reyes-chow :: MODERATOR

My Washington DC trip and thoughts on faith and politics

[image: caveman 92223]

I hope this post finds you well and thankful as we enter this weekend of remembrance.  It seems appropriate on this Fourth of July weekend to reflect a bit on how, if and when we as Presbyterians engage in politics and public square.

Beginning on Monday, July 6, I will have the privilege of representing the Presbyterian Church (USA) at a series of meetings in Washington DC.  And while I believe most of our denomination supports a presence in public square discourse, I realize that for some, even the existence our Washington Office* and our presence in political arena raises some strong objections.  So feel free to push back - like any of you need permission - on our relationship with politics, but I am going and am honored to do so.

I will begin four days of congressional visits in DC by continuing conversations with folks from our Washington Office and other PC(USA) partners to get up to speed on a breadth of General Assembly policies but primarily four issues: Cuba, Philippines, Jubilee and the Employee Free Choice Act.   After that I will have the opportunity to meet both individually and as part of delegations with various agencies and public servants. These are all issues that I have great concern about as a local pastor, but I will be there to represent the PC(USA) and our policies and statements.

One important part of this trip will also be to participate in the Faith Leader Summit on Health Care to be held on Capitol Hill and at the White House.  Gradye was originally supposed to be our rep, but will be participating in the funeral services of Bill Forbes.  This will be a time for us to have a PC(USA) presence as part of an interfaith delegation that will do a great deal of listening to and speaking with members of congress and President Obama's Health Care Reform Team.

Needless to say I am humbled by the opportunity and access given via the office of moderator and do not take that lightly.  At the same time, I am also personally very excited to meet some folks who have the opportunity to impact policy change in positive ways.

As I spend the next week in DC, I would love to "bring you along" in a way, so you can choose your poison as they say and decide at which level you want to come along.

• on this blog = Low Level (Maybe one in-depth recap, 1/day) 
• on Facebook = Mid Level (Periodic status updates, 5/day)
• on Twitter = High Level (Almost like you're there ;-), 10-20/day)

As I begin these DC conversations, please know that I do understand that there exists in our denomination a breadth of opinion about the very nature of the relationship between church, state and the politics of our society, and will, as able, express the wide diversity of thought that exists within any community.

And just to spark some good conversation, here are some thoughts that I think are right on in response to a recent FB Status update of mine on being "political" . . .

Richard Hong . . . be political but never partisan. I will state moral principles (e.g. a mandate to care for the environment) without preaching in favor of any particular solution (e.g. cap and trade). I believe Christian morality establishes the goals for public policy, but that it is "above our pay grade" to preach how lawmakers should achieve those goals.

 Amy Carlozo . . .Faith is and can be political - in that we are a community coming together to grapple with what it means to be faithful spirit-filled Christians. Unfortunately now we have this clarification that faith is different from "politics" meaning political parties. Political from the Greek work meaning state or city - usually described as a way people organize themselves.... Faith AS political is being an activist for the cause of ... loving neighbor as self. Living out what we are called to be and do as Christ - loving people

Jed Hawkes Koball . . . not being political is being political; however, people are not typically called political unless their politics differ from the one calling you political.

In short I think, left, right, republican, democrat, libertarian, independent, green, etc. are all irrelevant in light of our calling to seek, discern and act upon the mind of Christ and will of God for our individual and collective lives.  I honestly have a difficult time seeing how we can NOT be engaged in the life of the public square and political discourse.  No, we dare not become partisan, but nor should we become isolationists in our lives as a the body of Christ.

What we must be wary of is becoming partisan in our understanding of the relationship between the church and government.  While some may disagree, depending on one's perspective and persuasion, the PC(USA) does not claim a political party.   I firmly believe that, as we engage with the work of our government, our public policy voice will find both places of joyful intersection as well as deep disagreement.  This does and should take place in our ongoing relationships with all parties and regardless of administrations.   These places of agreement and tensions will ebb and flow as does the mind and heart of our country and the men and women we call to public service need the church to be present to offer a voice that may help navigating these turbulent waters that are grounded in our calling to be the church in the world.  Again, sometimes this will take the shape of thanksgiving for policies well developed and implemented while at other times challenging those decisions that we feel are not part of God's intentions for humanity.

