(OGA) The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has sent a letter to Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, speaking against his position on companies that participate in boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. The governor recently signed an executive order to ban the awarding of state contracts to companies that support the BDS movement. In the letter, Nelson says the executive order contains a number of misrepresentations and joins Kentucky with the Israeli government’s efforts to suppress criticism of its violation of Palestinian human rights. “Your resolution cuts directly at the heart of the historical commitment of Presbyterians that, as a matter of our faith, we are bound to ensure that the resources we have, including our financial resources, are used in ways that reflect our belief in the biblical mandate to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God,” the letter reads. Nelson provides some history of the … [Read more...]
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Outpost Blog 7 hours ago
A witness: Reading Revelation in Advent
During this Advent, I am reading through the Book of Revelation every week. Sure, it’s a helter-skelter time for a pastor, but I can manage three chapters every morning, sipped with my coffee. Of course, my reading is hardly the stuff of a peaceful daily devotional. Dragons and beasts and plagues, oh my! For insight into this cryptic book of the Bible, I lean on the scholarship of Brian Blount, president of Union Presbyterian Seminary. Though Advent entails waiting, a key to Brian’s exegesis is the role of an active… continue reading... -
Outlook Features 7 hours ago
Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary: History, impact, future
Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary originated in 1867 in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Freedmen’s Institute of North Carolina. It was established by Presbyterians who believed that education was an essential antidote to the poisonous effect of slavery. Over time, the Institute became a university that included a theological seminary and its name was changed to Johnson C. Smith University. In 1969, the seminary and university parted ways and the seminary relocated to Atlanta to join the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). It is one of the 10 theological institutions of… continue reading... -
Outlook Reporting 1 day ago
“Welcome letter” sent to new Moving Forward Implementation Commission by Way Forward and All Agency Review
The leadership of the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review Committee has sent a “welcome letter” to the new Moving Forward Implementation Commission. The letter is signed by the moderators and vice moderators of those entities, and also by Cynthia Jarvis, who served as moderator of the Way Forward Committee of the 2018 General Assembly. The 2018 General Assembly created the Moving Forward Implementation Commission to oversee high-level issues involving the denomination — giving it power to “take any and all administrative actions as necessary” regarding implementation of the Way… continue reading...
Parties in Stamford case had tried to expedite process in order to get a ruling on the merits of the case January 1, 1995 Uncategorized67 views The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission -- in sidestepping the question of exactly how deeply a session should be required to probe into the private life of a gay elder who has acknowledged being in a committed, life-long relationship but has declined to say whether he is sexually active -- has put the question off but has not put it to rest.- Ministering with the Earth January 1, 1998 Book Reviews67 views By Mary Elizabeth MooreChalice. 1998. 226 pp. Pb. $19.99. ISBN 0-8272-2323-4 Ministering with the Earth is a quiltwork, both the on-the-ground activity and Moore's book about so ministering. Moore, professor of theology and Christian education at Claremont School of Theology, is fond of the metaphor, suitably pastoral and feminist.
- Remembered Voice: Reclaiming the Legacy of 'Neo-Orthodoxy' January 1, 1998 Book Reviews68 views By Douglas John HallWJKP. 1998. 145 pp. Pb. $18. ISBN 0-664-25772-0 It was in this order. I first read Tillich's Dynamics of Faith. Riveting. Next came The Courage to Be. Gripping. Then I went back and read the first volume of the Systematic Theology. Things began to make sense. Next came Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. Positive.
- The smaller church (40 years ago) November 9, 2018 From the Archives2 comments 40 years ago — November 6, 1978
As almost every Presbyterian knows, our denomination is made up predominantly of smaller congregations. Without them, we would be vastly poorer not only in spirit, but also in size. … There are possibilities inherent in a small church situation that are very difficult to come by in a large congregation: opportunities for small-group closeness … strong personal ties between pastor and people … and … less of the “red tape” … . Many in our ranks seem to be rediscovering the biblical truth that “bigness” is not necessarily “best”; and thus they are starting to see that smalle...
All approved: Assembly approves recommendations from Way Forward, All Agency Review and report from Vision 2020 June 21, 2018 Outlook Reporting1 comment ST. LOUIS – With relatively little discussion and no drama, the General Assembly approved the recommendations of the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review Committee.
While some commissioners struggled to understand the complexity of the proposals, those who have wrangled with these issues for months – and there’s been no shortage of drama there – have said they involve issues of power, control, accountability and trust.
The changes the assembly approved June 21 by a vote of 474-47 will mean governance of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation – a secular corporation the church uses to ha...
