What is the E.T. Thompson Award?
On May 20, the Outlook will announce the 2026 recipient of the E.T. Thompson Award, a biennial honor recognizing leaders whose scholarship, ministry and public witness have shaped the church.
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A pair of prodigious scholars to receive Excellence in Theological Education awards
The Rev. Dr. Frances Taylor Gench and Dr. James Hudnut-Beumler will be honored during the 227th General Assembly.
Krysten Carter Holloway is president-elect of Board of Pensions
Holloway will be presented to the 227th General Assembly (2026) and will formally assume the role upon confirmation by the General Assembly on or about July 1.
What counts as a disruption in worship?
Katrina Pekich-Bundy reflects on neurodiversity, children in worship and the assumptions congregations make about who belongs in the sanctuary.
GA227’s Financial Stewardship and Witness Committee will consider the 2027-28 unified budget and the Funding Model Development Team report
The committee will also mull an agency pay equity proposal as part of its 11-item docket.
MRTI defends engagement over categorical fossil fuel divestment
Compared with broad fossil fuel divestment, MRTI’s long-standing approach to shareholder advocacy better supports frontline communities and a just energy transition, write Kerri Allen and Mark Douglas.
Overtures seek Israel embargo, genocide declaration
Proposals would be the denomination's most forceful statement in more than 75 years of engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A fourth set of General Assembly Co-Moderator candidates announces they will stand
The Rev. Chris Peters and the Rev. Rebecca Luter share the story of how they found one another.
Order of worship — May 24, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Day of Pentecost — May 24, 2026
For Pentecost Sunday, editor Teri McDowell Ott wonders what we would venture to do if we trusted the Holy Spirit to use us.
Union Presbyterian Seminary’s Charlotte campus has a new Chaplain and Director of Student Life
Amanda Shanks began in her new role last month.
Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark
Blaine Crawford reviews James K. A. Smith's "Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark," a timely and deeply personal guide to finding faith, love and companionship in life's darkest seasons.
In the room of prayer, there’s no “right way”
L. Roger Owens reflects on prayer as both practice and way of life, inviting readers to see every moment as participation in God’s presence.
Hoping for the ocean
Teri McDowell Ott reflects on Psalm 47's call to stillness as both divine command and open invitation — exploring how silence, doubt, and sacred pause open us to the presence of God.
Three overtures ask 227th General Assembly to reckon with the end of World Mission
Three overtures to the 227th General Assembly ask the PC(USA) to investigate the closure of World Mission, examine concerns about transparency and accountability, and chart a new vision for global mission.
Unification Commission approves its comments on General Assembly items of business
The UC addresses ordination, pay equity, artificial intelligence and more.
A prayer for Mother’s Day
Tracey Davenport offers a prayer for Mother’s Day that honors the many forms of motherhood, names its joys and burdens, and entrusts every longing — from gratitude to grief — to the tender care of a loving, mothering God.
Completing a ticket for Co-Moderator
The Rev. Dr. Barbara Barkley, who serves a Bay Area church, hears a call to stand alongside the Rev. Dr. Bill Myers at the 227th General Assembly.
Seventh Sunday of Easter — May 17, 2026
Baron Mullis reflects on Jesus’ prayer for his disciples in John 17, inviting preachers to consider how prayer shapes Christian community, sustains faith and gives us words — even when we feel we have none.
Order of worship — May 17, 2026
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation.
Responding to mental health crises: A guide for pastors
Practical guidance and trusted resources to help pastors recognize mental health concerns, respond in crisis and connect individuals and families to care. Camile Cook Howe, Joseph Feldman and Theresa Nguyen offer their professional advice.
Discussion guide for April 2026 issue
In each issue of the Outlook, we include a discussion guide to further reflect on the issue. We recommend using this guide in your Bible study, small group or book club. It's our invitation into a faithful conversation.
More Light Presbyterians retreat centers rest, belonging and resistance
At Ferncliff, queer Presbyterians named harm, shared stories and reclaimed rest as essential to the church’s ongoing work for justice, writes Bethany Peerbolte.
Clarity and oversight sought after passage of ‘Olympia Overture’
The PC(USA) continues to navigate questions first raised at the 2024 General Assembly as a new overture asks how recently approved amendments shape ordination and freedom of conscience across the church.
Why one Presbyterian group is advocating for Palestinian women prisoners
Paul Seebeck shares how a multi-denominational campaign is drawing attention to reported abuses — and why it matters as the General Assembly takes up Israel/Palestine issues.
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