Change.org - Save this farm

Politicians could crush a community farm providing fresh fruits and vegetables to those in need. The Cherry Hill Urban Community Garden is a beloved farm in Baltimore. But without warning, the city’s Housing Authority is threatening to close it. Doing so would literally take food away from some of Baltimore’s most vulnerable residents. Supporters of the farm are fighting back—your signature now could help save this critical community farm. Take our farm for what? (BALTIMORE) 3,810 have signed Black Yield Institute’s petition. Let’s get to 5,000!

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Land insecurity is real. In the midst of a global pandemic, black people are already having a difficult time accessing fresh, healthy produce. Cherry Hill Urban Community Garden, a farm in the Cherry Hill community, is being actively threatened with closure by the landowner, Housing Authority of Baltimore City. There are pending circumstances resulting in the land being taken away from the current stewards. Removing a proven community asset doesn’t make any sense, right?  The land is the prime opportunity to address food insecurity since it was going to be vacant anyway. Why not grow food on the land? The Housing Authority of Baltimore City should give the farm more time so that we can address an issue that the pandemic has only made bigger. We should be making food affordable and  available to the people of the community. Taking the land from the farm makes food insecurity a much larger issue.  The Housing Authority of Baltimore City should tell the public housing residents and the larger community why a community asset’s removal is of priority considering the stated goals, mission and goals of the agency.  Sign this petition in support of the farm staying where it is currently located.

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Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Evangelism and justice dance well together in Africa

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Evangelism and justice dance well together in Africa: Mission co-workers and partner churches embrace evangelistic ministries and social justice June 30, 2021 Mission co-worker Jim McGill brings...

Will you call to demand citizenship for undocumented immigrant people?

Over the past three weeks, faith leaders and undocumented immigrants made an enormous sacrifice and fasted for their freedom. Immigrant essential workers, Dreamers, and TPS holders were joined by clergy and other allies in a fast to urge Congress to create a pathway to citizenship this summer. Take 5 minutes today to honor their fast by calling your members of Congress! Call Now! The efforts of immigrant people, faith leaders, and allies are working. After three weeks of fasting, we learned that Senator Bernie Sanders has included a pathway to citizenship in his budget reconciliation proposal, a huge victory for advocates. However, the bill is still up for debate and can be changed. We need your help to make sure these pathways stay in the final budget and become a reality!  Ask your members of Congress to provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of essential workers and their families, Dreamers, and TPS holders in the upcoming jobs and infrastructure reconciliation bill. Call Now! Our faith teaches us that we are bound together, responsible for each other's health as much as our own. We are only as healthy, safe, and free as our neighbors. This past year we saw how all Americans relied on people doing essential work to sustain our economy and maintain the flow of food, as well as other goods and basic services, in every part of our country. We owe a debt of gratitude and have a moral obligation to essential workers. Our nation must create a pathway to citizenship for immigrant essential workers and their families. Join us in calling today. You will be directly connected to the offices of your senators and representatives. A sample script will be provided. In faith and action, Paola Fuentes Gleghorn Immigration and Women and Girls Campaign Coordinator

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Not just a pastor’s job

A ‘Year of Leader Formation’ helps laity step up to serve

By Rick Jones | Presbyterians Today

In the late ’90s, Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri became a member of a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregation in Puerto Rico with a membership of fewer than 20 people. The congregation, the co-moderator of the 223rd General Assembly (2018) recalls, had gone through a schism, and her spouse, the Rev. José Manuel, was called to be its redevelopment pastor. When the couple arrived, they discovered that there was no session, no deacons, no Christian education programs and no musicians. “Church” consisted of Sunday worship only. An administrative commission appointed by the presbytery served as the session.

“The sanctuary had worn-out rusty office chairs, a chancel without a cross and a pulpit that was falling apart,” Cintrón-Olivieri said. “The first two years were the toughest, but we pressed on, identifying those people who could serve as worship leaders, elders and deacons.”

Slowly, the work of the church began taking shape. Leaders began to emerge and the church began to grow. A church member took it upon himself to build a cross for the chancel and installed it with the help of others from the congregation. A member of a sister congregation donated the communion set. Volunteers took turns preparing the sanctuary for Sunday worship.

“Gratitude and wonder abounded, and so did frustration and discouragement,” said Cintrón-Olivieri, adding a sentiment that many Presbyterian congregations can relate to: “Doing ministry in survival mode was no easy feat.”

“Some of our members had been ‘doing church’ the same way for many years. Trying to fit what had always been done to a new reality would not work, and new ways of being church were feared,” she said. “Others got discouraged by what seemed like an enormous task or could not imagine worshiping a cappella for an extended period of time.”

