(By Leslie Scanlon, The Presbyterian Outlook). A Kentucky Court of Appeals panel has upheld a state court ruling dismissing the defamation lawsuit that Roger Dermody brought against the Presbyterian Church (USA). In a July 28 decision, a three-judge appeals court ruled that the lower court was correct to apply the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, saying that not to…
The Presbyterian Coalition has announced that it will “cease as a non-profit organization and transfer all assets (about $7500) to The Fellowship Community (TFC) with the request that TFC would consider fielding a team to the 2018 General Assembly with the sole purpose to support, encourage, and assist evangelical GA commissioners.” The decision was announced in…
Buckle up, hold on tight, and pray like crazy (By Eva Stimson, Office of the General Assembly Communications). In the mid-1980s, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington, was on life support, and Olympia Presbytery had begun nudging the session to consider pulling the plug. Drugs, crime, and gangs had infested the church’s deteriorating neighborhood. A handful…
(By Jonathan Merritt, Religion News Service). When a journalist has a chance to interview a paragon of the Christian faith like Eugene Peterson, there’s a lot of pressure to pick the perfect questions. I’d asked him about why he was leaving the public eye and if he was afraid of death. I’d asked him about Donald Trump and the state of…
(By Jana Blazek, Presbyterian Outlook). J. Herbert Nelson, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), spoke to participants in a workshop session at Big Tent July 8 about his vision for the denomination and what he sees in its future. Referencing his response to the PCUSA 2016 denominational statistics indicating membership loss of nearly 90,000 members from…
(By Ellen Leahy, Auburnpub.com) This is a story of one church and two villages working together to change the world. It’s the Skaneateles First Presbyterian Church in the village of Skaneateles, New York, and the village of Duk Payuel, in Duk County, Jonglei State, South Sudan. These “sister villages” came together 10 years ago to…
(By Jena Sauber, News-Press Now, MO) After a century and a half, much of it spent without a permanent minister, a small Easton, Missouri, church is officially closing its doors. “It’s been bittersweet trying to get through this,” says Connie Kerns, a member of Easton Presbyterian Church, “but sometimes you have to make a change.” Easton…
(By Times Record Staff, ). University of the Ozarks and First Presbyterian Church of Clarksville entered into a covenant allowing the church to hold weekly services in the university’s Munger-Wilson Memorial Chapel. The covenant, which recognizes the longstanding partnership between the two institutions, was signed in June by University of the Ozarks President Richard Dunsworth and Pat…
‘Milk With Dignity’ designed to ensure sustainability, improve conditions (From the Office of General Assembly Communications.) In a public letter to the CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson, II, has implored Jostein Solheim to honor his commitment and sign onto the Milk With Dignity program so that the anticipated…
(By Leslie Scanlon, The Presbyterian Outlook). FRANKFORT, Ky. – A three-judge Kentucky Court of Appeals panel heard oral arguments June 26 in Roger Dermody’s appeal of a state court ruling in the defamation lawsuit he filed in May 2015 against the Presbyterian Church (USA). Dermody, the PCUSA’s former deputy executive director for mission, was one of…