Top PC(USA) News of the Week: PDA Grants, Cuba Humanitarian Crisis, Young Activists, Missionary Effie Sidebotham, and Rev. Dr. Bill Phillippe dies

Week of October 26 - 30, 2026

PDA grants helping countries cope with El Niño Weather phenomenon puts millions at risk of increased hunger

US Presbyterians call for action in the face of humanitarian crisis in Cuba Following action by the 227th General Assembly, partners respond through advocacy, accompaniment and community ministries

Young activists discuss how the church can support them in advocacy 'Trust us. Let us do the work and do the work with us,' says panelist

From the archives: Effie Sidebotham’s ‘ghost-barrel’ The 20th century missionary couple who ferried their piano to Korea

The Rev. Dr. Bill Phillippe, a key figure in reuniting two branches of Presbyterianism, dies at age 96 Phillippe labeled himself ‘providentially predestined Presbyterian’

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202

RNS Morning Report - Mainline Protestants are having a political moment. Can they move from protest to power?

Top Stories Mainline Protestants are having a political moment. Can they move from protest to power? (RNS) — ‘I do think Christian faith, rightly construed and in a pluralist way, can be a really, really smart strategy for Democrats to pursue in these states that they haven't been as strong in,’ said Heath Carter, a scholar of American religion at Princeton Theological Seminary. The fall of the Etsy witch (RNS) — The online marketplace is no longer putting the ‘craft’ in witchcraft. Why Hollywood keeps turning to Catholicism for horror (RNS) — ‘When a vampire is at your door or your child is possessed, you don't call for a Methodist,’ said Matthew J. Cressler, the co-author of the new book ‘Body and Blood: Catholic Horror in America.’ Rod Dreher among prominent conservatives focusing fight on Groypers, Christian nationalists FRANKLIN, Tennessee (RNS) — Rod Dreher, author of ‘The Benedict Option’ and known for his friendship with JD Vance, is deeply worried about Christian nationalism and Nick Fuentes’ influence in the church and the GOP. He’s not alone. Basketball and papal courts collide as Villanova and Notre Dame tip off in Rome VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Villanova and Notre Dame bring basketball, school pride and a friendly contest for Pope Leo XIV’s loyalties to Rome, exploring what faith brings to competition, teamwork and defeat. Christian blogger Samuel Sey, arrested by ICE, has been removed to Canada, family says (RNS) — Samuel Sey, who immigrated to Canada from Ghana in childhood, moved to the U.S. in 2022 to get married. His family initially believed a paperwork mistake had led to his arrest. A series of conservative Christian influencers had rallied to his cause. In another historic move, Pope Leo casts absentee US vote from Rome (RNS) — ‘The Holy Father expresses his belief in the right and the duty of citizens to participate in democratic processes,’ the Vatican said. Opinion ‘Witches’ epithet hurled at abortion proponents has roots in Appalachian history (RNS) — Reproductive healthcare providers and advocates are routinely called demonic and witches, and through a twist of fate, there is some truth in it — specifically in the language of far-right leaders’ ancestors, who also called the reproductive healthcare providers of their isolated, rural communities ‘witches.’ One hundred years after his death, Houdini still matters (RNS) — There was one thing that Houdini never tried to escape. And that was his Jewish identity. ICYMI Ohio will elect its first Hindu or Jewish governor. Here’s how religion is shaping the nasty race. COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) — Visiting campaign events and houses of worship, RNS explores how religion has shaped both Dr. Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaigns. UMC bishop removes ministers from Dallas’ Highland Park; church says they will stay (RNS) — In yet another escalation, the bishop said he was removing the Rev. Matt Tuggle, senior minister, and the Rev. Paul Rasmussen, former senior minister, ‘from all positions’ at the church. Support Our Work As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com. Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend. Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205

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WCC NEWS: WCC, LWF launch ’The Lund Thread’ – on 100 years of ecumenism in Sweden