Yet while it was a difficult time, Cintrón-Olivieri says it was “a period of redefining what it meant to be church in our community and a period of many firsts: first-time members, first-time leaders, first-time elders and first-time deacons.”

“If we were to succeed in this endeavor, we would have to surrender to these facts: This was God’s church, not ours; we needed to work together to move the mission forward; and we would have to commit to learning new things,” she said.

The hard work, perseverance and prayer, lots of it, paid off. By the time the administrative commission was dismissed, a four-member deacon board and a five-member session were installed to lead and serve the small congregation.

Cintrón-Olivieri often thinks back on the time in Caguas, Puerto Rico. “We were small, and we were also mighty. We made it through by the grace of God; no doubt about it.” And she knows that her experience is not an isolated one.

“Our Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations are facing, and will face, many challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemics of racism and divisiveness. In the midst of it all, we have seen the Holy Spirit busy at work. This is God’s church, and whomever God calls, God empowers,” she said. But securing leadership in churches as they dwindle is not just about calling a pastor. Empowering the work of elders and deacons is needed.

Focus on formation

The specific roles that ruling elders and deacons play in the life of the church may vary between congregations, but their significance in the ministry of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) cannot be overlooked. Leaders in the Office of the General Assembly are in the midst of a yearlong initiative focusing on the ecclesial formation of these leaders.

The initiative, a “Year of Leader Formation: Investing in Ruling Elders and Deacons,” incorporates a new training resource, a series of articles, a webinar series and other tools to help participants grow in the role. “As a denomination, we haven’t offered new training resources for our ruling elders and deacons for quite some time. This really goes beyond how you are prepared to serve in these roles but also how you live that out,” said Martha Miller with Ministry and Education Support in the Office of the General Assembly. “It is a continuous process focusing on relationships with God and with each other.”

The resources include, but are not limited to:

• “Coming Alive in Christ: Trainng for PC(USA) Ruling Elders and Deacons based on the Constitutional Questions,” a multi-session resource delivered through the denomination’s online training site, Equip, that can be found at equip.pcusa.org. Study guides are provided for leaders to use in monthly and retreat formats.
• “Regarding Ruling Elders: A Monthly Series for Serving Faithfully,” which consists of a series of articles with a leadership formation thread in each issue. Issues are posted through the Presbyterian News Service, on the ruling elder webpage, and with a searchable archive of past issues available in Equip.
• Three webinars covering topics of interest to both ruling elders and deacons. The recording of the first webinar, “Discovering Our Gifts,” is available on the “Year of Leader Formation” webpage.

A lifetime of learning

“When we think of faith development, we tend to think of it focusing on children and young people, but all of us are continually developing, growing,” said Miller. Jihyun Oh, director of Mid Council Ministries in the Office of the General Assembly, agrees, adding that learning to lead is a “lifelong journey and formation process.”

The Rev. Tim Cargal, manager of Ministry Preparation and Support for Mid Council Ministries in the Office of the General Assembly, sees the importance of leadership formation growing especially as there is more fluidity between denominations and even faith traditions in American society.

“One consequence of this movement is that people with excellent skills and gifts for ministry leadership in our PC(USA) congregations and worshiping communities may not also have significant knowledge about and experience with what makes our reformed understanding of the Christian faith and community practice distinctive,” he said. “While we certainly want to be open to what we can learn about God’s mission in the world from others, we also need to be sure our leaders have training to enable them to bear witness to the world of the Presbyterian and Reformed understanding of God’s mission.”

Cargal says one of the primary contributions of Reformed and Presbyterian theology to the global church has been its insistence that ministry is not the exclusive domain of clergy and priests.

“In their baptism, God calls and enables all Christians for the work of ministry. And in recognition of specific gifts, some people are called forward within faith communities to help discern what God’s mission is for that time and place (ruling elders) and to lead in ministries of compassion and justice (deacons) in the furtherance of that mission,” he said.

Cultural contexts considered

The highlighted resource, “Coming Alive in Christ: Training for PC(USA) Ruling Elders and Deacons,” includes a monthly leader guide for use during meetings of the session and deacons throughout the year with each month diving deeper into one of the constitutional questions. The resource is available in English with plans to provide a culturally translated version in Spanish and Korean in the future. Rather than providing a direct translation, this method will take into account the different cultural contexts of Spanish- and Korean-speaking congregations.

The Rev. Rosa Miranda, associate for Hispanic/Latino-a Intercultural Congregational Support in the Office of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries, says this is an encouraging first step. “It is my hope that in this process we may learn ways that might be adapted to other contexts to connect and bring together leaders and faith communities isolated or in the margins,” she said.

