was entitled “A Refresher Course on Sermon Preparation.” It’s available here.