In the end, while I do know that avoiding the whole church/state topic might just be easier, I think we need to continue to hash this stuff out in order to actually live out the idea that we best discern the mind and Christ and the will of God together.

So lets keep on talking and I'll see you in DC.

* Obviously I think our Washington office does amazing work on our behalf and I am excited to see how that work will shift and change with a new administration as we work with, challenge and support our government in fulfilling what we would see as God's hopes for the world.  If you would like to find out more and get updates and ongoing info about their work, be sure to visit The Presbyterian Washington Office and sign up for the alerts and other communications.

A few thoughts on numbers, decline and what we might do

 [image: bricolage]

While my reflection on the first 1/2 of my term as moderator is in the works, I wanted to first get offer up some thoughts that I am SURE will get some comments and I hope some good discussion: membership decline.

As you know, the most recent membership numbers where just released and, for various arguable reasons, the PC(USA) declined in membership  by 69,381 members.  As we see these numbers announced each year, the theorizing and punditry around the decline is nothing new and I suspect it will continue as long as there are people with opinions and who care about the church.

The prevailing reasons that are usually sent my way are basically three:

• We are in decline because we are too liberal, having stopped being a people of The Book and are caving to cultural trends especially around homosexuality.
• We are in decline because we are far too conservative, no longer live the love that Christ calls us to and the world no longer sees us as a place of welcome.
• Our 1960's members trends were but a blimp in our history for churches in the United States . . . so numbers need to be taken in context.

Now it is obviously easy to assign blame for our decline in membership, often falling into a far too simple rhetoric that there is indeed only ONE reason for our decline.  Now regardless of how you value the use of numbers as measure of worth, I think that we are more nuanced than that and that if we really think about it there are probably multiple reasons for our decline.

Now as a new church development pastor, I have never been solely driven by numbers.  Not surprisingly, like most things, I find God speaking to me in the gray, somewhere between only finding worth in numbers and thinking that numbers are silly and irrelevant.  I think numbers are an important measurement that can give us some useful indications of trends and developments, but we can also get into trouble when our ONLY drive is numerical.   In the end, I want us to impact lives that in turn impact the world and believe that if we are faithful to God's calling upon our lives, we will grow to the size that God hopes us to be. 

Still, our decline may give us some indications of our life together and I am not immune from offering some thoughts in the issue.  Now I have written upon this before, Number 1 reason why PC(USA) churches are dying a slow, painful, sad, drawn-out, death and other happy thoughts, but let me add something more as I have continued to listen to and reflect on what I am hearing as Moderator.  I believe that one of the main factors in our failure to grow is that we still operate with an institutional worldview that is not built for the fluid, adaptive and complex nature of the world today.  Theological and ideological perspectives aside, we - at all levels of our church life - still operate with a 1960's worldview that simply does not speak to the world today.  We spoke well to the United States culture during a long stretch of our denominational life, but we have forgotten how to speak to the world in a way that offers a transformational experience of the Gospel life in a Presbyterian context.

I grieve this because I have been so fed and formed by my Presbyterian heritage and deep theological history that I am compelled to find ways to meaningfully pass this rich tradition on to my kids.  But sadly, as I look around the church, those under 35 are painfully absent.  And while many of us would like to hold onto our youthful spirits for as long as we can, 60 is not the new 50 and 40 is not young.  We who hold power and influence in the church must stop pretending that we are the future.  We are not.  In fact, as those with power and influence in the church, if we do not joyfully embrace our changing rolls in our institutional life, we will die with no reason to expect resurrection.  Simply put, we must ask ourselves hard questions and learn to adapt if we are to impact the world as Presbyterians for any length of time into the future.

To get things started, here are some of the questions I think we need to address:

• Is Jesus enough? What ARE our essentials and non-negotiables as we gather as a denominational gathering of the Body of Christ?
• Do we live the Trinity? Do we fully understand the nature of living in community and living out our understanding of the Triune God?
• Are we committed to connectionalism and if so, how committed are we to creating healthy Presbyteries?  Because unless we have Presbyteries that are vibrant and at the heart of our lives together, we are no longer Presbyterian.
• Can we handle an abundance of manifestations of the Presbyterian family where congregations look, feel and operate in drastically different ways?
• Can we fathom the idea of the death of some parts of our structural and institutional life together trusting that where resurrections is to happen it will happen?
• Are those who hold power and authority willing to create space for who are not part of our life but will best be able to help us navigate our way into their world?
• Can we find a way for an institution to live the peace of Christ in a world of chaos?
• Will we be able to respond well even if the answer is, "We do not have the capacity to adapt, the time of our current way of being is done."
• Can we truly embrace the unknown, but yet joyfully strive to seek God's intentions?

These are obviously not all the questions that we need ask of ourselves and as hard as it may be to believe, I would not want to place values on the answers to these questions.  But, if we do not venture onto some deeper questions about our future, we will never fully be able to navigate our way into who God hopes us to become as a Presbyterian people.

So . . . there you have it, what other questions do we need to ask of ourselves?  What are more reasons for our decline?  Does it even matter?  What say ye Presby bloggosphere?

Traveling, Big Tent, Social Media and Tweet-ups

[image: Erin Dunigan]

Greetings all.  I hope folks are doing well as the summer months begin.  While I have no delusions that folks are waiting with baited breath for my blog postings, my apologies for slacking a bit on this blog.  I will try and do better in the future*. 

Here are a few quick updates in the mean time . . .

HOSPITALITY - Since my jaunt through the Mid-West, I have had the privilege of spending some time with a few other Presbyteries.  In May I visited New Castle Presbytery anchored by a wonderful time with Carl Mazza and the launch of a the Mary Randall Center at Meeting Ground.  I also spent a few days with the five South Carolina presbyteries held at Presbyterian College.  Meetings were held on the PC campus as well as on the grounds of Thornwell Home for Children.  Needless to say, while there are certainly common questions that every Presbytery is asking about its future, there is a great deal of hospitality and powerful ministry taking place.  Thank you.

BIG TENT - No doubt you have already heard much of the feedback from this first ever attempt at a large Presbyterian gathering of multiple conferences.  Byron's reflection on The Big Tent is extremely complete and thoughtful.  Just as cynical as the next long time church person, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people that ended up taking part in the gathering, over 1,500, as well as the generally positive tone of conferees.  I can't imagine how stressful and difficult it was to bring together 10 different events - with different cultures, personalities and histories - with all of the logistics involved.  Kudos to so many who worked on this event.  I think the most interesting aspect of the event was that, except for business plenaries, this felt a great deal like a General Assembly.  Again, no event is perfect, but I think it is safe to say that this gathering met the expectations and I, for one, hope it happens again in 2011.  Here are some great pics by official photographer, Erin Dunigan.

SOCIAL MEDIA - At The Big Tent, I was asked to lead a workshop by The Presbyterian Communicators Network.  While we only had about an hour, I THINK it went well as I tried to walk through some of the cultural shifts that have created some of our current technologies and how these changes may impact the church. Many folks offered some great insights both from the room itself as well as those who responded to a Facebook Status Update.  For those of you there, here is THE OUTLINE for the time.

TWEETUPS - There were probably 30-40 folks who were tweeting the Big Tent.  You can track some of the highlights from the various events by following the Twitter hashtag, #bigtent.  A few of us gathered throughout the event to meet in person for the first time or simply to see who else is participating in this particular medium.  As promised, here is the list of Twitterers who attended the Tweetups.  I know there were many more  of you out there, so if you were not able to join us, feel free to add your name!

1. lscalon
2. andyjames
3. itsmeellie
4. rexespiritu
5. pammarino
6. andrewyb
7. mayog
8. bawade
9. willymac4
10. leehh
11. melissalynn24
12. tallnoe
13. drjohnmcgarey
14. ajamor
15. michwithtwins
16. lmcheifetz
17. revjaz
18. jonmphillips
19. edunny
20. jacobolton

That's it for now.  Again, I'll try to be better about blogging here, but as always feel free to follow me on Twitter or FaceBook for more regular interaction.

* Coming soon are posts on young adult volunteers, Presbyterian bloggers unite, making official statements and reflections on the half-way point.

Advice and counsel for those in new calls

[image: innoxiuss]

'Tis the season for new calls to begin in churches throughout our denomination.  Not only are many seminary graduates finding first calls, but because of school schedules, many pastoral transitions happen during the summer months.

With these transitions comes advice, both solicited and unsolicited.  I am not sure that I actually heard this in seminary, but the conventional wisdom seems to be passed down from generation to generation is this:

Do not change anything during your first year.