The collaboration includes the National Presbyterian Hispanic Latino Caucus and the Intercultural Congregational Hispanic Latina Office.

While the “Year of Leader Formation” is taking place in 2021, Miller says the initiative, while timely, wasn’t structured around the pandemic. “It’s really about relationship and formation and what it means to be a Presbyterian leader.”

Opportunities for continued formation are expected to continue beyond 2021. Cintrón-Olivieri encourages all to take part in this formation. “I encourage you to advocate for leadership formation and to care for and invest in your own education as a leader or officer of the church. Empowered leaders empower,” she said.

Rick Jones is director of communications for the Office of the General Assembly. Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri contributed to this article.

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Learn more

Resources for the “Year of Leader Formation: Investing in Ruling Elders and Deacons,” including the new resource “Coming Alive in Christ: Training for PC(USA) Ruling Elders and Deacons based on the Constitutional Questions” and the “Year of Leader Formation” hymn “Each Christian Has a Calling,” are available at pcusa.org/leader-formation

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Three leadership lessons learned

By Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri

1. We serve God and the people in shared ministry. One of the characteristics of our Reformed Theology that is present in Presbyterian governance is the priesthood of all believers. Ministry is for the whole body of Christ. As the Book of Order in G-2.0101 states, “The basic form of ministry is the ministry of the whole people of God, from whose midst some are called to ordered ministries, to fulfill particular functions. Members and those in ordered ministries serve together under the mandate of Christ.” We serve together, and Christ is our leader. In the case of that small church in Puerto Rico that my husband and I were serving, ruling elders and ministers of the Word and Sacrament in other congregations volunteered to help out a sister congregation in need.
2. Continued, thorough training of new (and not-so-new) officers is key. Elected ruling elders and deacons are required to undergo training before being examined by the session and being ordained or installed (see the Book of Order, G-2.0402), yet I have witnessed in some church settings that the training is minimal and sporadic. I have heard ruling elders define their service in the session as they would define their service in a board of directors with little to no understanding of their spiritual role in the congregation or their call to discernment as well as governance. I have heard deacons describe their service as a minor, less important role in the ministry of the church, seeing themselves as “third-class” church officers. In general, the church needs to do better in affirming we are all called to service, and each person has a unique role to play in the ministry of the church. There is no “preferential call” nor hierarchy in our governance. We are called by the Holy Spirit to ministry in different ways with different functions, all important in the community of faith. One of my favorite quotes in the Directory for Worship (W-5.0204) describes pastoral care. The third paragraph states, “All members are called to take part in the ministry of pastoral care, visiting the sick, supporting the weak, and comforting those who mourn.” A careful reading of the Directory for Worship will shed light in many areas ruling elders and deacons are able to contribute to the life of the church, from leading or participating in worship and other services, to exercising pastoral care, to teaching and also preaching, when asked to do so, among other areas. Pastoral leadership models have been changing. Small congregations, which are in the majority in our denomination, benefit from well-trained and involved leaders who serve alongside full- or part-time ministers of the Word and Sacrament or Commissioned Ruling Elders.
3. Rethink priorities: Do we really need to do what we have always done? If we have learned something as a church from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is to rethink, reassess, establish priorities and redefine who we are in the here and now. Congregations have taken inventory of resources available and considered not what has always been done, but what can be done at this time with the resources available. For example, studying the Bible is of utmost importance in a community of faith, yet Sunday school, as it has been done in the past decade, will possibly be ineffective in our context now. Are there other ways to provide for the responsible study of the Bible? Looking at the organizational structure of the congregation, does a 12-member session make sense right now? A nominating committee may be struggling to “fill slots,” and is that really what’s desired? Could a nine-member session work? Our session then had five members, including the pastor. That was it. Rethinking these areas was the only option. Thorough training, along with mentoring, was key. It paid off. Witnessing new elders and deacons lead worship for the first time, or step away from of their comfort zones to lead a class, was a joy to behold.

Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri is an educator and a Presbyterian ruling elder. A member of First Spanish Presbyterian Church in Miami, she has most recently served as co-moderator of the 223rd General Assembly (2018).

Announcing Faiths 4 Climate: A Global, Multi-Religious Action!

