Minute for Mission: 1001 New Worshiping Communities

May 18, 2024

“We’re Presbyterians.  We don’t DO evangelism.”

I heard these words as I served as a presbytery’s associate for mission and evangelism.  The speaker was the chair of a congregation’s Mission and Evangelism committee …

I get it.  For many of us, the E word makes many of us uncomfortable. For some of us, it triggers painful memories of manipulation and coercion, of colonization and abuse. The word comes with baggage.

But I want you to know — and I want us to celebrate — that the Holy Spirit is moving through Presbyterians to share life-giving good news with people who are hungry for relationships and thirsty for grace. It is happening in our congregations, and it is happening with the intentional and focused efforts of the PC(USA) to start new worshiping communities wherever we can.

It looks like families gathered around a neighbor’s table sharing a meal and figuring out how to follow Jesus together. It is sweaty middle-aged adults bringing one another encouragement at the end of an exhausting cross-fit session. It is advocacy for the poor. It is worship among imprisoned women and a safe space for questions among bartenders and baristas on Monday nights in a college town. It is newly arrived immigrants from every corner of the world finding hope in each other to begin a new life in a strange place. It happens in sanctuaries, neighborhood parks, school cafeterias, dance and yoga studios, on paddle boards in the lake, on trails with hikers. We believe there is no place where God is not, and Presbyterians are meeting God there, making new friends, and demonstrating the mercy and grace that is real good news. 

In a Gospel text, Jesus stands in the midst of a crowd and cries out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the Scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ This flow of living water — from Jesus himself — to the heart of courageous men and women gathering new worshiping communities — and to the hearts of the curious, skeptical, aching people around them is evangelism. It’s as easy as pouring a cup of water or a cup of coffee because we have tasted the goodness of God and saw that it was good enough to share.

To hear stories of where this water is flowing, visit our catalog of video stories here: vimeo.com/channels/1218598/videos.

Nikki Collins, Coordinator, 1001 New Worshiping Communities

Today’s Focus: 1001 New Worshiping Communities

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Brian Henson, Desktop Support Analyst, Information Technology, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)  
Jessica Hernandez, Electronic Marketing Associate, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation  

Let us pray

Come, Holy Spirit, and fill us with love for neighbor and stranger. Show us your love for the people around us and send us to befriend them and serve them and welcome them in your grace and in your power. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - PC(USA) employees lead workshops and discussions during Rome conference on migrant and refugee justice

‘People on the Move’ consultation brings church partners in the Middle East and Europe together

March 5, 2024

Several Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission co-workers and other employees moderated workshops and leading discussion groups at the recent People on the Move partner conference in Rome.

The conference, hosted by the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, included PC(USA) and Global Ministries United Church of Christ partners in Europe and the Middle East. It offered partners a chance to contextualize and share their work on internally displaced, migrant and refugee justice issues. The consultation and listening session intended to center the voices of migrants themselves.

According to Luciano Kovacs, PC(USA)’s area coordinator of the Middle East and Europe, who opened the conference with remarks, the conference had the following objectives:

• Make space for marginalized people’s voices who are on the move, allowing them to speak for themselves.
• Commit to a mutual partnership in solidarity where partners learn, advocate and grow together.
• Develop contextual action steps by hearing from impacted people and those gathered in the global ecumenical community.

Luciano Kovacs

“Church leaders gathered at this consultation will explore root causes centered on racism, poverty, militarism and ecojustice,” said Kovacs. “We’ll also explore how these factors impact, influence, and interact with forced migration and people on the move by looking at case studies and what organizations are doing to welcome people on the move and building vibrant communities for displaced persons.”

In addition to Kovacs, a number of PC(USA) mission co-workers and employees moderated workshops and listening sessions or participated in plenaries and panel sessions. They included Alethia White, co-regional liaison for Northern and Central Europe; the Rev. Dr. Elmarie Parker, regional liaison to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon; Amanda Craft, manager for immigration advocacy for the Office of the General Assembly; Susan Krehbiel, associate for migration accompaniment in Presbyterian Disaster Assistance; Doug Dicks, regional liaison to Israel, Jordan and Palestine, Ellen Smith, regional liaison for Central and Eastern Europe; and Emma Johnston, mission specialist for the Middle East and Europe with the World Mission ministry.