Bus station compassion: volunteers help asylum-seekers get to the next place on their long journey to safety November 6, 2018 Outlook Reporting1 comment MCALLEN, TEXAS – What happens when the caravan gets here remains to be seen, but a recent fall day at a bus station near the border demonstrated more the resilience and determination of asylum-seekers and humanitarian volunteers – sort of new best-friends in crisis – than any glimpse of a well-designed federal system.
On two days that week, immigration officials dropped off roughly 500 asylum-seekers per day, nearly all of them families with children, at the bus station in McAllen, Texas. There was no advance notice of the big n...
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) speaks against Kentucky governor’s executive order on businesses and Israel
A witness: Reading Revelation in Advent
During this Advent, I am reading through the Book of Revelation every week. Sure, it’s a helter-skelter time for a pastor, but I can manage three chapters every morning, sipped with my coffee. Of course, my reading is hardly the stuff of a peaceful daily devotional. Dragons and beasts and plagues, oh my! For insight into this cryptic book of the Bible, I lean on the scholarship of Brian Blount, president of Union Presbyterian Seminary. Though Advent entails waiting, a key to Brian’s exegesis is the role of an active witness. The word “martyr” originally meant “one who witnesses.” This double-meaning of martyr calls to mind those whose lives were lost at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, those who died al-Kiddush Hashem — sanctifying God’s name. One of these martyrs is named Rich Gottfried. The story goes that, last winter, he slipped on the ice and broke both his knees; yet he was soon back at shulin his leg braces and continued to lead the chanting of the Haftara. My Hebrew is not … [Read more...]
Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary: History, impact, future
Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary originated in 1867 in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Freedmen’s Institute of North Carolina. It was established by Presbyterians who believed that education was an essential antidote to the poisonous effect of slavery. Over time, the Institute became a university that included a theological seminary and its name was changed to Johnson C. Smith University. In 1969, the seminary and university parted ways and the seminary relocated to Atlanta to join the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). It is one of the 10 theological institutions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the only historically African-American one. Throughout its 150-year history, the seminary’s continuing roles and responsibilities have been asserting that the African-American heritage of the church is every bit as vital as the history whose symbols may include Geneva gowns and Scottish kilts, and that the perspective of the African diaspora on biblical … [Read more...]
At least 30 faith leaders arrested in border protest
(RNS) — After a tense standoff with officials at the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday (Dec. 10), at least 30 American clergy were taken into custody over the objections of demonstrators, who had come to protest the treatment of Central American asylum-seekers and to decry the extension of a border wall and the militarization of the border. Priests, pastors, imams and rabbis knelt at the border south of San Diego in front of a row of U.S. Border Patrol agents clad in riot gear. Organizers said 30 faith leaders were arrested, but a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official put the number at 32. CBP said most were charged with failing to comply with directions from federal officials and then released, but one was charged with assaulting or resisting an agent — a charge the protesters already dispute. The “Love Knows No Borders” demonstration was organized by the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group that assembled religious leaders from across the faith spectrum … [Read more...]
“Welcome letter” sent to new Moving Forward Implementation Commission by Way Forward and All Agency Review
The leadership of the Way Forward Commission and All Agency Review Committee has sent a “welcome letter” to the new Moving Forward Implementation Commission. The letter is signed by the moderators and vice moderators of those entities, and also by Cynthia Jarvis, who served as moderator of the Way Forward Committee of the 2018 General Assembly. The 2018 General Assembly created the Moving Forward Implementation Commission to oversee high-level issues involving the denomination — giving it power to “take any and all administrative actions as necessary” regarding implementation of the Way Forward Commission’s recommendations. That action followed a season of intense conflict at the top levels of the denomination — particularly reflecting disagreement between the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board and the Way Forward Commission about the governance of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation, the corporate entity for the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of the General … [Read more...]
She dared to say yes: A reflection on Katie Geneva Cannon
The history of African-American Presbyterians – and, yes, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – must acknowledge the transformative life and ministry of the Katie Geneva Cannon. Without much fanfare or special services, in the middle of a regularly scheduled meeting of the Presbytery of Catawba on April 23, 1974, the Church confirmed the call of God and ordained Katie Geneva Cannon to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. She opened the door for many African-American Presbyterian women to acknowledge God’s call on our lives and to enter ordained ministry. To understand Cannon’s ordination and ministry is to understand the context of her early life and formation for ministry. Born into a large religious family in the racially-segregated South, she was shaped by both the faith of her family and community and the evils of Jim Crow segregation. Reflecting on her childhood, Cannon recalled: “Using the notion of sin in my catechism class as a lens I wanted to know what wrongdoing my kith and … [Read more...]
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