Hi Rev., Sign up to take part in Faiths 4 Climate Justice, a 17-18 October global, multi-religious climate action! As this year’s UN climate negotiations approach, most governments have failed to meet the Paris goals they set six years ago. Banks have even increased their financing for fossil fuel projects every year since the Paris Agreement. Then, at the recent G7 meeting, leaders of wealthy countries failed to commit to providing timely support for countries facing the greatest risk from climate change - despite pledging to do so years ago. This lack of leadership is unacceptable. It violates humanity’s deepest moral values. Sign up to take part in Faiths 4 Climate Justice. Our faiths call for nothing less than an immediate end to new fossil fuel projects, deforestation and related financing, a massive commitment to green jobs to reduce climate pollution and end poverty for millions, and reparations from wealthy countries responsible for most past emissions to equip vulnerable nations for a better future.   These commitments are what the world needs and what our faiths require. That’s why on 17-18 October, two weeks before governments are expected to increase their climate commitments at the UN climate talks, people of diverse religions will rise together to send a clear message to governments and major financial institutions: destroying the planet is against our religions.   Can we count on you? Sign up now to organize an action with Faiths 4 Climate Justice! We’ll work together in the coming months to make this a big, beautiful, faith-rooted action. And we’ll provide lots of resources to help you along the way. Here’s how Faiths 4 Climate Justice will work: Sunday, 17 October: Religious communities will hold a public action at their place of prayer calling for decision-makers to act. Together, we’ll take creative action such as unfurling banners on religious and spiritual buildings, posting our demands on doors of local, regional, or national governments, banks, and major investment houses, or ringing bells, sounding the shofar, calling the Azan, etc, as we did on 11 March. Monday, 18 October: On the morning of 18 October, wearing religious garb or t-shirts with catchy slogans or carrying religious signs, we’ll line up outside of local, regional, and national governments and finance institutions en masse to deliver our demands to officials. Either at the beginning or end of the action, religious people may choose to hold a meditation or pray-in. Rev., it’s past time for governments, banks, and investors to deliver. As grassroots people from diverse religions, we are ready to take action for a just and sustainable future. Together, we will show the world that people of faith are not going to stand idly by in the face of injustice. Please join us! In faith and solidarity, Rev. Fletcher & the GreenFaith International Network

WCC NEWS: In Caribbean, resilience shines even amid vaccine inequity

During a virtual gathering, church leaders from the Caribbean shared a moment of prayer to prepare their discussions, which centered on the challenges facing  churches and communities. COVID-19, they shared, has exacerbated existing injustice for many people. Kingston, Jamaica, May 21, 2011 .International Ecumenical Peace Convocation   Photo: Peter Williams/WCC 28 June 2021 Rev. Karl Johnson, of the Jamaica Baptist Union, member of the Central Committee and moderator of the discussion, expressed concerns on the low vaccination rollout into the Caribbean region: “Even though churches are advocating for more access to vaccination, people are suffering from the inequity in distribution and access,” he said. Elenor Lawrence, from Barbados Church in the Province of the West Indies, shared: “The eruption of La Soufrière volcano covered the island in ashfall and this brought a new difficulty in an already rough time.”  Discussing on how the pandemic affected the life of people and churches in the Caribbean, Rev. Christopher Euphfa, from the Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands and youth advisor to the WCC central committee, said: "We had to do church services online. But coming from a rural area, only a few members have access to internet. Nevertheless, members of the church have adapted pretty well.” Great concerns were raised on how the pandemic led to an increase in female genital mutilation and cyber trafficking. Despite the difficulties faced, the resilience and adaptivity of the communities was at the heart of the discussions. Even if church gatherings have been limited, the spiritual life didn’t stop. With creative resources, ministers adapted to provide spiritual support, including online videos and worship.   WCC central committee meeting 2021 The 11th Assembly of the WCC in Karlsruhe, Germany 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 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Change.org - Homophobia at Texas A&M

On June 15, Vince Hardy—a Program Coordinator at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine—sent a hateful email in response to an LGBTQ+ event. Texas A&M is not historically known for diversity, inclusion, or tolerance. Messages such as Mr. Hardy’s make the school a less inclusive and less desirable place to study, work, and learn. Petition starter Kris is urging you to stand up for love over hate. Sign the petition to terminate Vince Hardy and hold the university to a higher standard. Decisive action needed by Texas A&M CVM against anti-LGBTQ+ behavior by faculty member 2,203 have signed Kris Anderson’s petition. Let’s get to 2,500!

