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Board announces changes involving PC(USA) administrative services

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The board of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation met in closed session Jan. 16 and later announced it had taken action to reconfigure within the denominational structure the way that administrative services will be provided. The A Corporation is the corporate entity for the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of the General Assembly. The change being announced is not a matter that will have a direct impact on congregations or Presbyterians in the pews. The change means that departments providing administrative services to Presbyterian agencies and which were formerly considered to be providing services through the Presbyterian Mission Agency now will be part of the newly-created Administrative Services Group in the A Corporation (although a news release regarding the decision states that “structurally, they have always been housed in A Corp.”) The change involves about 80 employees in seven departments: Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, … [Read more...]

Tagged With: A Corp

Navigating the wilderness: Commission plans how to lead, communicate, engage relationships across denomination

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LOUISVILLE – The Moving Forward Implementation Commission is starting to drill down into the work before it – trying to keep on top of everything from the financial sustainability of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to setting a vision for the denomination. The commission took one formal vote on the final day of its Jan. 14-15 meeting in Louisville: passing a motion regarding the membership of the Diverse Voices Table, a new entity the 2018 General Assembly created to consider matters of inclusion and equity. According to the assembly’s action, the table would have “equal staff representation” from each of the six PC(USA) agencies, with Presbyterian Women invited to participate as well. It isn’t clear yet exactly what issues the Diverse Voices Table might take up, whether it would make recommendations, or somehow report to or be accountable to a PC(USA) governing body. But the Moving Forward Implementation Commission acted after hearing from Valerie Izumi, manager for General … [Read more...]

Tagged With: Moving Forward Implementation Commission

Presbyterians caring for seniors: A faithful history

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Care of the aging, particularly widows, is one of the earliest tasks of the church and was identified as a marker of “pure and undefiled religion” in the book of James (1:27). Responding to this expectation, the church has faithfully served marginalized seniors for centuries and remains the inspiration for senior ministry today. The Presbyterian Church has been a leader in ministry to seniors, and the impact of the combined work of Presbyterian-related organizations in the United States is both historic and significant. The sheer size of the Presbyterian footprint in senior care is impressive. Five of the 20 largest nonprofit senior care providers in the United States are Presbyterian-related, and 16 of the top 100 share Presbyterian roots. The geographical reach is also wide, with multifaceted organizations in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Florida, Ohio, California, New Jersey, North and South Carolina and many other states. Presbyterian Senior Living, headquartered in Dillsburg, … [Read more...]

Tagged With: retirement

The gift of limping

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Reminders of human finitude take surprising forms. A recent back injury that refuses to abate has raised spiritual questions for me. Am I supposed to be learning patience? Giving thanks in all circumstances? Slowing down or grinning and bearing it? Should I read that account of Jacob and the angel a few more times and try to take away a lesson? Is God trying to get me to submit, repent, beg for a blessing? Or did I just hurt my back because I am human — prone to injury and illness, bound to die? Regardless, could my inability to walk with grace, wear stylish shoes and get up and down without wincing be a catalyst for plumbing deep questions about God and self, life and death, autonomy and interdependence? Some days I ponder such deep thoughts as I struggle to get out of my car. Other days I just wish to return to my pre-obviously-finite self. Every now and then I consider with increased compassion those facing chronic illness, unrelenting pain, degenerative diseases or an incurable … [Read more...]

My long obedience: Remembering Eugene Peterson

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Eugene Peterson was not a personal friend, but he was my companion. And he continues to be. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to know him personally. In the wake of his death, I have enjoyed reading many personal tributes from friends and family and those close to him. I can’t express such personal intimations here, yet I cannot conceive of the work of ministry or my own ministry apart from Eugene Peterson. Like Zuzu’s teacher in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” every time a bell rings, I feel like Eugene Peterson has saved another person’s ministry from being reduced to managerial technique, consumerist whims or the quixotic quest for cultural relevance. Several weeks ago, I read a lamentation from a sister church (The Church of England), voiced through the Dean of Southwark, that his church was prioritizing leadership skills over theology. In many circles today such news is not met with alarm, but thanksgiving. “Let’s usher in a new age of leadership, governance, and deft managerial … [Read more...]

Robust church rising

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We are all tired of it. We are tired of the handwringing, blaming, wailing and general angst over the demise of church-as-we-have-known-it. We’ve been to the conferences and continuing education events wherein the 500-year cycle of large-scale church change has been analyzed up one side and down the other. We’ve read the books and engaged substantive dialogue with colleagues and congregations. We’ve observed congregations react and respond to the shifts in our culture impacting their expression of church. We’ve done the work of trying to make sense of this transition into the postmodern era. We’ve been there and done that. And it’s all growing wearisome at this point. Thankfully, something else is rising as we move toward the latter side of the big shift in church. Christian disciples are yearning for more robust, engaged, life-giving community of faith experiences than what we have known. Now, it’s as though Christian disciples and churches are the butterfly emerging from the … [Read more...]

Tagged With: healthy congregations

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