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GAC downsizing proposed; vote at Feb. 7-11 meeting

LOUISVILLE -- The General Assembly Council would be skinnier, trimmed down from the current 71 members to 47.

The budget for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) would be organized around eight priority goals -- which means existing programs will have to make a case for how they fit in to one of those priorities, if they are to survive.

And the denomination's budget will be less in 2007 and 2008 than it has been for the current biennium. The PC(USA)'s budget now stands at just over $116 million.

It's "too early to say" what level of budget cuts might be announced this spring or how many jobs might be lost, said Joey Bailey, the denomination's chief financial officer. But "we absolutely will have less money to spend in '07 and '08 than we had in '05 and '06."

John Detterick, the council's executive director, put it this way: "We do know that there will be a major reduction in funding for the next biennium." 

When it meets Feb. 7-11 in Louisville, the General Assembly Council will vote on the gist of these proposals -- which are the results of the work of two council task forces that have been meeting to consider how the denomination can do its work more efficiently and more in line with the realities of mainline denominations in the 21^st century.

Half of Americans report life-transforming experiences; their stories encouraged

Telling stories.

Powerful, personal, "God at work in the messy real world" stories.

In the buttoned-down, orderly Presbyterian world, that doesn't always happen.

But a new survey indicates that many believers have stories to tell about how God or things they can't explain have transformed their lives. And in some places -- in books, in churches, on the Internet -- Presbyterians have begun to tell their own stories of faith, stories of doubt and searching and power and peace.

Author Anne Lamott, a Presbyterian from California, in 2005 released the best-selling book "Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith," which is studded with stories of everyday life, of struggle and joy and a hard-won faith in God.

Preachers often weave stories into their sermons -- sometimes recycling anecdotes that have made the rounds, but other times drawing from their own encounters with ordinary people searching for meaning.

And some Presbyterian congregations have encouraged people in the pews to share their own faith stories -- stories which make it clear that for many folks the walk of faith comes complete with detours, dead-ends and surprising, joyous discoveries

Center for Church Leadership planned at Hanover College

To more completely address the vocational needs of students and the vocational and leadership needs of regional churches and denominations, Hanover (Ind.) College launched the Center for Church Leadership (CCL) Jan. 1. A $500,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment, matched by the institution's resources, created the CCL, allowing the college to build on the success of its vocational mentoring program.

"Through this new Center we will serve the college's historical Presbyterian constituencies and tradition in meaningful and valuable ways," said Jane Jakoubek, Ph.D., vice president and dean of academic affairs. Under the direction of Michelle Bartel, Hanover College chaplain and associate professor of theological studies, the CCL will develop collaborative programs that provide opportunities for students, clergy and laity in congregations in and around Indiana. The Center will recruit and engage more students who wish to enter Hanover's pre-ministry program, students who will graduate to serve the church as ordained or lay leaders. At the same time, it will serve the needs of individuals and the church by strengthening relationships with those who recognize the value of producing leaders educated in the liberal arts.

College class on U2 explores religious influence of a rock band

Dwarfed by a giant bank of TV monitors, the rock star Bono gyrates across the arena stage -- a dancing shaman channeling the ecstasy of thousands of U2 fans. "In waves of regret, in waves of joy, I reached for the one I tried to destroy," he sings passionately. "You said you'd wait till the end of the world."

Hands reach out to him as he walks among the faithful. Video clips show tidal waves crashing, lightning flashing and a woman wailing.

The soundtrack to apocalypse? No, it's a splice of a TV special about a U2 tour of the early 1990s. It's also a sign of increased interest in the spiritual significance of this immensely popular Irish rock group.

The images are taken in by a class of Calvin College students, who are probing what Bono and his band have to say as Christians to the world of pop culture.

Plenty, Sharon Bemis says.

"You hear U2 everywhere," said Bemis, one of 14 students gathered in a Calvin video theater on a recent morning. "They have so much more influence as Christians than most other people who claim to be Christian."

Tim Gruppen calls them "brutally honest."

"They say a lot of things many Christians would be ashamed to 'fess up' to, some of the struggles they have," Gruppen argues.

But why a class on U2, one of the world's most adored rock bands, at a conservative Christian college? "Religion and rock 'n' roll can meld together," insists Katie Arbogast. "U2 does the best job of it."