Alethia White

The conference focused on different topics each day, including the root causes for migration and talking about experiences of leaving one’s country. White noted that the opening remarks on the second day of the event were not about statistics, but rather a chance to get to know people.

“This morning, we were each introduced by our names, professions and personal interests. I wish to challenge myself and others to remember that behind every single number in the refugee system is an individual personality with likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams and their own world of experience,” said White. “Collectively we must not ignore these individuals. Collectively we must dismantle the walls of fear and misunderstanding that stand in the way of learning the name of a ‘refugee’ or ‘migrant.’ And collectively we as a church must advocate for better policies and treatment for all.”

The following day’s presenters emphasized the challenges faced by people arriving in a new country. Partners explained how they welcome people into their midst and advocate for receiving migrants with dignity.

The next day, the conference focused on advocacy work and tools in Europe and the United States as well as in international contexts. At the conference’s conclusion, participants worked on proposals to discern how to continue to work collectively and fully engage in advocacy at various levels.

“We hope that this important event will generate new ideas on how to engage constituents and national staff on making true the General Assembly mandate to be an accompanying and sanctuary church,” said Kovacs.

Scott O’Neill, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today’s Focus: ‘People on the Move’ Partner Conference held in Rome

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Jill Chancellor, Reference Archivist, Presbyterian Historical Society, Office of the General Assembly 
Cathy Chang  and Juan Carrasco Lopez Mission co-workers, Philippines, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency 

Let us pray

Lord, you alone are the great Teacher. We seek only to be loyal and faithful followers. Teach us to follow you more faithfully and loyally. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - PDA’s newest volunteer host site commissioned in Mississippi

Ceremony follows March tornado damage in Rolling Fork and Silver City

January 8, 2024

Members of the National Response Team of Presbyterian

Disaster Assistance took part in a volunteer host site

commissioning ceremony at Leland Presbyterian Church 

in Mississippi on Oct. 29. (Photo by Nell Herring, PDA)

Leland Presbyterian Church in Mississippi recently welcomed four members of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) National Response Team as part of a commissioning ceremony for the church’s recently established disaster recovery volunteer host site as well as for the site’s coordinator.

The host site, called Windward, will be used to house volunteers who come to the area to help with disaster recovery but also will be used to house volunteers who come to help with other community improvement projects.

“We are so proud of the church for engaging in this hard and holy work of disaster recovery and we look forward to witnessing how volunteer efforts help rebuild Rolling Fork,” said the Rev. Nell Herring, mission specialist for Volunteer Ministries for PDA.

The host site was established following the devastating EF-4 tornado that leveled the Mississippi Delta communities of Rolling Fork and Silver City last March. Over 20 people lost their lives in the storm, and over 70% of the community of Rolling Fork was destroyed. Wind gusts up to 200 mph debarked trees, mangled cars and destroyed homes.

“Many of our church members went to the Rolling Fork community just hours after the storm to help with rescue efforts and support residents with hot food, water and supplies,” said the Rev. Ann Kelly, Leland’s pastor. “We saw firsthand how horrific the storm damage was to the area. It was heartbreaking.”

The Rev. Ann Kelly, pastor of Leland Presbyterian, 

said the church had a desire to help with long-term 

recovery after tornado damage in the area in March. 

(Photo by Nell Herring, PDA)

Following the tornado, Leland Presbyterian also participated in a communitywide effort to establish a volunteer housing facility at the local Leland community center. The center housed 40 volunteers from Oklahoma who came to help with debris removal. Following that experience, church members began thinking about what else could be done for long-term recovery.

“We have this great education building, but it wasn’t being used fully,” Kelly said. “After the tornado hit, it became clear that the space would be perfect to house long-term volunteers. We reached out to PDA, and they helped us figure out what we needed to convert the space into a host site.”

