Weekly Outlook - Clarity sought as Olympia Overture returns to GA

Dear readers, General Assembly is coming fast — and if you’re trying to keep up, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why we’re building out a full set of resources to help you follow GA227 with clarity (and without the overwhelm). This week, we opened pre-orders for our bulletin inserts, designed to help you share what’s happening with your congregation before and after the assembly. And on June 17, we’ll host a free, live webinar with the co-moderator candidates — a chance to hear directly from them and bring your questions into the conversation (registration required). And one more thing we’re really excited about: our Guide to GA227 drops tomorrow. It’s a digital resource that walks through the key issues and helps you track what matters. It’s available for free because we want it in as many hands as possible. As a subscriber to Presbyterian Outlook emails, we'll email you tomorrow about the release.  In the meantime, our reporting is already underway. We’ve published several new GA-related stories this week: Clarity and oversight sought after passage of ‘Olympia Overture’ PC(USA) to consider policy rejecting White Christian nationalism Why one Presbyterian group is advocating for Palestinian women prisoners West Virginia pastor will stand for Moderator of the 227th General Assembly However you’re engaging General Assembly this year — as a commissioner, a church leader or an interested observer — we’re glad you’re here. We’ll help you follow along every step of the way. Peace, Rose Schrott Taylor Digital Content Editor Presbyterian Outlook P.S. We've got a lot of GA content heading your way. If you're worried about hitting our paywall — or have people in your life who you think would benefit from the latest PC(USA) news — we're running a special for first-time subscribers: a year-long digital subscription for $9.95.

Clarity and oversight sought after passage of ‘Olympia Overture’ by Blake Brinegar   PC(USA) to consider policy rejecting White Christian nationalism by John Bolt   Presbyterian leaders to weigh next steps on fossil fuels by Harriet Riley  West Virginia pastor will stand for Moderator of the 227th General Assembly by Mike Ferguson Special committee proposes confession specific to the times we live in by Harriet Riley Why digital ministry is inclusion by Brittany Harrold Porch

In case you missed it... More Light Presbyterians retreat centers rest, belonging and resistance At Ferncliff, queer Presbyterians named harm, shared stories and reclaimed rest as essential to the church’s ongoing work for justice. — Bethany Peerbolte Why one Presbyterian group is advocating for Palestinian women prisoners Paul Seebeck shares how a multi-denominational campaign is drawing attention to reported abuses — and why it matters as the General Assembly takes up Israel/Palestine issues. General Assembly committee leaders gather at the Presbyterian Center for training and for fun Seventy-three leaders from 11 committees learn from national staff and from one another. — Mike Ferguson Former mission co-workers go public as PC(USA) severance conditions expire A year after the Interim Unified Agency eliminated 54 mission co-worker positions, former co-workers are describing what they endured — and two GA227 overtures are calling for accountability. — Eric Ledermann Polyamory, church policy and the limits of regulation As the PC(USA) considers a proposal on clergy relationships, April Stace argues the church risks regulating relationship structures instead of addressing power, harm and ethical practice. A surprising intersection: Queer theology and disability theology  Tony Stiff explores how disability and queer theology together challenge the church to expand belonging and reimagine true inclusion.

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WCC news: WCC mourns Jione Havea, “prophet of the Pacific”