While I appreciate the intent of the advice that is given, it is just too black and white for me.  While this may have been good advice at some point, I just don't buy it in today's church climate.  In fact, I think taken to an extreme this posture can harm the church in the long run because it assumes that any movement/change that a pastor may encourage during his/her first year is done without listening to the congregation.  Yeah, change for change sake is foolish, but what if the church is screaming with word and actions, "Please lead us into transformation!"  To ignore the possibilities could do long term damage to pastoral authority and could make it more difficult to foster change in the future.

So rather than a hard and fast rule of "Do not change anything during your first year!" why not a more fluid and yes, ambiguous "rule" of ministry:

Seek harmony between the acts of listening for and responding to the movement of the Holy Spirit.

I suspect that this is the posture that most of us take in ministry as we navigate the nuances of pastoral ministry and human community, but just in case . . . that is my contribution to the manual.

So what other words of wisdom and nuggets of truth would you offer to those moving into new or first calls . . . inquiring minds and soon-to-be installed pastors want to know!

Road Notes: APCU, MRTI, Rocky Mountains and Mid-America

[image: Giampaolo Macorig]

While I continue to hold firm to a 1/3 travel schedule, the past few months have been pretty light in terms of travel.  In addition to the GAC/OGA meetings last month, I was able to attend the Annual gathering of the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities in Charlotte, NC which was a wonderful experience.  APCU is engaging in some compelling conversations about the future of higher education and church-relatedness.   I was also privileged to listen in to part of the meeting of the Mission through Responsible Investment (MRTI) meeting that was held in San Francisco.  While attracting some controversy over the years regarding the Middle East, my exposure to the scope of their work was inspiring [Press Release].

This Thursday AM, I leave for 10-day, 11-city trip beginning in the Synod of the Rocky Mountains and winding through the Synod of Mid-America.  Below is the schedule as we know it now.  If you need more information, please contact your Synod or Presbytery folks for specifics.  I know better than to promise to blog through the trip, but you can always keep up by following my twitter feed [@breyeschow].

This will be the longest trip for me so far with or without the family, so while we are prepping the kiddos for this one, I covet your prayers for my family, especially my wife, Robin, and my family who will help cover the daddy duties I leave behind.  So grateful!

Thursday, 04.23.09

• Travel to Salt Lake City, UT
  
• Town Hall and Worship, Synod of the Rocky Mountains Assembly
  First Presbyterian Church, Salt Lake City, UT

Friday, 04.24.09

• Travel to Kansas City, MO
• KC Royals game with local pastor/s and assorted presby baseball nuts.

Saturday 04.25.09     

• Town Hall, Synod of Mid-America 
  Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, MO
• Online/Skype Town Hall, First Church St. Pete, FL
• Travel to Columbia, MO

Sunday 04.26.09    

• Preaching: 9:00 and 11:00, First PC, Columbia
• Meet with Campus Ministry program at First PC, Columbia 

Monday 04.27.09      

• Travel to Fulton, MO
• A “meet and greet” with campus students and area clergy.
  Westminster College, Fulton, MO
• Travel to Kansas City, MO

Tuesday 04.28.09       

• Preaching and Town Hall, Heartland Presbytery Meeting
  Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, MO
• Travel to Salina, KS 
• Preaching, Dinner and Town Hall, Presbytery of Northern Kansas Meeting 

Wednesday 04.29.09       

• Travel to Manhattan, KS
• Lunch and Meet with students as Kansas State University
  Ecumenical Campus Ministry Center 
• Public Dinner and Town Hall
  First Presbyterian Church, Topeka, KS                                      

Thursday 04.30.09       

• Travel to McPherson, KS
• Lunch with a covenant group in the Presbytery of Southern Kansas
• Dinner and Presentation, Pratt Presbyterian Church
• Travel to Wichita, KS 

Friday 05.01.09       

• Breakfast and Presentation, Brotherhood Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS 
• Travel to Springfield, MO
• Reception and Presentation, First and Calvary Presbyterian Church, Springfield, MO   

Saturday 05.02.09      

• Return to Home base ;-)

Presbyterian Bloggers Continue to UNITE: Poverty, Church & State, Gun Violence

Last month the Presbyterian Bloggers Unite focus on Campus Ministry generated 30 or so blog posts that communicated people's deep love for and commitment to Campus Ministry.  Thanks to everyone who signed up and posted their thoughts and reflections.  The diversity of experiences and perspectives was inspiring.  Please take some time to read the posts and comment if you have a chance.