A hosting grant from PDA was used to purchase mattresses and a separate grant awarded through Volunteer Mississippi was used to retrofit the space with keycode door entries, water stations, plumbing/electrical work, linens and enhanced Wi-Fi.

“PDA seeks to empower local Presbyterians to help their communities recover from disaster,” Herring said. “We were eager to come alongside Leland Presbyterian Church to open this volunteer host site.

Windward can accommodate up to 20 volunteers at a time and provides bathrooms, a shower trailer, meeting spaces and a fully functional kitchen.

To learn more about Windward or to schedule a volunteer work group, contact the PDA Call Center at 866-732-6121 or pda.callcenter@pcusa.org.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is one of the Compassion Peace and Justice ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

 Stephanie Patton, Special to Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) opened a new volunteer host site at Leland Presbyterian Church in Mississippi

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Donyale White, Account Clerk III, Administrative Services Group, A Corp
Ryan and Alethia White, Mission co-workers serving in Germany, World Mission, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Creator God, you make all things new. Thank you for those who nurture hope in the midst of despair. Prosper these efforts, Lord, and remind us that we are called to collaborate, so that all may share in your abundance. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Presbyterian hymnwriter pens anniversary hymns for congregations marking milestones

The works of the Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles are helping PC(USA) congregations mark three centuries of service in their communities

November 6, 2023

Photo by Kyler Nixon via Unsplash

Presbyterian hymnwriter the Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles has completed several new anniversary hymns for congregations marking special milestones — some of them going back centuries.

South Presbyterian Church is marking 300 years in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Since 1723, this congregation has been a source of inspiration and strength for the community and a landmark in the local landscape. As part of South Presbyterian Church’s yearlong celebration, the Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles crafted a new anniversary hymn text called “We Praise You God This Day.” It is sung to the familiar hymn tune VRUECHTEN.

Trinity United Church of Christ in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania, is marking its 175th anniversary in 2023. For Trinity, Dalles wrote a hymn entitled “Now Hear God’s Word for Us This Day,” which is sung to the tune JERUSALEM. East Petersburg is Dalles’ hometown.

 

The Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles

Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, Pennsylvania, will mark its 300th anniversary in 2024. For the Derry congregation, Dalles has penned a hymn called “Bourne by the Waters, Braving the Waves,” which is sung to the tune of “The Skye Boat Song.” The congregation anticipates singing the hymn throughout their anniversary year.

Dalles is an ordained Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister who has served congregations in South Bend, Indiana; Pittsburgh (Fox Chapel and Shadyside); and Longwood, Florida. His hymns appear in over a dozen hymnals in the United States, Canada and Australia. Collections of his hymns have been published in three books.

“These churches each have a remarkable and laudable history,” Dalles said of the anniversary hymns. “I am glad to lift up aspects of their congregations’ life in a hymn that is theirs alone, that they can sing during their anniversary celebration and in the years to come.”

The Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles, Special to Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles, Presbyterian hymnwriter

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Elonzer Purkins, Custodian, Presbyterian Historical Society
Hery Ramambasoa, Mission Coordinator II, Asia & Pacific Office, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Gracious God, give us the courage to serve you in whatever mission fields you present us. Help us demonstrate the joy that comes with our obedience, so that others will want to join us in our good work. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Keeping our promises

Jesus shows us how to heal injustices

February 13, 2023

The Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick

Forgiving those who have hurt us — even when it’s excruciating. Keeping our promises — even when it’s more difficult than we ever expected. These challenges that Jesus ties together in his Sermon on the Mount (take time to read Matthew 5:21–37 now) came together on a trip last October to New Mexico, Utah and Arizona, where the Synod of the Southwest invited executives to meet almost 20 Native American congregations. It was at once inspiring and sobering, as the congregations demonstrated stirring faith amid challenges rarely experienced by dominant culture congregations.

