(PNS) As climate change continued to fuel natural disasters throughout the United States and around the world in 2020, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance responded with the help of partners and volunteers to bring help and hope to those in affected areas. On the domestic front, wildfires in the West, hurricanes in the Southeast and catastrophic windstorms in the Midwest were among the events that had significant effects on individuals and property. “We always have fire seasons. We always have hurricane seasons. But I think climate change has certainly intensified both the wildfire season and the hurricane season,” said the Rev. Jim Kirk, PDA’s Associate for National Disaster Response. For example, “there were seven tropical storms and hurricanes, so seven named storms, that made landfall in South Louisiana.” Although a travel ban was in effect due to COVID-19 for much of 2020, PDA was able to utilize grants and virtual deployments to assist people in areas such as the … [Read more...]

LOUISVILLE (OGA) Pray for what you need, but don’t be surprised when the answer comes. These are words of advice from the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Nelson recently shared his advice for seminarians preparing for a life in ministry.   by Rick Jones and Randy Hobson, Office of the General Assembly … [Read more...]

LOUISVILLE — On behalf of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, the Mission Development Resources Committee (MDRC) has approved Mission Program Grants to 23 new worshiping communities. The communities receiving grants are listed below, followed by the presbytery and synod they belong to and a brief description of their mission and ministry: $10,000 Seed Grants recipients Eschel (Eastern Korean American Presbytery, Synod of the Northeast) serves a large number of Korean immigrants, many who live on the margins of society in Northern New Jersey. God’s Garden Expansion Project (Presbytery of Wabash Valley, Synod of Lincoln Trails) is led by a chaplain, the Rev. Susan Brouillette. Increasingly she heard people committed to making the world a better place describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. She hopes to share her experience of being in relationship with both God and a community of faith with them and create a new worshiping community based on connection and … [Read more...]

(OGA) Fresh from the seminary, the first General Assembly gathering was exciting and impactful for the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II. The future Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently reflected on his first Assembly. Eager to serve, Nelson found himself running the mimeograph machine during the GA. Not only did it provide him with a behind-the-scenes look at how the Assembly takes place, but it allowed him to see what the future might hold for people of color in leadership roles of the church. The Rev. Robert Newbold Jr. was active in the civil rights movement and other organizations in the Baltimore area in the 1960s and served on the Citizens Planning and Housing Association and the Governor’s Commission on Juvenile Delinquency. He was also elected Associate Stated Clerk at the 187th General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (1975). During Nelson’s first interaction with the Assembly, he got to see Newbold at … [Read more...]

(PNS) It is with heavy hearts and concern that the National Hispanic/Latino Presbyterian Caucus of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) denounces the recent acts of violence against Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) sisters and brothers, specially, last week’s March 17, 2021 murder of six Asian and Asian American women. The environment and acts of violence, hate and the expression of racism of white supremacist acts against people of color in our nation are a denial of God’s commandment to love our neighbors and is sinful. Furthermore, we are dismayed by how the intersection of race and sexism were clearly manifested in this latest attack on Asian and Asian American women. The National Hispanic Latino Presbyterian Caucus lifts its voice to denounce such sinful acts. We call our sisters and brothers within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to stand firm against such sinful behavior. In the words of The Confession of 1967, we declare and believe that “God has created the … [Read more...]

(OGA) Dear Siblings in Christ, This is a message to everyone, and it is a message in particular to all those who are Asian or of Asian descent. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) stands in solidarity with our Asian siblings and stands against anti-Asian hate. In the midst of the rising number of hate crimes and in the wake of the shooting deaths of eight people in Atlanta, six of whom were women of Asian descent, we can only imagine the pain, grief, fear and the mix of feelings that many in the various Asian communities are undoubtedly feeling. We grieve the loss of eight lives to violence. We pray for the families and communities impacted by the loss. We lament the division and hatred that continue to fuel words and acts of scapegoating and violence toward our Asian siblings. We also lament the harm done to those who are among the most vulnerable in society by the inability to see the full personhood of others. To our Asian siblings, we see you among us, and our spirits and … [Read more...]