Conference centers struggle to adapt to changing roles, straitened finances
LOUISVILLE – Both the Ghost Ranch and Stony Point conference centers continue to lose money.
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Looking inside Presbyterian congregations: New research examines how Presbyterians are changing
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (General Assembly Mission Council) Remember the spring of 2001?
Synod court rules pastor broke church law when she performed same-sex weddings
The Synod of the Pacific Permanent Judicial Commission has upheld a lower church court’s ruling that Janie Spahr, a minister from California, violated the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) when she performed same-gender weddings in 2008.
‘In Christ we are not alone’: Mission partners, workers in Japan feel supported by prayers
The Presbyterian World Mission ministry area has been in contact with partner
organizations and churches and with all its mission workers in Japan.
since the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
Korea visit, possible name change, budget tweaks get a detailed look at GAMC’s spring meeting
LOUISVILLE – The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is in a “hinge time” of questions,
anxiety and excitement, said Cynthia Bolbach, moderator of the 219th General Assembly.
Crossing the Bridge Together: Telling Our Story When We Have to Say Yes or No.
In his book Becoming a Blessed Church, Graham Standish points out that while the Presbyterian deliberative process produces measurable results, it has failed the church precisely at the point where church members need their leaders to be spiritually attuned to God’s will in their decision making. Nowhere is this moretrue than in Presbytery, where good Presbyterians compromise our unity and spiritual purpose for the sake of a major vote.
PATRIOTISM?
I remember how strange it sounded to me when I heard some overseas missionaries tell that one of the lessons they taught..
Mini-Reviews – At the theater this week
“Lord of the Dance”: Michael Flatley gives us his triumphal world tour Irish dancing troupe, complete with 3-D renderings of the light and sound extravaganza. But despite the attempt at visual depth, it just falls flat for anyone other than the aficionados of this particular genre of folk dancing.
Reformation is never easy, unanimous, or noncontroversial
I write in response to the claims of Merwyn Johnson and others that for change in the church’s standards on ordination, the normal process of majority approval at GA and the majority approval of the presbyteries is insufficient. In his essay of 24 February 2011, Johnson urges that a “third way” be found that “allows the two sides to move forward together.” 
Beyond Brian of Nazareth
I have a confession to make. I am not an optimist. “The power of positive thinking” made popular years ago by Norman..
“Win Win”
It’s easy to like the Flaherty family. Mike (Paul Giamatti) gets up and jogs in the morning, and comes home to a loving wife, Jackie (Amy Ryan) and two cute little girls, and the older one is starting to imitate the slang-slip words of her parents, but she’s still adorable enough for that to be amusing instead of alarming.
When Truth Doesn’t Matter
I wonder why there are people who believe that Barack Obama is a) Muslim, b) a terrorist, and c) not an American..
Stated Clerk issues statement in wake of Jerusalem bombing
LOUISVILLE, March 23— The Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), issued the following statement in response to the bombing in Jerusalem today:
Churches in Japan recovering in the midst of ecumenical spirit
New York, March 24 (ENInews)--As recovery efforts in Japan proceed, the full impact of the earthquake and tsunami two weeks ago continues to be felt by many churches that are providing disaster relief while grieving lost members and buildings.
Big Tent may be on the move
Presbyterians are being asked to hold off making travel plans for the 2011 Big Tent conference, scheduled to be held in Indianapolis June 30-July 2, because of a possible conflict with immigration legislation being considered by the Indiana state legislature.
Presbyterian students back in U.S. after attack in Peru
LOUISVILLE — A group of eight students and two advisors from the University of Arizona Presbyterian Campus Ministry (PCM) ― along with 13 Peruvian partners and youth and PC(USA) mission worker Jed Koball ― were attacked in La Oroya, Peru March 16 as they painted a mural near the troubled Doe Run Company smelter there.
Nurse from rural Zambia awarded Swiss leadership prize
Geneva (ENI)--Zambian nurse Agnes Lisulo Mulemwa was honored in Geneva on March 20 for helping women in her rural community raise their standard of living, train to become leaders and support health care.
Live 1 hour Webinar : “Faithful Presence: Preaching the Word”
White paper is a symptom of ‘Christological amnesia’
Pittsburgh seminary student presents scholarly critique of the White Paper: “While I agree with the steering committee of the white paper that the PC(USA) faces critical issues, I believe these issues are merely symptomatic of a Christological amnesia on the part of the denomination. … The white paper not only does not address this Christological crisis, but it also both serves as evidence of the crisis and threatens to exacerbate it through its proposed solutions…”
THE WHITE PAPER: Pastors mull whether to leave PC(USA) or seek a revamped affiliation with it
Last summer, when the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was meeting in Minneapolis, John Crosby attended an assembly for the very first time.
Crosby is pastor of Christ Presbyterian church, a 5,200-member megachurch in Edina, in suburban Minneapolis. For his 20 years there, Crosby has had what he describes as “a fairly nominal” involvement with the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and the PC(USA) as a whole.
He walked out of the General Assembly thinking: “I don’t want my successor to have to endure this.”
Jean Southard same-sex wedding conviction overturned
A minister from Boston did not violate the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or her ordination vows when she married two women from her congregation, the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) has ruled. The wedding took place in Massachusetts – one of a handful of states that has legalized same-gender marriages.
Christian educator warns colleagues against perils of “running on scared”
ALBUQUERQUE Ginny Ward Holderness decided to speak her mind when she was named the 2011 “Educator of the Year” by the Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators (APCE).
Prophets and counter-prophets
Christians love to hear prophetic preaching of God’s holy word. Christians sometimes put their prophets to the sword.
Hell? Yes!
What is your picture of hell? On an album in the 1970s, Alice Cooper pictured it as a never-ending disco. For me,..
Confession? There’s an app for that.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (RNS) A Catholic bishop in Indiana recently gave his imprimatur to a thoroughly modern take on the ancient act of confession with a thumbs up to “Confession: A Roman Catholic App,” a new application for the iPhone and iPad that helps users catalog their sins before entering a confessional booth.