As Stewardship Kaleidoscope 2024 opened in Portland, Oregon Sept. 23, attendees had probably seen the “Keep Portland Weird” slogan in several places. The annual conference is presented by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The perils of the Civil Rights Movement and the need for continued racial healing and activism were apparent as the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program took a group on a humbling journey through the Deep South and to other historically significant spots.
In preparation for its annual conference, the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE) has announced its educators of the year. Among the honorees is Miatta Wilson, associate in the Office for Christian Formation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Wilson has been recognized as the Enrich-Educator of the Year for 2024. Two Sustain-Lifetime Achievement Awards were also announced to honor retired educators the Revs. Roberta Dodds Ingersoll and Zeta Lamberson.
As the one-year anniversary of the horrific actions committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, approaches, and the subsequent sustained response by Israel in retaliation for the taking and killing of hostages commenced, there appears to be no let-up in the violence that’s left more than 40,000 killed and nearly 2 million people displaced within Gaza. Neither does there appear to be any increased hope for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, and fears of a wider war within the region increased when Israel launched ground operations targeting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Iran launched ballistic missiles into Israeli territory earlier this week.
To Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, the staff and students of Dar al-Kalima University College
Bethlehem, Palestine
Dear Friends in Christ,
I write to you on behalf of your partner, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), to say that we join you and stand with you in grief and anger concerning the September 16, 2024 attack on Dar al-Kalima University College.
As longtime ministry colleagues in the Presbytery of Charlotte in North Carolina, the Revs. Drs. Lori Archer Raible and Amantha Barbee have maintained a close friendship through the years, united in their love of neighbor and their shared passion for justice.
Nearly a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall, communities that sustained damage are still reeling from the consequences of the storm that tore through a major swath of the southeastern United States and caused an estimated 160 deaths.
The Gospel writer Luke set out to provide an “orderly account” of the life of Jesus. Yet reading the story backwards yields insights we can appreciate even more today, said the Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto in the second plenary address at Stewardship Kaleidoscope on Sept. 24. The annual conference is presented by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The PC(USA) Africa Mission Networks and the Office of Public Witness (OPW), located in Washington, D.C., are collaborating to advocate for the U.S. government to support vaccination access for low-income countries through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Specifically, there are two new malaria vaccinations that have been approved for use by the World Health Organization (WHO) that have proven successful after decades of research.
Despite rhetoric to the contrary, there are many people making positive contributions to their communities after migrating to this country, and churches can do more to serve as allies.