Rev. Prof. Jione Havea, a Tongan Methodist theologian, biblical scholar, and pastor known for his work in contextual, postcolonial, and Pacific (Pasifika) theologies, passed away on 29 April. Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC 30 April 2026 World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay praised Havea’s legacy. "His sudden passing represents a great loss to the ecumenical movement,” said Pillay. “Havea helped to shift theology away from fixed systems and toward an ongoing, shared, and culturally grounded conversation, especially shaped by Pacific and marginalized voices. Indeed, his presence will be greatly missed but his words always remembered.” Havea was educated in Tonga and Fiji before pursuing theological studies in the United States. He earned a master of divinity and master of theological studies from Perkins School of Theology (Southern Methodist University) and later completed a doctorate degree there.  He was ordained in the Methodist Church of Tonga and has also been associated with the Uniting Church in Australia.  Havea held teaching and research positions at institutions such as Charles Sturt University, Australia, and Trinity Theological College, New Zealand.  Rev. François Pihaatae, WCC president from the Pacific, acknowledged Havea as “the great servant of God who sailed throughout the Pacific Ocean and the world in sharing the word of God grounded in the Pacific culture and Indigenous view. “It is a great loss for the Pacific. He was such great thinker and theologian. Too young to leave now, considered also as the prophet of the Pacific. May he rest in peace in God’s love.” From 2013 to 2022, Havea was a member of the WCC’s theological study group of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. “When I met Jione, and listened to him speak about the Bible, I so clearly remember that he took my breath way,” remembered Rev. Dr Susan Durber, WCC president from Europe. She described Havea’s passing as “a loss beyond measure for the world church. “He helped me, and many others, to see something really new about a Bible story and to know that we had been invited into a way of seeing the world that we wouldn’t have known otherwise,” she said. “It wasn’t just that he presented me with new perspectives, but that the way he did it was so new, and so attractive. He understood the power of metaphor to communicate and to reshape the world, and he brought joy and delight to the walk of justice—and to the work of post-colonial theology.” “Jione Havea was a trusted and courageous collaborator in de-colonial work. He understood that ecumenism must reckon with its own histories of power, and he persistently, gently, and prophetically called us toward more just ways of reading the Bible and being church. His critique was never destructive; it was always an act of love, rooted in a deep commitment to Pasifika theologies and to voices of all who dwell on the margins,” said Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba, WCC programme director for Unity, Mission, and Ecumenical Formation.  “Whether coordinating Bible studies at the Arusha Conference on World Mission and Evangelism or leading a consultation, Jione created spaces where Scripture came alive as a living, unsettling, and healing witness. “Just three weeks ago, he submitted a profound, challenging, and creative chapter for a volume that Ernst Conradie and I are co-editing,” said Nalwamba. “Even in that final piece, his voice was unmistakable: playful, wise, unsettling, and grace-filled. We have agreed to dedicate the volume to him. It is the smallest of gestures for a man who gave so much. He will be profoundly missed. My heartfelt condolences to Monica Jyotsna Melanchthon and their beloved daughter, Diya Lakai.” Plural, relational, context-driven, resistant to domination Havea’s work spanned several intersecting areas: biblical hermeneutics and criticism, especially reading scripture from marginalized or non-Western perspectives; postcolonial and decolonial theology, critiquing the legacy of empire in Christianity; and Pasifika/Oceanic theology, emphasizing Indigenous knowledge, storytelling, and “sea of theologies” framework. A recurring theme in his work is the importance of storytelling and plurality of voices in theology, especially in postmodern and cross-cultural contexts.  Havea is especially known for bringing Pacific island perspectives into global theological discourse; challenging Eurocentric theological norms; using metaphors of ocean, voyage, and storytelling to rethink theology; and advocating theology that emerges from marginalized, migrant, and Indigenous communities. "We received the news of Rev. Dr Jione Havea’s passing with deep sadness,” said Rev. Charissa Suli, president of the Uniting Church in Australia. “He was a deeply loved theologian, mentor, and friend, whose life shaped our church and touched the wider ecumenical family. “We give thanks for the wisdom and generosity he shared so freely, and for the way he gently yet courageously called the church to listen more deeply to voices on the margins and to the voice of God among our peoples. To honour his life now is to be the church he called us to be: humble in listening, courageous in truth, and faithful to the gospel in love.” Rev. Prof. Dr Fernando Enns, from the Association of Mennonite Congregations in Germany, and member of the WCC central and executive committees,  described Havea as a true “compañero” (one who shares the bread with others on the way). "I am ever grateful for a dear co-pilgrim, who walked with us in the Reference Group on the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace between the WCC assemblies of Busan and Karlsruhe,” said Enns. “When we started our pilgrim team visits and discussed the need to ‘visit the wounds’ of the hosting communities, it was Jione who insisted: ‘It has to be touching the wounds!’ "Jione has led us with his most inspiring biblical wisdom, deeply rooted in Pacific spirituality, committed to the ecumenical journey. His humbleness and humor shall continue to guide our feet.” For Athena Peralta, director of the WCC’s Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, Havea brought creativity and prophetic power to biblical study, “exploring paths of decolonisation and advancing climate justice within the churches.”  “His project, acClimatise the Lectionary, is a meaningful contribution to the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action. His big heart for migrants, for the land and the oceans, and his infectious laughter will be long remembered,” said Peralta. Dr Manoj Kurian, director of the WCC's Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing, remembered that as part of the WCC’s pilgrimage visits before the WCC 11th Assembly, he had the opportunity to join an ecumenical delegation to Pakistan in 2018, in which Havea also participated. “Jione was a clear unapologetic voice of Indigenous and other marginalized communities. His legacy as a daring, witty, wise, and deeply contextual Pacific theologian with a truly global impact will live on. I pray for his dear family during this difficult period,” said Kurian. Some of Havea’s notable publications include Doing Theology in the New Normal: Global Perspectives (2021);Theologies from the Pacific (ed., 2021); Vulnerability and Resilience: Body and Liberating Theologies (2020); and Mission and Context: Theology in the Age of Empire (ed., 2020). He has also written numerous articles and chapters on biblical interpretation, postmodern theology, and contextual theology. Havea is survived by his beloved wife, Prof. Monica J. Melanchthon, and their daughter Diya. "Do Just This – Protect Life!" (Jione Havea's Bible study for WCC, July 2013) “Pilgrimage onto already-settled land” (Jione Havea's Bible study for WCC, March 2017) "Cured water, peaceable people: A reflection from Pasifika (Pacific)" (Jione Havea's Bible study for WCC, March 2024) 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