One congregation in Sacaton, Arizona, for example, had a historic sanctuary where the funeral was held for World War II hero Ira Hayes, one of the soldiers celebrated in the famous Iwo Jima memorial. The structure would have celebrated 101 years in 2019. Instead, it was destroyed by arson.

Think for a minute about all the memories that you have in the church closest to your heart. Now imagine those memories literally going up in smoke due to arson.

Now imagine living out the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:22: “I say to you if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Despite quite understandable anger, somehow two elders from the Sacaton congregation met this challenge. They went to the arsonist’s home and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, said that they held nothing against him. Somehow, they found the faithfulness to offer forgiveness — even when it was excruciating.

These elders, like virtually every other congregation we met, lead ministries in very difficult circumstances. Economic struggles on the reservations mean that very few churches have seminary-trained leaders. Their church’s physical plants were the worst that I have ever seen in my many travels throughout our denomination, which lead us back to our Scripture’s second challenge — to keep our promises, even when it is harder than we imagined.

In Fort Defiance, Arizona, we visited a church that was established by white missionaries. A family had given land for a church. The congregation was promised that the physical property would be cared for.

Yet, the larger Church had not kept its promise to steward the property. The larger Church’s “yes” became a “no” as funds diminished.

What would it look like for you to forgive those who have hurt you? And how can we begin keeping the promises we make? It can be done.

In 2018, the 223rd General Assembly established the Native American Church Property Fund so that finally our “yes” can truly remain a “yes” for these congregations and their buildings. You can learn more here.

The Rev. Dr. Chip Hardwick is executive of the Synod of the Covenant.

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Roger Salot, Production Clerk, Presbyterian Distribution Service, Administrative Services Group A(Corp)
Alicia Samuels, Vice President of eCommerce & Marketing & Flyaway Books Editorial, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Let us pray

Father, we thank you for your ability to forgive us for being such an inconstant people. Help us to honor your son, Jesus, the way he deserves each and every day. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Day 2 of Compassion, Peace & Justice training focuses on domestic work

Ministry staff talk about how they have responded to current issues, how people can get involved

August 16, 2022

Christian Brooks (top, left) of the Office of Public Witness moderated Day 2 of CPJ Training April 20, 2022 with (clockwise from top right) Jessica Maudlin of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, the Rev. Shanea D. Leonard of the Office of Gender and Racial Justice, Margaret Mwale of Self-Development of People, Simon Doong of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, and the Rev. Edwin Gonzales-Castillo of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. (Screenshot)

Two-thirds of the way through the second session of CPJ Training, moderator Christian Brooks of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Public Witness turned the conversation to recent headlines.

Specifically, she brought up bills that have been introduced and, in many cases, passed in state legislatures across the country targeting people, particularly children, in the LGBTQIA+ community.

“It is happening not just in the South,” said the Rev. Shanea D. Leonard, Associate for Gender Justice in the PC(USA)’s Office of Gender and Racial Justice. “In the West, in the East, and all over — even here in Kentucky, where our PC(USA) headquarters is located — there are bills that are targeted at not only health care, but education around our youth, around all kinds of facets of life, particularly around LGBTQIA+ folks.

“We have gotten in my office, and other folks might have gotten as well, letters from Presbyterians who are saying, we know that our church and our General Assembly have taken a stand about this. We know that our church stands with our LGBTQIA siblings, not just an ordination and marriage, but full inclusion in our church.”

Now, with the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community under attack, it is again time for the church to speak and act, which Leonard had been doing through their office in the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Compassion, Peace & Justice (CPJ) ministries.

Among actions taken in response to the situation:

• Leonard worked with the office of the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), to draft a statement denouncing the legislation — “This type of injustice cannot be ignored” — and urging people to contact their legislators.
• Brooks added that the Office of Public Witness (OPW) supports the Equality Act, which would broadly prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, and urges Presbyterians and others to tell their representatives to support it.

The Rev. Shanea D. Leonard

Leonard was one of five ministry-area participants in the second day of CPJ Training, a virtual event that this year focused on how Compassion, Peace & Justice ministries are focusing on civil and human rights. The second day addressed domestic issues and work being done by the Gender and Racial Justice Office, as well as the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People.

