It saddens me that my last statement as Acting Stated Clerk is about another senseless tragedy that should not have occurred. Sonya Massey was a woman in need of assistance, and the very people who were sworn to protect her are the ones who ended her life.

Gentle Gulf breezes set the array of colorful flags from many nations high aloft at the Presbyterian Pan American School (PPAS), where they heralded a sea change at the small, college-preparatory school located some 90 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Theological education in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is stepping up to the upheaval of our time, says the Rev. Dr. Katherine H. Smith. “Our theological education institutions are innovative, responsive and responsible,” she said.