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On June 15, 2021, Mr. Vince Hardy, Program Coordinator with the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science wrote an email reply to an event invitation. The event was a celebration for Pride month and a fundraiser for the Trevor Project, which is a group working for suicide prevention among the LGBTQ+ community. Mr. Hardy’s response, which is attached here as a screenshot, was directed to the entirety of the staff at the Texas A&M CVM. Recipients included staff, faculty, student workers, and administration; Mr. Hardy’s email was then shared among all of the students of the college. The next day Mr. Hardy released a statement via email, in which he said in part, “I have a love for all people and desire to treat them with the respect and dignity that they deserve.” Dr. August, current Dean of the Texas A&M CVM, then responded with a rather lackluster email. Let’s be clear. This is unacceptable. Texas A&M is not historically known for diversity, inclusion, or even tolerance. Its history is fraught with examples of racism, sexism, homophobia, and bigotry. Within the past few decades, the University as a whole and the College of Veterinary Medicine specifically have made strides in terms of inclusion of people previously targeted by the school’s culture. We must be clear that messages such as the one included in Mr. Hardy’s original email subvert those efforts and are primarily hateful. Messages such as Mr. Hardy’s make the school a less inclusive and less desirable place to study, work, and learn. Those types of messages have no place at a public institution of learning. Emails are shared among the College of Veterinary Medicine countless times daily. As a student there, I received emails about numerous groups in which I had no interest. It was easy to ignore, delete, and move on with my day. In contrast, drafting a multi-paragraph email response, complete with biblical citations, indicates an inherent disgust with the community he was attacking and a willingness to share those views under his professional persona. Mr. Hardy just personally added to the bigoted history of Texas A&M, and the lack of administrative response is contributing to the bigoted *future* of Texas A&M. Vitriol like Mr. Hardy’s creates a hostile environment for his colleagues, staff, students, and administrators. Hate speech requires swift and definitive action, which has so far been lacking from current administration. Dr. August: I am sure that being Dean of a CVM in today’s current climate is not an easy task. However, I am also confident that you can improve your response to this issue. Mr. Hardy’s mindset is not part of the “jigsaw puzzle,” that should be included in any public place of education. The CVM administration must condemn Mr. Hardy’s bigotry quickly and decisively, lest they risk lasting damage to the culture of the school itself. Let Texas A&M be an example of inclusion, of decisive action against hatred, and of support for *all* of its students, staff, and faculty. “There are good people on both sides,” is not an acceptable response to hatred. Mr. Hardy’s words attacked members of the A&M community to the core of their identity. Please have the strength to stand up for love over hate, inclusion over exclusion, and diversity over bigotry. To the staff, faculty, and students of Texas A&M: You have so much support. You are not alone. You are not bad or wrong or unwelcome. Texas A&M is better for the diverse quilt made up of all of its people, and the only weak thread in that quilt is hatred. Please take action, be strong, and reach out for support if you need it. Change happens over time; even setbacks like this allow change to launch forward. Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M CVM have come a long way in terms of inclusion, but there is so much more work to do before people of all walks of life feel welcome. Texas A&M prides itself on creating an Aggie family, on supporting one another and empowering one another. We are asking for Texas A&M to elect decisive action against this type of hatred and immediately terminate Mr. Hardy. An individual with such vile opinions of students under his direction should not be in such a role. Additionally, a critical action plan to address and prevent incidents like this in the future needs to be put into place, combined with a more powerful message of support for our LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff impacted by this. The appropriate reaction to this incident necessitates sending a message that leaves no questions about the University’s and the CVM’s support for *all* of their students, faculty, and staff. Hatred is not an Aggie value. Signed, TAMU alumni: Mendi Hill, DVM, Class of 1999 Candace Cain Richie, DVM, Class of 2004 Amber Hampton, DVM, Class of 2005 Karen Smith, DVM, Class of 2006 Cassie Epstein, DVM, Class of 2007 Maureen Patricia Kersting, DVM, Class of 2008 Kris Anderson, DVM, Class of 2009 Zachary Clark, DVM, Class of 2009 Christine McCoy Specht, DVM, Class of 2009 Joyce Li, DVM, Class of 2011 Amanda Lust-Theis, DVM, Class of 2011 Kim Bishop, DVM, Class of 2012 Taylor L Carl, DVM, Class of 2012 Elizabeth Fraser, DVM, Class of 2012 Kim Aeschlimann, DVM, DACVS-SA, Class of 2013 Kristen Kjellberg, DVM, Class of 2013 Kathryn Lindauer Kraft, DVM, Class of 2013 Megan Beauchamp, DVM, Class of 2014 Emily Hood, DVM, Class of 2014 Barbara Elise Jemmott, DVM, Class of 2015 Kara Lewton, DVM, Class of 2015 Suzanne Li, DVM, Class of 2015 (Apologies, this is my first petition, and I’m struggling with photos, or I would include Mr. Hardy’s "apology" email and Dean August’s response. Also I apologize for the photo formatting)

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