After presentations from each of the panelists on their ministry areas, a question-and-answer session included questions about how people could get involved with their work.

• Simon Doong, Associate for Peacemaking, pointed to several offerings from the Peacemaking Program, including upcoming Travel Study Seminars, the Mosaic of Peace conference in Israel-Palestine, and United States visits by International Peacemakers. Doong also discussed study materials such as the “Standing Our Holy Ground” series on gun violence.
• Jessica Maudlin, Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care in the Hunger Program, mentioned ways people could engage in environmental issues such as taking the Climate Care Challenge or becoming an Earth Care Congregation.
• Brooks encouraged people to sign up for Action Alerts from OPW that tell them when the Washington Office is asking people to engage with various issues and gives them tools to contact elected officials, including their congressional representatives.
• Margaret Mwale, Associate for Community Development and Constituent Relations in SDOP, said Mid Council SDOP Committees, which make grants to projects in their presbyteries or synods, are great ways to get involved in SDOP’s anti-poverty work. She also noted frequent webinars from SDOP highlight the work the committee is doing and the partners it collaborates with.
• The Rev. Edwin González-Castillo, PDA’s Associate for Disaster Response in Latin America and the Caribbean, noted that giving to One Great Hour of Sharing is a great way to support his ministry as well as PHP and SDOP.

Doong noted that Presbyterians should also look for opportunities to work with organizations in their areas that are addressing issues they feel are important.

“I would also just add that something that I’ve learned in my time with the peacemaking program is that justice work is hard, but justice work also can be really creative and inspiring. That gives you the motivation to keep going,” Doong said.

Rich Copley, Multimedia Producer, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Sean Chow, Associate, Training & Leader Cohorts, 1001 New Worshiping Communities, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Tim Clark, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray

God of all peoples, grant us your Spirit as you give us new opportunities for ministry. We pray that you will continue to transform our communities as you mold us into your people. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Watch Jesus and do the same

8 Habits of Evangelism authors say fellowship is the vaccine for ‘that’s not my problem syndrome’

March 14, 2022

Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri (Photo provided)

As a college student, Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri remembers feeling judged by Christian friends who asked, “Have you repented?”

“I was constantly being evangelized because I hung out with sinners,” Cintrón-Olivieri said. “These were my friends, but I wanted to be more Christ-like — loving [sinners] the way Jesus did.”

Years later, Cintrón-Olivieri said this memory was part of her inspiration in writing about fellowship as one of the 8 Habits of Evangelism.

“This resource on evangelism [produced by Theology, Formation & Evangelism ministries] leans towards being Christ-like as well,” she said.

The Rev. José Manuel Capella-Pratts, who co-authored the lesson on fellowship with Cintrón-Olivieri, his wife, encouraged participants at a recent webinar on the 8 Habits to go back to Jesus’ witness in the gospels.

“Every time you see and hear Jesus pronouncing a word of judgment, who is it for?” he asked. After a long pause, he said, “The words of judgments were not for the sinners, but for religious people like us.”

Capella-Pratts, pastor of First Spanish Presbyterian Church in Miami, acknowledged the multiple pandemics that are right in front of us. For him, COVID-19 has exposed many others — like racism, poverty, inequality, misogyny and homophobia — which he said are dangerous and lethal.

“But today we want to call out the pandemic of apathy, which is a lack of concern for the well-being of others,” he said.

Calling apathy the “that’s not my problem syndrome,” Capella-Pratts believes that fellowship is “the vaccine for this kind of heinous illness.”

“We are to love one another, to look after one another, to care for one another and to enjoy our togetherness, in the presence of God’s perfect love, which takes form in the person of Jesus Christ,” he said. “We should watch Jesus and [then] do the same.”

When Cintrón-Olivieri, a ruling elder and co-moderator of the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was very young, her mom took her to the beach in Puerto Rico with her sister.