This Week in Religion - Bible verses quoted in the White House Correspondents’ suspect's manifesto

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Lead story

The Christian DNA of suspected White House Correspondents’ dinner gunman

Editor's note:

In the manifesto reportedly sent to family members moments before he attempted to storm past security at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday evening, Cole Tomas Allen thanked his “family, both personal and church,” for their love. While President Donald Trump characterized the manifesto as “anti-Christian,” RNS reporter Kathryn Post was curious about Allen’s religious connections – and whether they might reveal anything further about the suspect’s worldview.

She found that Allen’s family ties to a theologically conservative Reformed church, involvement in a Christian student ministry, and social media posts condemning Christian hypocrisy hint at his complex faith background. 

“Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed,” Allen allegedly wrote in the manifesto. “I’m not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration.”

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Religion News

Pope prays with Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally in historic encounter, vows dialogue

Pope Leo vowed to keep working to overcome differences during a historic meeting with the first female leader of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press 

Citing Wexner's Epstein ties, Jewish leaders direct money to survivors

More than 100 alumni of Wexner Foundation fellowships and professional development programs have started a fund to aid survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation. By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service

The Supreme Court seems likely to shut down a lawsuit by Falun Gong over Cisco's aid to China

The Supreme Court seems likely to grant tech giant Cisco’s bid to shut down a lawsuit claiming that the company’s technology was used to persecute members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement in China. By Mark Sherman/The Associated Press

A Havana church provides meals to elderly Cubans struggling as national crisis deepens

Cuba’s elderly are among those bearing the heaviest burden of the island’s deepening economic crisis. Elderly people stand in long lines for bread and rice, and increasingly depend on churches and some state institutions for basic meals. By Andrea Rodriguez/The Associated Press

NY Zen Center holds memorial service for an AI companion

The sensei said this is the first time the Zen Center has memorialized an AI companion, but he doesn’t foresee it being the last. By Fiona Murphy/Religion News Service

 

Commentary and Analysis

What a Muslim folk trickster can teach us about the danger of holding a single worldview

The folk tales of Nasreddin Hoja, which likely originated in 13th-century Turkey, carry many lessons for us today. By Perin Gürel for The Conversation

Homeschooling has a Christian nationalist past. But that doesn't have to be its future.

Why do some homeschoolers describe a move from no regulation to basic safety oversight as ‘unwarranted surveillance’? The answer is rooted in the history of homeschooling in this country. By Abbi Nye/Religion News Service

‘Just war’ has guided Catholic thinking on conflict for centuries – including criticism of Iran war

Just war theory, developed over centuries, focuses on six criteria for assessing whether a conflict is justified. By Valerie Morkevicius for The Conversation

Texas proposes Bible readings for K-12 students, reigniting century-old legal battle over their place in public schools

American courts have legislated the Bible’s role in classrooms for more than a century. Whether it’s constitutional depends on the aims of teachers’ lessons. By Charles J. Russo for The Conversation

 

Photos of the Week: St. George's Day, Sudan civil war and more

Muslims perform 'zikr,' a Sufi devotional practice, inside the war-damaged Sheikh GaribAllah Mosque in Omdurman, on the outskirts of Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

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