Animated characters provide modern-day parables of morality and immorality

When he was growing up, Mike Mignola had two great loves -- monster movies and superheroes. So when Dark Horse Comics offered him the chance to write and illustrate his own comic book, Mignola decided to combine the two.

The result is "Hellboy," a wisecracking, good-hearted, old-fashioned superhero with one small problem: He's a red-skinned, cloven-hoofed demon summoned by the Nazis to bring about the end of the world. When the Nazis' plans are foiled, the then-infant Hellboy is taken in and raised by human beings. He forsakes his demon heritage and pledges to fight for good.

But can he really escape his destiny? Mignola, who has been writing Hellboy comics since 1993, isn't sure. "It's the ultimate question of predestination versus free will," said Mignola from his home in New York City.

Mignola has discovered one of the untold secrets of the comic book world -- it's the characters, not the costumes and secret identities -- that matter most. From Superman to the recent Pixar film "The Incredibles," comics have served as social parables, with superhuman characters revealing insights about the human condition.

In "The Incredibles," superheroes are forced into hiding when public opinion turns against them. Mr. Incredible turns in his costume and "Incredible-mobile" for a Yugo-sized commuter car and a desk job at an insurance company. But he can't give up the desire to save people, no matter what it costs his family.

"It's not about super powers," says H. Michael Brewer, lifelong comics fan and author of "Who Needs a Superhero?", a book about "finding virtue, vice and what's holy" in comics. "It's about finding your place in the world and, dare I say, family values."

Churches embrace `New Urbanism’ as antidote to Isolation

Eric Jacobsen speaks passionately about things like sidewalks and storefronts. But he's not an architect or developer. He's a Presbyterian pastor.

As Jacobsen sees it, city planning has an important influence on religious experience. He is an advocate for New Urbanism, the architecture movement that calls for interdependence among residents, with neighborhoods where shops and homes coexist, streets that are pedestrian-friendly and parks that are gathering places for residents.

New Urbanism has become a mantra for people interested in restoring urban centers and reconfiguring suburban sprawl. Its designs have sprouted across the country, from new towns like Seaside, Fla., to redevelopment in existing places like Gaithersburg, Md., or West Palm Beach, Fla. The Congress for the New Urbanism started small 12 years ago and now has more than 2,300 architects, developers, planners and urban designers.

Now Christian leaders are adopting the movement. They say the philosophy behind New Urbanism is a possible antidote to the isolation experienced by many churches and Christians. Across the country, influential Christians are thinking theologically about urban design and applying its principles to the church. They advocate for New Urbanist concepts because they force people to share with one another, dwell among their neighbors and allow for a healthy exchange of ideas.

Lilly awards $6 million grant to FTE for vocations initiative

With a $6 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., The Fund for Theological Education (FTE) will expand its work with congregations nationwide as vital partners in identifying and cultivating gifted young candidates for vocations in Christian ministry.

The Endowment grant will fund "Calling Congregations," a regional FTE initiative involving local churches in grassroots programs to find and support the next generation of outstanding pastoral leaders for Christian denominations. 

"We know that congregations are critical to the faith maturation and vocational discernment of young men and women," said Craig Dykstra, senior vice president for religion at Lilly Endowment Inc. "This grant is an investment in engaging congregations more deeply in this work. Given FTE's broad expertise, we are confident this can make a significant contribution to developing future leaders for the church."

Concerns about the need for professional clergy in mainline religious denominations have been growing for some time, as large numbers of "baby boomer" pastors prepare to retire and local congregations seek qualified young ministerial candidates. Statistics by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate clergy vacancies rank among the highest for professions requiring an advanced degree, with many denominations reporting significantly lower numbers of clergy under age 35. 

FTE's program will establish a national network of 500 congregations and church-related institutions from four regions across the U.S. by 2009. These congregations will be members of an ecumenical partnership committed to supporting vocational discernment among their young church members, and the consideration of ordained ministry in particular. At least one-third of the member congregations will be from racially and ethnically diverse and rural communities.

Embryonic stem cell opponents hail new adult stem cell law

(RNS) Christian leaders who have opposed embryonic stem cell research are praising the enactment of a new law that will enhance the..