When they arrived, there were three small children alone on the beach, with no adult supervision.

“My mother was very worried,” she said.

While details of how the small children got to a home are fuzzy, Cintrón-Olivieri says she’ll never forget the lesson she learned that day, talking with and listening to the children — and learning from her mom how to care for them.

When she and her sister finally were alone, her mother, who was in medical school at the time, asked them to gather some things in their home to give to the children, with specific instructions.

“’Don’t look for things you don’t want,” she said, “but for things you like.”

As a child, Cintrón-Olivieri was angry wondering why she had to give good things to children she didn’t even know.

“We didn’t have a lot at that time, but Mom was showing us what it meant to be what we said we were,” Cintrón-Olivieri said. “You’re a Christian, you love others, your neighbors. When I grow up, I want to be like her. She learned it from her own faith community.”

From time to time, Capella-Pratts says he gets migraines — huge, nasty headaches. When he takes acetaminophen, his migraines laugh at it. But two tablets of naproxen sodium work wonders for him.

“If I’m in a public place and someone says to me, ‘I have these horrible headaches,’ what do you think I’ll say?” he asked. “Here, have an acetaminophen?”

Of course not, Capella-Pratts said. “I’d say, ‘Hey friend, wait, I have these two tablets with medicine that works for me.’ Because I personally know my own experience and I want to share the benefits of not having a migraine with everyone I know.”

His point: experiencing the grace of God is much, much better.

“Fellowship, evangelism is witness. It is what every disciple of Christ is called to do with their life,” he said.

 To hear and read more about how the fellowship — being in relationship with God, each other and the world — draws people to Christ, go to Cintrón-Olivieri and Capella-Pratts’ lesson here.

Paul Seebeck, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Peter Maher, Vice President & Managing Director, Investments, Board of Pensions
Steve Maier, Network Support Engineer, Information Technology, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray

“You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last” (John 15:16). May it be so! Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Golden calves lurk everywhere

Idolatry is not an ancient phenomenon, but a modern reality

February 22, 2022

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. — Exodus 32:1–6

Golden calf at Occupy Wall Street, Oct. 2011 Timothy Krause, CC BY 2.0

Any recounting of the journey of the children of Israel must include the story of the golden calf. It’s an important story because it reminds us of our own ways of traveling the journeys God has set before us. We want to claim our place among God’s chosen, and yet we cannot do so without owning our own failures as followers of a leader. We, too, have often found our spiritual leaders “up on the mountain” awaiting a word from God and, like Moses’ followers, have tired of waiting for epiphany that will provide us the answers we desire. We know what happens next.

When the answer does not come from the leader, we grumble, grow restless and even come to the point of looking for alternative leaders as the Israelites did.

They turned their restlessness into a frenzy in which they “ordained” Aaron to be their new leader. He called them to bring forth all of their gold and made the golden calf, to which they paid homage, oblivious to their foolishness.

Does that sound familiar? Look around the world — and don’t forget to look inward — and see all the leaders who have arisen out of crisis and become objects of worship, only to be recognized by people that the leaders they tried to worship had turned out to be golden calves. The real leader in Exodus 32 — Moses, of course — was still “up on the mountain” discerning God’s will.

Yet, in spite of our failures to patiently wait and trust God’s timing, God forgives our waywardness. Exodus 34 tells us that we are forgiven and blessed by a merciful and gracious God. But when we tire of the discipline of our faith and seek to ordain false leaders, whose rhetoric is compelling and resonates with our biases and fondest wishes, we must remember idolatry is not just an ancient phenomenon. It will, in our own day, lead to ruin for the weakest and most vulnerable of God’s children and, in the end, “visit the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6–7).

Vernon S. Broyles III is a volunteer for public witness in the PC(USA)’s Office of the General Assembly.

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Jeannette Larson, Consulting Editor for Flyaway Books,  Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Jendayi Lawrence, Social Media Assistant, Communications Ministry, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Gracious God, you have faithfully walked with us through all these years. As we look toward the challenges ahead, lead us in the ways that you would have us walk. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Air Force Chief of Chaplains has retired, but not from ‘soul care’

Presbyterian minister Major General Steven Schaick looks forward to next chapter of life in service to God

November 19, 2021

Chief of Chaplains Major General Steven Schaick tells members of the Air Force Chaplain Corps, “We prove our net worth by caring for Airmen, by being there, fully present with them, and saying, ‘You know what, your life, your story matters.’” (Screenshot)

U.S. Air Force Chief of Chaplains Maj. Gen. Steven Schaick, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) minister of Word and Sacrament, retired July 2.

Schaick was appointed in August 2018 as the 19th U.S. Air Force Chief of Chaplains, the most senior chaplain role in the entire Air Force. As Chief of Chaplains, he is a member of the special staff advising the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff on all matters of religious and moral welfare to Air and Space Force personnel. He is responsible for establishing programs to effectively meet the religious needs of Air and Space Force members and their families. He serves as senior pastor for more than 770,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces in the U.S. and overseas; leads approximately 2,200 chaplains and religious affairs Airmen from active duty and Air Reserve components of the Air Force Chaplain Corps; and serves as a member of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, which advises the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on religious, ethical and quality-of-life concerns.

Prior to his current assignment, Schaick served as the 25th U.S. Air Force deputy chief of chaplains, the second senior-most chaplain in the Air Force. He can trace his call to ministry back to his growing up years in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. His parents influenced him by loving God and family and being very moral, ethical and God-fearing people. He was also inspired by the pastor of his home church, Rev. Rapp, whom everyone referred to as “Rev.,” a big man physically and also big in heart, mind, soul and spirit. “I loved this guy and was always intrigued by who he was, who he had become, and the call that he had answered as a young boy,” Schaick said.

After high school, it was the educational benefits that first attracted Schaick to enlisting in the Air Force. He trained in integrated avionics and became an F-15 avionics specialist. It was during these first four years of his career that he became increasingly interested in the intersection of sound theology and ethical living. Mentors like Major Bob Foster, who led the Navigators Bible Study, took special interest, teaching him how to apply the Scriptures to his life. Staff Sergeant Jim DeSantis took 19-year-old Schaick under his wing and encouraged him to consider options and think long term.

“My collection of mentors is just so deep and rich,” Schaick said. “I’d been flying airplanes ever since I was about 17 years old, and even though I had a pitiful GPA and I was just floundering in the engineering program at the University of Wisconsin, the Air Force said they wanted to make me a pilot. I was absolutely elated,” he remembers. “I saw my dream come true.” He also met his future wife at the University of Wisconsin.

Schaick attended a mission conference in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois with fellow members of his Navigators Bible study group a couple months after he received this news from the Air Force. The last speaker of a three-day conference was “a guy by the name of Billy Graham.”

“I’ll never forget it,” Schaick said. “Billy Graham was used by God to speak to a lot of hearts, including my own. I felt, for the first time, a powerful call to ministry.” Afterward, he remembers feeling angry and arguing with God, hoping what he was experiencing was just some kind of emotional thing that would go away.

“I did not want to let go of my pilot opportunities, my flying opportunities for the Air Force,” Schaick said. Instead of fading, his call to ministry “just got stronger and stronger.”

“I turned down my pilot slot with the Air Force, removed myself from ROTC, and set my sights on seminary,” Schaick said.

He earned his Master of Divinity degree in 1986 at McCormick Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian theological school in Chicago. One year prior, he had been commissioned in the Air Force Reserve as a chaplain candidate and, in 1988, he was commissioned into active-duty chaplaincy.

Tammy Warren, Former Communications Associate, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Barry Creech, Director, Policy, Administration & Board Support, Executive Director’s Office, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Jayne Culp, Program Assistant/Moderator Assistant, Office of the General Assembly

Let us pray

Gracious and loving God, your Son multiplied a few disciples into a great and mighty force in the world. Use us so that we might, by the power of the Spirit, share Christ’s joy by extending this great witness in our own day. Amen.