(By Leslie Scanlon, The Presbyterian Outlook). The premise is this: With a surge of retirements approaching, and fewer people going to seminary, the Presbyterian Church (USA) is facing an impending, potentially severe shortage of pastors. Lee Hinson-Hasty, senior director of Theological Education Funds Development at the Presbyterian Foundation, has been making that case in recent months — at…
The Presbyterian Church (USA) was one of 234 organizations signing a letter to U.S. Senators protesting the Graham-Cassidy proposal, saying it “will eliminate affordable quality health care for millions of Americans by gutting the Affordable Care Act (ACA); slash federal funding and destroy Medicaid by turning its funding into per capita caps; eliminate the Medicaid…
(Originally Posted by EPConnection). EPC churches in Texas and Florida continue to both recover and minister in their communities following Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Eddie Spencer, pastor of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers, Fla., said Irma brought heavy winds and flooding rains to southwest Florida. “A number of our folks have been hurt by…
(By Karen Harvey, The St. Augustine Record, Florida). The 25-foot-tall cross above the Byzantine dome of Memorial Presbyterian Church dangled limply from atop the historic monument after hurricane Irma passed through St. Augustine. Irma finished what Hurricane Matthew started, toppling the cross that had risen above the church since 1992. It is the third of three…
(By Shannon Rossi For The News-Herald, Michigan) When the final worship service is held at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 24 at the First Presbyterian Church of Wyandotte, 161 years of service to the community will end. Despite the loss of the building itself, the remaining members of the congregation will carry their memories of the camaraderie they…
(By Bill Bumpas, One News Now). In an attempt to clarify its stance on human sexuality, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has appeared to muddy the waters even more. The denomination felt the need to respond to the beliefs on biblical sexuality laid out in “The Nashville Statement” by a coalition of conservative evangelical leaders – which…
(By Leslie Scanlon, The Presbyterian Outlook). The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) is considering what’s being described as a “joyous” budget for 2019 and 2020 – a budget that would include a per capita increase from $7.73 per member in 2018 to $10.11 in 2019 and $10.82 in 2020. That would amount…
The Presbytery of Twin Cities Area (PCTA) will petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review its property case against Prairie Community Church in Eden Prairie, Minn. In July, the Minnesota Supreme Court denied a similar petition from the presbytery to review the decision the Minnesota Court of Appeals in favor of Prairie Community Church of…
(Article originally posted on the ECO web site). Dear Friends, Members of the Synod staff have been in contact with churches affected by the devastating storms in the Southeast; most recently those that endured Hurricane Irma in Florida. Though many churches themselves had minor structural damage, some are still without power, and many have downed…
(By the Rev. Janet Edwards, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Written in response to the lament published by the Post-Gazette on 9/9/17 by Holly Lott, “A Presbyterian’s lament: Our church is forsaking core values with ‘reform’ that deforms.“). When I was ordained in September 1977 to the office of Minister of Word and Sacrament in what is…