In a nation that’s deeply divided – rich and poor, red and blue, with fissures of race and religion and so much more – what does it mean to be a church really committed to work on the difficult issues of racism and social justice? What does it mean to declare that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a Matthew 25 church? And is the church willing to do advocacy work that’s sometimes controversial even when a segment of Presbyterians will push back and criticize that as being too political? Over much of this year, the Presbyterian Mission Agency will be investigating that through a Vision Implementation Process that will culminate, in September, with recommendations for revisions for how PMA structures itself and does its work. That’s coming at a time when “we have hope for a new administration,” Diane Moffett, PMA’s president and executive director, told the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, meeting virtually Jan. 22. “We have hope for new vaccines that could bring an … [Read more...]

So what does it mean to be a Matthew 25 church – one that lives into Jesus’ teaching from Matthew’s Gospel to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the stranger, the prisoner, those in need? How can the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) – which has launched a Matthew 25 initiative for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that focuses on dismantling structural racism, ending systemic poverty and supporting congregational vitality – live into that vision? And what needs to change in the agency’s structure and work in order to make that happen? On Jan. 22, the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board will meet virtually — primarily to talk about those questions. In preparation for that, PMA’s president and executive director, Diane Moffett, outlined for the board’s Coordinating Committee in a Jan. 13 Zoom meeting the three-phase discernment process that PMA is using this year to come up with the answers.   The vision implementation process began in November and is … [Read more...]

On the very first morning of the very first meeting of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board that diversity and equity consultant Marian R. Vasser attended, she was standing talking to an Asian woman, having not yet even had time to put down her bag. And a white woman stepped in between them and interrupted. Vasser is a consultant who serves as the executive director for diversity and equity at the University of Louisville and who attended four of the board’s meetings in 2019 and 2020 (two in person and two virtually) to assess power and privilege dynamics on the board. She took note of things such as who spoke most frequently and which voices were less included; who felt freedom to stand and move around the room; and how much attention people paid when the board discussed matters of race and injustice. When those subjects came up, she felt the energy in the room immediately drop and noticed changes in body language and facial expression — seeing visible signs of discomfort. … [Read more...]

The Presbyterian Mission Agency is attempting to avoid layoffs or curtailing programs for now as it grapples with significant COVID-19-related budget cuts for 2021 and 2022 — with revenue for the national church expected to drop by 25%, or $9.1 million by the end of this year. But the strategies the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) is using to avoid such cuts – including offering early retirement packages and drawing on funds not previously allocated – are not sustainable long term, said Diane Moffett, the agency’s president and executive director. Going forth, “we believe that vision should drive the budget reductions,” with measurable goals and a clear direction for PMA’s vision of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) being a Matthew 25 church, Moffett told the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board’s Resource Allocation and Stewardship Committee Oct. 7. “No doubt, critical decisions will need to be made” about what PMA will need to stop doing and do differently, Moffett said. … [Read more...]