(PNS) Following hurricane Ida’s South Louisiana landfall late last month, the New Orleans Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) site turned a learning relationship with the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe in Terrebonne Parish into a service opportunity. Ida was a category 4 storm with 150-mile-an hour-winds, the second-most damaging and intense hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana on record, behind only Hurricane Katrina in 2005. When Dan WalIy Lang became the New Orleans YAV site coordinator in August 2018, the Rev. Kristina J. Peterson of the Lowlander Center and First Presbyterian Church of Bayou Blue, Louisiana, introduced Lang to Theresa Dardar, Chief of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, and her husband, Donald. The Lowlander Center had previously been a New Orleans YAV community partner and work site placement. Both in 2018 and again in 2019, the Dardars welcomed YAVs to the Pointe-au- Chien Indian Tribe Community Center and took them on a boat tour, introducing them to their … [Read more...]

(PNS) — On Wednesday, employees of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) gathered for a special online worship service to celebrate Native Americans.  Welcomed by the Rev. Irvin Porter, Associate for Native American Intercultural Congregational Support in the office of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries, worshipers participated in a service featuring a mix of English and Native languages. While acknowledging the land where the service was being held, Carla Alexander, one of the worship team leaders, said, “Since we have been gathering electronically since March of 2020, we don’t acknowledge the territory of one tribe, but we acknowledged the territory of hundreds of tribes for whom North America was home for thousands of years. Their presence on this continent is remembered and woven into the history of communities on this Native American Day. And every day, we are encouraged to be mindful of healing past harms while moving forward with awareness and respect, … [Read more...]

(PNS) As well traveled and as fully versed in Presbyterian mission as he is, Tom Elander was still surprised by what he witnessed and learned at the U.S.-Mexico border last winter. “I walked away with a much greater appreciation for how difficult life is for many people from Mexico and Central America,” said Elander of his four-day experience in Los Angeles and Tijuana with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, “and how they often look to the U.S. as a beacon of hope to help them escape the misery of their lives where they come from — whether from poverty, violence, lack of education or lack of opportunity.” Elander, a Los Angeles-based architect and a member of Brentwood Presbyterian Church in West L. A., was one of some 40 participants in the Southern Border Experience Travel Study Seminar from Feb. 28 through March 3, 2020. No stranger to rolling up his sleeves to serve others or to do manual labor, Elander appreciated the group’s careful itinerary, which struck just … [Read more...]

(PNS) After dealing Louisiana a severe blow, Hurricane Ida weakened as it moved inland but still managed to wreak havoc on portions of the Northeast United States, leading to fatalities and property damage. Several churches that are part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the Northeast were affected by the storm, according to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and news reports say more than 80 people have died, from Louisiana to the Northeast. “There’s been dozens of churches that have been impacted to various degrees,” said the Rev. James Kirk, PDA Associate for (U.S.) Disaster Response. “We anticipate multiple grant requests, for sure.” In the Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey, “we are still evaluating the full extent of the damage and prioritizing our response,” the Rev. Steve Huston, the presbytery’s Organizing Co-leader, said by email. “Our primary concern is helping community ministries come back online so churches can start feeding and assisting their neighbors. … [Read more...]

(OGA) Organizers for the 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) knew there would be challenges in planning for a hybrid event. The three-week block of time necessary for committee meetings and virtual plenaries next year has created some headaches for mid council leaders as they seek those willing to serve as commissioners and advisory delegates. The Office of the General Assembly recently conducted a survey with mid council leaders to get their feedback on Assembly plans and the challenges in recruiting commissioners and young adult advisory delegates (YAAD). Nearly half indicated that the length of time commissioners must hold open for the Assembly until they receive their committee assignments late February was the biggest factor. Once assigned, commissioners and advisory delegates would spend 10 days in plenary and committee time. “We surveyed mid council leaders on questions related to this process. Mid councils have a number of opinions and don’t always … [Read more...]

(PNS) Watching the news as the United States military pulled out of Afghanistan after a near-20-year war, bringing with it thousands of Afghan refugees, members of First Presbyterian Church in New Haven, Connecticut, knew they wanted to help. The church had a history of welcoming refugees, even declaring itself a sanctuary church a few years ago. So, members reached out to the local refugee resettlement agency IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services) and asked how they could help. IRIS mentioned several needs, including financial contributions and a place to store donations to a winter coat drive. The Rev. Jocelyn Cadwallader says IRIS representatives came to the church to see the potential storage space. While there, Cadwallader showed them the church’s community building and said it could be used to temporarily house a family if needed. That was a Monday. Cadwallader says, “On Tuesday, she called me back and she said … ‘Yes, we want to use you for housing. … [Read more...]