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) launch joint exhibition entitled ‘The Lund Thread’, highlighting 100 years of ecumenical encounter and exploration in Sweden. The Lund Thread is a digital exhibition produced jointly by the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation, with support from Church of Sweden and the Nathan Söderblom Memorial Fund. Photo: WCC and LWF archives 01 November 2026 Some 100 people gathered together to launch the exhibition in Lund, Sweden, on 31 October – Reformation Day – including representatives from the WCC, the LWF, the Roman Catholic Church, and a wide range of churches and partners locally, regionally and globally.  The event capped off a weeklong meeting of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order, taking place 26-31 October in Höör and Lund, Sweden, and bringing together some 80 people from across the worldwide fellowship of churches.  Speaking at the launch, moderator of the Commission on Faith and Order Rev. Prof. Dr Stephanie Dietrich observed that the exhibition “seeks to make visible a history that is often known only in fragments – bringing together ecumenical moments in Stockholm, Lund, Uppsala and Sigtuna – not to turn them into one story, but to show how questions, convictions and practices have travelled between them.” “This exhibition is not only an act of commemoration. It invites reception. It asks how this history may be received, questioned and carried forward in circumstances very different from those in which it began,” Dietrich reflected. 31 October 2026, Lund, Sweden: Launch of the exhibition 'The Lund Thread' by the WCC and the LWF during a festive dinner offered following an ecumenical vespers held on Reformation Day in Lund Cathedral – marking the 10th anniversary of the historic joint Lutheran-Catholic commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation that was held in the same place in 2016. Left to right: Bishop Johan Tyrberg of Lund, Church of Sweden; LWF President Bishop Henrik Stubkjær; Former LWF President bishop emeritus Munib Younan; Rev. Prof. Dr Stephanie Dietrich, moderator of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC The launch of the exhibition followed an ecumenical vespers in Lund Cathedral marking the 10th anniversary of joint Lutheran-Catholic commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in the same place in 2016.  31 October 2026, Lund, Sweden: Exit procession moves through the church at the conclusion of an ecumenical vespers held on Reformation Day in Lund Cathedral – marking the 10th anniversary of the historic joint Lutheran-Catholic commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation that was held in the same place in 2016. The vespers is led by Roman Catholic Cardinal Anders Arborelius and Lutheran World Federation president Bishop Henrik Stubkjær, and with representation from a wide range of churches and partners locally, regionally and globally, including the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Faith and Order at the conclusion of their meeting in Höör and Lund, 26-31 October 2026. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC The Lund Thread – a digital exhibition A digital exhibition, the Lund Thread follows through more than a century of ecumenical history in Sweden – beginning with Stockholm 1925 and moving through the founding of the LWF in Lund in 1947, the Third World Conference on Faith and Order in 1952, the 4th Assembly of the WCC in Uppsala in 1968, the Lutheran–Catholic commemoration of the Reformation in Lund and Malmö in 2016, and the ecumenical centenary celebrations in Stockholm and Uppsala in 2025. It concludes with the return of the Commission on Faith and Order to Lund in 2026 and the anniversaries of 2027.  The exhibition is more than a history of important meetings. It explores what has travelled from these places, as ideas have been received, questioned, and transformed through theological dialogues, church agreements, common action, and new forms of communion. Looking ahead, with the 100th anniversary of the Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work in 1925 in fresh memory, the year 2027 will in turn mark 100 years of Faith and Order.  So what does visible unity require now? Which voices, wounds, and forms of knowledge must shape the next phase of ecumenical work? And what might churches do together that they have not yet imagined? As phrased in the exhibition itself, “The anniversaries of 2027, eighty years since the founding of the LWF and one hundred years since the first Faith and Order Conference, invite more than remembrance.” The Lund Thread – digital exhibition Photo gallery: Ecumenical vespers – Lund Cathedral 2026 Webinar explores “Visible Unity in a Changing North” (WCC feature 30 October 2026) Ecumenism: When uncharted territory “is a good place to be” (WCC feature, 29 October 2026) Young Nordic theologians voice what visible unity means to them today (WCC feature, 27 October 2026) Swedish “Singstunde” invites spiritual encounter with and through music (WCC photo essay, 27 October 2026) WCC Faith and Order meeting opens with path toward deep dialogue (WCC news release, 26 October 2026) Newly launched report reflects rich tapestry of Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order (WCC news release, 26 October 2026) Webinar will offer special glimpse into “Visible Unity in a Changing North” (WCC news release, 26 October 2026) Photo gallery: Faith and Order Commission – Sweden 2026 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland