I saw an ad in Sunday's Orlando Sentinel taken by some members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who raise questions about the direction of our denomination. Recently, a majority of presbyteries, regional governing bodies of elders and ministers, agreed to amend the constitution of our church to remove explicit language about sexual behavior outside of marriage with more inclusive language about appropriate character for those who are ordained as church leaders.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (Special to PNS) The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), wonders what wisdom is possessed by Presbyterians who may not travel in the movers and shakers crowd at General Assembly or keynote national conferences, or even lead a regionally influential congregation.
UPDATED JUNE 7, 2011 – A majority of presbyteries have now approved the proposed new Form of Government for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), so it will become part of the PC(USA)’s Book of Order – bringing what some contend is a more streamlined and flexible way for the denomination to operate.
SEATTLE (PNS) Like a massive ocean liner on a vast sea, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Middle Governing Body Commission has begun the long slow turn from gathering data from the church to formulating recommendations for the mission and function of presbyteries and synods in a rapidly changing church and world.
Some evangelical Presbyterians from the Presbytery of Santa Barbara are proposing a plan of action in response to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s recent decision to change its ordination standards.
NAIROBI, Kenya (ENI) A film about Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge, an 84-year-old man who enrolled in primary school in 2003 so he could learn to read the Bible, has inspired the creation of an educational charity for unprivileged children around the world.
TOKYO (ENI) Japan's Christian Council has decided to establish an office to coordinate relief operations in Japan and from abroad in response to the devastating earthquake that struck in February, causing a tsunami and problems at nuclear power plants.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Special to the Presbyterian News Service) Colombian and U.S. Presbyterians are calling on people in both countries to join a fast in protest of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
Presbyterian elder and longtime Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leader Youngil Cho, 77, died May 22 in Raleigh, N.C. A funeral service was scheduled for May 28 at the Korean Presbyterian Church of DuRaleigh.
LOUISVILLE, KY. (PNS) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons joined a number of U.S. religious leaders April 19 for the second annual Holy Week prayer breakfast at the White House hosted by President Barack Obama. Obama is the first president to host a prayer breakfast in the White House marking Easter and Holy Week.
LOUISVILLE, KY. (PNS) Acting on a recommendation from the 217th General Assembly (2006), two Presbyterian groups have signed a partnership agreement that will help their older adult ministries stay connected.
The Rev. Donald Shriver Jr., an ethicist and former president of Union Theological Seminary, was featured in a two-part PBS documentary called “Forgiveness: A Time to Love and a Time to Hate.” It aired on Palm Sunday and Easter.
Washington (ENI) A New York minister will fill the Obama administration's long-vacant position to oversee international religious freedom after the Senate voted to confirm the Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook for the post.
Contraceptive use by Catholics and evangelicals is the norm, according to a new report by the Guttmacher Institute, which studies reproductive health issues.
Carol Quillen, a vice-president of Rice University in Texas and a Presbyterian, has been named the new president of Davidson College in North Carolina.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (ENI) Hundreds of Zimbabweans from various Christian denominations held prayers on May 25 for peace ahead of possible elections later this year. "We hear threats and rumors of elections, and have seen tell-tale signs of political violence raising its ugly head again,"
BORDEAUX, France (ENI) Leaders of Christian churches and other faiths called on the world's most powerful governments to devise more effective joint solutions to the "interconnected crises confronting humanity" at a May 23-24 summit, organized by the New York-based Religions for Peace.
TOKYO (ENI) The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) has requested its partners worldwide to pray for them and petition the Seoul government to resume its economic support to starving North Koreans.
(Episcopal News Service) As Sudan's wanted President Omar al-Bashir insists he will not remove his troops from the disputed oil-producing Abyei region, church and world leaders are insisting that advocacy for the war-torn south and for a lasting peace must continue.
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Special to Presbyterian News Service) “I’m still trying to figure it out — How does seminary and a master’s degree and teaching fit with roasting coffee and sourcing it and selling it?” wondered Benjamin Schellack. “I’m not sure I know the answer.”
Two conservative groups of pastors within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have announced an agreement to share the services of the Rev. Paul Detterman.