Next up for Presbyterian Bloggers Unite is POVERTY.  Some of you have already signed up, but in case you want to join in this month, here is the description.  I hope you will join in and post your thoughts. 

Objective:
To build awareness of ways that the Presbyterian Church (USA) communities address issues of poverty AND to offer ways to mobilize efforts.

Description:
On the first day of each month, in order to build awareness, strengthen community and spark action Presbyterian Church (USA) bloggers will post their thoughts and musings addressing the following questions:

• how would you define describe POVERTY and its impact in your community?
• how has or has not your community of faith addressed issues of POVERTY?
• what are the greatest hopes and challenges that you think face your community, larger church and the greater society in dealing with issues of POVERTY?

This month [05.01.09] it is POVERTY.

If you are new to Bloggers Unite, the platform I am using, once you join any particular group you will be sent reminders and instructions on submitted your published posting.  And you should see future topics as well, here, or individually below.

• June 1 - Church, State, Politics
• July 1 - Gun Violence
• August 1 - The Environment

Moderator Monday: Nine questions from a seminarian, a meme'ish

[Image: 1993, my ordination year]

Greetings all.  I trust everyone had a revelatory Easter and enjoying some time of rest after Lent and Holy Week. 

A few weeks ago, I received a note from a seminarian asking me to answer a few questions about pastoral leadership.  As I began to respond, I thought this would be make a good post for this blog.  So with her permission I have answered her nine questions as briefly as I could.  What a gift it is to be asked some insightful questions by someone navigating this wonderfully active water of call and ordination.  And what I gift, those of us who have been doing this for a bit, can offer back by sharing honest reflections on our call and ministry.

I hope that some of you will take the challenge and answer these questions yourself.  I am not going to actually make this into a full-out meme, but if you feel so inclined, please feel free to blog or facebook your responses and if you send me the link or trackback, I'll update this posting.  Think of this as a kind of quick phone interview and a pleasant ministry interruption ;-)

OTHER RESPONDERS:

• Rev. Dr. Bryon Wade, Vice-Moderator
• Rev. Paul Moore, Blaine/Lino Lakes, Minnesota
• TBA

Here are my responses:

1. Tell me about your conversion experience/faith journey.

I came to faith, not in one moment of realization, but in a cumulative experience of the divine community of my home church.  They took seriously their baptismal vows to care for and guide me faith life and I have always felt that I am to respond in my life out of that love.  I have never really questioned the salvific nature of my relationship with Christ while always navigating how I shift in my interpretation and articulation of that faith. 

2. Why did you go into ministry?

The money and prestige ;-)  But a close second was a sense from folks around that this was a calling.  I remember telling folks that I was thinking about being a pastor hoping that they would laugh me out of the building and even those outside the church said, "huh, not surprised"  The affirmation of call from those within and outside the church - not always a pleasant , but always honest - gave me a broad view of what my calling into ministry might look like.

3. What do you love the most about being in ministry?

There is really is a great deal to chose from, but if I had to choose one thing right now, it would be the flexibility of the life that allows for creative expressions of the pastorate.

4. What is the most challenging thing about being in ministry?

Meaningfully making Christ real in a world that is constantly changing in its very understanding of faith and community.  The ultimate "T"ruth of Christ does not change for me, but navigating the "t"ruths along the way requires a adaptive abilities that are not always easy to live.

5. What are the most important things to keep in mind while ministering to people?

The role we have in people's lives in sacred.  We are given access to the most delicate parts of people's journey not initially because of who we are as individuals, but because of who/what we represent.  This is a gift that must be tended well.  This can be abused without knowing it, but can also be a relationship where everyone meets God in new ways so that the communites that we are part of will grow in body and spirit.

6. How do you deal with the stresses of ministry and leadership?

Oh the assumptions you make ;-)  I lean on my communities to provide all the wit and wisdom that will help me to grow.  I engage with annual covenant groups, have a spiritual director and take part in many web 2.0 communities.  I also make sure to play whether it is movies my myself, motorcycle riding and/or goofing of with my family.

I also try not to take myself too seriously.

