Momentous events in Black history have occurred in August over the years:
Dr. Heath W. Carter is the new senior co-editor of The Journal of Presbyterian History. Carter, associate professor of American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary, will work alongside Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS) Executive Director Nancy J. Taylor in overseeing The Journal, which PHS has published since 1901.
Applications for the 2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium production team are now being accepted. This team consists of youth and adults who share a passion for youth ministry and work alongside staff to refine the many layers of Triennium and make this large-scale event happen.
Just as Christians divide history according to the birth of Christ, so we might divide modern history by another birth, July 16, 1945 —BAB and AAB, Before the Atom Bomb and After the Atom Bomb. The test, named “Trinity” by Robert Oppenheimer because he loved the poetry of John Donne, produced a new world, one in which humanity could possibly destroy itself. A dangerous era was born, one that could not be revoked. Christopher Nolan’s massive film, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, shows how the scientist that presided over Trinity clearly understood this. His obsession with how the A-bomb would be used after the war even led to his professional undoing. In some ways, this scientific thriller can be viewed as a cautionary film.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been keeping a close watch on Hurricane Idalia, which pummeled Florida and other areas Wednesday, bringing strong winds, rain and dangerous storm surge.
What does it take to bring Presbyterian history to life for church members, researchers, and others interested in the early days of the denomination’s presence in the world? The bulk of that rests on the shoulders of Nancy Taylor, who serves as executive director of the Presbyterian Historical Society as part of the Office of the General Assembly.
In this week’s OGA in Focus, Taylor says church history provides a needed perspective for people looking to the future.
Last year, the 225th General Assembly approved overture RGJ-13, sponsored by the Advocating for Black Girls and Women Task Force. Overture RGJ-13 stems from a report from the “Disparities Experienced by Black Women and Girls” Task Force Report. This report highlights ways Black women and girls have historically and still experience interpersonal and institutional violence within society broadly and within the church.
In 2022, the 225th General Assembly approved an overture to meaningfully address the wounds inflicted on Alaska Natives, who were directly impacted by the sin of the unwarranted 1963 closure of Memorial Presbyterian Church, a thriving, multiethnic, intercultural church in Juneau, Alaska.
The latest in a series of Matthew 25 webinars provided inspiration and information about using effective strategies for eradicating systemic poverty, including banding together to build power.
Righting a wrong from its celebrated predecessor 60 years ago, when just one woman was invited to speak during the March on Washington, about three dozen women spoke Monday on the 60th anniversary of the original march during “She Speaks,” billed as “a virtual assembly to fight for the same demands that were made 60 years ago, demands that our nation’s leaders have yet to fulfill.”