Local “hearts and hands” crucial to PC(USA) funding campaign

For some, the question they'd most like to ask about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s big fundraising campaign is: Is it working? Will they reach the $40 million goal?

But another question that seems to be growing organically from the campaign itself is: What's being learned? What is this campaign teaching folks about how Presbyterians think?

Because in the two and a half years since The Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts & Hands campaign started, it's seen a few extreme makeovers. What started as a "deep pockets" fundraising effort, targeting wealthy Presbyterians with the ability to make substantial gifts, has shifted to a much more diversified approach, with considerable involvement from presbyteries and individual congregations.

Jan Opdyke, the campaign's director, asked what's changed since the campaign's beginning, told a group of Presbyterian communicators that it's gone "about 180 degrees in the opposite direction" of where it started.

But she added that, about halfway through the five-year effort, more than half the $40 million has been pledged -- about three-fourths of it through partnerships with presbyteries. As of September 30, the campaign had reported more than $22.5 million in pledges, and had collected more than $1.3 million of them, with some of that money already being used to put mission co-workers out in the field

Former missionaries trigger giving challenge

George and Jan Beran, former Presbyterian missionaries now in their 70s and living in Ames, Iowa, have challenged other Presbyterians from Iowa to come up with $250,000 for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)'s Joining Hearts & Hands fundraising campaign. The money would be used to send two mission co-workers or a family to the Democratic Republic of Congo for three years to do agricultural work.

To kick things off, the Berans have pledged the proceeds from selling a duplex they bought 25 years ago as a rental property.

From their own time overseas, teaching as missionaries in the Philippines and later as Fulbright professors in Nigeria, the Berans have seen firsthand the impact of Presbyterian mission work.

They also know what grassroots believers can do. Close to 30 years ago, their adult Sunday school class at Northminster Church in Ames was studying world hunger. Members raised money to support mission work in Kenya and Tanzania -- underwriting projects that helped farmers learn to improve their crop yields, to store food and produce drinkable water.

Elizabeth Walker to teach pastoral care and counseling at LPTS

Dr. Elizabeth Johnson Walker will join the faculty of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in June as Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling. She currently is a professional counselor with the Georgia Association for Pastoral Counseling in Decatur, Ga., and an adjunct professor in the area of Persons, Society & Culture at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in religion and philosophy from Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., and the Master of Divinity degree from Candler School of Theology in Atlanta. She earned her doctorate in theology from Gammon Theological Seminary and the ITC, where she completed her dissertation on "A Model of Pastoral Counseling with African American Women." Her clinical training was received at the Georgia Association of Pastoral Care in Atlanta. She is a licensed marriage and family counselor (LMFT), a Member Associate of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC), a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and a member of the Society for Pastoral Theology.

Family advocacy groups push for ‘a la Carte’ TV choices

(RNS) Advocacy groups say plans of cable television companies to offer family-friendly programming packages are flawed and designed to thwart consumers from getting what they really want: a la carte sales, in which subscribers pick and choose their channels.

The marketing model traditionally used by cable companies and the two leading satellite TV services requires consumers to subscribe to channels in various pre-packaged "tiers." "Right now, to get the good channels, you have to buy the raunchy channels," complained Jim Metrock, head of the Birmingham, Ala.-based child advocacy organization Obligation Inc.

Portions of the cable industry -- under pressure from the federal government -- have come forward with a new willingness to package family-friendly channels into a special programming tier to help parents

Iranian pastor’s killing raises fears of a crackdown

(PNS) The recent murder of an Iranian pastor is generating fears that the government in Tehran is cracking down on Christian "house churches."

The body of Ghorban Tourani, 50, was tossed in front of his house shortly after he was abducted there by unidentified assailants.

Tourani converted to Christianity after hearing the gospel from visiting evangelists while held in a Turkmenistan jail for manslaughter, having killed a man in a knife fight. His house church was in Gonbad-e-Kavus, a town on the Turkmenistan border, just east of the Caspian Sea.

In his obituary, Tourani was described by an unnamed Iranian pastor as a "fearless Christian" who would "boldly share about Jesus in ... the streets, shops and bazaars."

In Iran, such proselytizing is punishable by death.

Compass Direct, a news agency that reports on persecutions of Christians, said 10 other Christians in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, were arrested shortly after Tourani's murder and tortured by the Ministry of Intelligence and Security