7. How would you define your leadership style?

Wow, this is a tough one.  What I hope characterized my leadership style is to be balanced, transparent and consistent.  Balanced between being prophetic, pastoral, priestly and poetic in my leadership role; consistent throughout my life and ministry in person and online; and transparent in all that I do . . . what you see is what you get.  Now this does not mean that I am NOT strategic and/or political, but how I engage in that activity is colored by the first three.

8. How would you define the your leadership techniques?

I know, appreciate and love "my people" so much so that I will meet them where they are in all aspects of their lives.  Whether that is in technological space, worship needs, organizational inclinations, etc. I always try to know the cultural, social and theological realities of the people I serve.  The sociological and analytic chops of all pastors need to be sharpened if we truly will know those who we have been called to serve.

9. What are the things people do that make you feel most supported and loved as their pastor?

Like everyone, I appreciate the occasional and unexpected "Thank you" but by far the greatest joy I receive from the congregation is when the language changes from "your" church to "my/our" church.  My heart leaps when folks begin to embody those things that I try to teach, influence and embody myself.  This does not mean we are all becoming of like IDEOLOGY in thought, but that we are finding convergence of like BEING in living as the body of Christ.

Churchwide Letters from Bruce and Gradye

April 2009

Here are the most recent "monthly" church wide letters from both myself and Gradye Parsons.  Please feel free to pass them along, reflect on your own blogs and/or clip for use in newsletters and other church communications. 


A monthly column for the church-at-large by the Reverend Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

A life the church is compelled to live

 As I write this, we are in the midst of Holy Week and the walk toward the cross.

Every year as we enter this time, the church is pushed again to think about the realities and expressions of our beliefs in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The covenant made at the last supper, his death on the cross, and his resurrection into new life compel us to live in the world in a way that is worthy of the forgiveness given by God.

Not an easy task, for sure. Our transformation in Christ and its compelling nature is such a complex event in our lives, but yet so simple. The graciousness of our God and God’s love simply permeate our souls so that joy and hope can be our only response. Yet, at the same time, we live in God’s created world filled with a wondrous and often frustrating complexity, which sometimes makes it seem easier to give into the chaos around us.

Now, one could argue that the world is always in some kind of turmoil. But it seems that in today’s climate of economic turmoil, violence, war, and anxiety, being able to live this walk from promise to despair to hope is a life the church is compelled to live.

As the world faces death and despair in both body and spirit, will we be the hands and hearts of Christ to live, breathe, and share the hope that Christ brings? I have no doubt we will, for if we take seriously the gracious nature of God, we have no other choice but to live that new life for the world, as Christ has been the new life for each of us.

A monthly column for the church-at-large by the Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Great loss, great harvest

It is my good fortune to teach an adult Sunday school class once a month. A couple of weeks ago, we were discussing Ezekiel 36. I shared an essay by Carlyle Marney entitled, “Years of the Locust” (from Beggars in Velvet, Abingdon Press, 1960). The essay draws a parallel between the seasons of discontent and the account of the swarm of locusts in the Old Testament.

Marney relays an insight he received from a friend who witnessed firsthand how locusts swarm in Africa. When the locusts come, they eat every living plant down to the roots. The farmers and their hired hands will drive the cattle and horses out into the fields in an attempt to crush the locusts before they can lay their eggs. However, despite their efforts, the farmers will yield no harvest that year.

In small or large ways, my hunch is that we all have experienced our own “swarm of locusts,” many of us more recently than not. We have contributed to our 401(k)s for years, only to see them decline to nothing. We have given a great chunk of our lives to companies, only to receive pink slips in the end. We have faithfully paid our mortgages, only to find the value of our homes slide to basement levels. At times, it seems our best intentions – including our spiritual work – melt before the heat of our ambitions and selfishness.

But Marney offers a hopeful note in his essay. His friend reports that the year following the devastation by the locusts is a time for bountiful crops. The crushed locusts become a rich fertilizer for the soil.

It is using wisely a season of great loss that eventually yields great results.

Sisters and brothers, our Lenten journey will soon end and we will celebrate anew the great resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord will once again hear “Alleluia!” from our congregations. May we use wisely our losses in this season of the locusts and allow the Spirit to build a treasure for us that neither thief nor moth can touch.

 

Members of the Youth Ministries Task Force

And that's all wrote . . . the final set of appointments have been made.  As I said before, we owe our deepest gratitude for those who have agreed to take on this privilege and responsibility.  Thank you.

[OGA Press Release]

Members of the Youth Ministries Task Force

Youth and Young Adults  Ages 15-21:

• Ms. Jordan Akin, Arkansas Presbytery, Synod of the Sun
• Mr. Hakeem Jerome Jefferson, New Harmony Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic
• Mr. Austin Lane, Grace Presbytery, Synod of the Sun
• Ms. Kristy Lauron, Stockton Presbytery, Synod of the Pacific
• Ms. Jessie Light, Heartland Presbytery, Synod of Mid-America
• Mr. Alex McDonald, Greater Atlanta Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic
• Ms Madison Munoz, St. Augustine Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic
• Elder Clara Pauw, Mid-Kentucky Presbytery, Synod of Living Waters
• Ms. Brittney Shook, Western Reserve Presbytery, Synod of the Covenant
• Elder Rachel Van Marter, Mid-Kentucky Presbytery, Synod of Living Waters

Adult Mentors:

• Mr. G. Jacob Bolton, New York City Presbytery, Synod of the Northeast
• Elder Karen Ceaser, Pacific Presbytery, Synod of Southern California and Hawaii
• Reverend Rex Espiritu, Whitewater Valley Presbytery, Synod of Lincoln Trails
• Reverend Michelle Thomas-Bush, St. Augustine Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic
• Reverend Kelly Wiant-Thralls, Chair, Carlisle Presbytery, Synod of the Trinity

I have asked Rev. Kelly Wiant-Thralls to Chair this committee.

For a complete list of appointments see the Task Force Appointments Page and/or my video post on Appointment Process Reflections.

Campus Ministry Love ;-)

This came pretty quick, the first monthly call to have Presbyterian Bloggers gather around a common cause: Presbyterian Bloggers Unite // Campus Ministry.  There are 33 bloggers signed up to to post something about campus ministry and the posts have begun to roll in. 

First, the elephant in the room.  AS many of you know, due to the recent GAC restructuring and budget reductions, Campus Ministry lost two staff positions and the office was combined with Youth Ministry and shifted to the Evangelism Area.  I am sure folks are still getting their bearing and it really is too early to tell what impact the moves will have on campus ministry in general.

In any case, my history in campus ministry tells me that the passion and energy of both students and leaders will weather most if not all storms, be they financial, denominational or social.  A hearty lot we be ;-)

So . . . my campus ministry story is pretty short and sweet.  If it were not for campus ministry I would have never met my wife, wife of nearly 20 years, Robin.  We met about 20 years ago at the Celebrate Conference, I was a freshmen in college and just 18-years-old.  Celebrate was an ecumenical event that took place every two years and it was the first time I had really been to anything like it.  While there is SOME story floating around that I was more interested in her friend, I am sticking with the "No honey, it was you at first sight" story.  In fact, the year we met it was held in Louisville, KY at the Galt House, so that place hold special meaning for us.  Woulda thunk I would be spending so much time in Louisville? - cue Twilight Zone Theme song - The conference was held over New Year's and in 1988-89 the theme was "Let the Bones Dance" and I tell ya, it was a experience.  I met some wonderful folks, we had some experiences that shall remain locked away in my memory and we expanded our understanding and experience of the complex body of Christ.

After that time . . . I participated in what was then PSST (Presbyterian Student Strategy Team), served on the Committee on Higher Education of the General Assembly and participated in a number of regional and national ecumenical gatherings.   Then in seminary, I served as my internship as the Director and Campus Pastor at UNITAS a residential Christian Community on the campus of The University of California, Berkeley.  In short, who I am has been deeply formed by my experiences in campus ministry.  From the relationships built to the ministry experienced, God has been active. 

And now, despite the changes that are occurring throughout our church, it is clear to me that there is some kind of resurgence in campus ministry throughout the country.  While it is taking many forms: congregational based, chaplaincy, presbytery cooperatives  and ecumenical partnerships, campus ministry is alive and full of energy.  Yes, there are certainly some things that need to be navigated well regarding money, denominational resourcing and general shifts in culture; but the fluid nature of those involved in campus ministry gives me great hope. 

For so many who have served and been served in and by campus ministry, thank you!

Again, please take some time to visit PRESBYTERIAN BLOGGERS UNITE - CAMPUS MINISTRY site where all the posts are listed, take some time to comment and then join in for next month when we will gathering together on May 1, 2009 and focus on POVERTY.