Mission Yearbook: Video series’ final episode explores how one church’s commitment to reparations inspires a movement

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Flags fly for equity and justice outside Oak Grove Presbyterian Church. (Photo by Rich Copley)

“You make an offering, and you hope that it in some way makes some level of amends for what happened,” Bob Heise, ruling elder at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, told his son when he asked Heise how does one compensate somebody “for stealing what they have, including their history and ancestry?” Heise’s reflection opened the fifth and final episode of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s video series, “Zero to One: A Congregation’s Journey to Repair.” 

The final episode, “What is the Future of Repair?” featured members of Oak Grove in Bloomington, Minnesota, as they reflected on listening to the next generation, many of whom have left not just the congregation but organized religion. In this and previous episodes, church members reckoned with the historic harms and systemic injustices in and from which denominations like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have participated and benefited.

“I believe in churches,” says Ruling Elder Jim Koon. “My theology might be squishy, but I believe in churches. But my adult kids don’t.”

The “Zero to One” series, which began with a car ride conversation between Koon and the Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, has traced Oak Grove’s evolution from initial reflection to courageous action. “I could see that my adult kids saw me as you saw me, as someone with the establishment, seeing only what I want to see, not seeing what I don’t want to see,” Koon tells Ross-Allam, director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms.

“I just had a need that still exists in me to do what I can,” said Koon. He expressed a hope grounded in both personal conviction and a belief in the church’s potential to lead systemic change. “Do I believe our efforts are going to lead to reparation on a scale that’s going to make a difference? That’s hard to believe,” he said, “but I do believe that movements start locally.”

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Elona Street-Stewart, ruling elder and synod executive, serves communion with the Rev. Irv Porter. (Photo by Gregg Brekke)

Ruling Elder Mark Pridgeon emphasized the power of local action in building momentum for justice: “I think we can move the process along with these local actions, even if we’re not seeing anything done at the national political level.”

Oak Grove Presbyterian Church committed to a future shaped by reparations, justice and faith beginning with the decision to establish two investment trusts — one for Indigenous communities and one for Afro-American communities.

Inspired by Acts 4:32–35, the final episode frames the reflections of Oak Grove’s members in the context of the early church’s radical sharing of resources and invites today’s congregations to consider what it means to surrender wealth for beloved community.

“It’s the everyday miracles of someone having courage to stand up and protect another person … to say, ‘Yes, we should surrender this wealth,’” said Milissa Carter, a ruling elder and member of Oak Grove’s Anti-Racism Advocacy Team. “That is God’s will being done. That is God working in our everyday lives.”

Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart, Co-Moderator of the 224th General Assembly and a voice for Indigenous justice, consults with congregations like Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in her work as executive for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and as a team member for Restorative Actions, an “economic equity initiative born from the intersection of theology, justice, and economics.” Street-Stewart said justice is always possible, but it has to be reciprocal. “We cannot talk about justice as a fix-it. We have to talk about justice as what people value together to restore, regenerate and rebuild.”

Street-Stewart sees reparations as the work of recognizing the sacrifices of others who have come before and of creating a greater balance. “As an Indigenous person, I know that this land that I am on holds those stories and has that future hope already contained within it,” she said.

This final episode is not a conclusion, but a commissioning inviting other congregations to ask: What comes next for us? How will we respond to the call to repair?

Explore the full video series here.

Read other articles in the series or share them with your session or Christian education classes. The article introducing the series is here. The article on the second video in the series is here, while articles on the third and fourth installments are here and here.

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Princeton Abarahoa,  Associate, African Immigrant Congregational Support, Interim Unified Agency
Christopher Abney, VP, Director of IT, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

Christ the Reconciler, give us strength and joy in your great calling, in season and out of season, for you are within and beyond all our works and touch more people than we know. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Thursdays in Black

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The GACEIR winter meeting honoring Thursdays in Black. (provided)

The General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations (GACEIR) recently met via Zoom for our winter meeting. In addition to working to review our work on actions referred to us from the General Assembly, we spent time in worship and devotion. On Thursday, we remembered the church’s commitment to stand in solidarity with our siblings who are experiencing violence by wearing black. We invite you to join us each Thursday to stand with and pray for the end of violence in all areas of our lives.

Violence is so prevalent in our daily experience. Consider your favorite TV show, music, movie, sport or game, or reports of mass shootings and gun violence. They all numb us and make us think of violence as OK or normal. What if we, in our daily lives, loved others like God in Christ loves them? Would we turn a blind eye to the violence and injustice we know is happening around us? What if we lived in a world that did not tolerate violence? What if the church stood as a voice against violence? What if you did?

Thursdays in Black is a global movement for a world without rape and violence. It began as a result of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women from 1988–98. Wearing black in this campaign is used as a color of resistance and resilience, rather than the historical negative connotations we have been taught.

In 2021, WCC produced a Thursdays in Black Bible Study Series to help individuals and congregations reflect on sexual and gender-based violence. The reflections are designed to help us listen to the word of God and to discern how to apply our faith and vision of justice, peace and love to the ever-increasing violent world we live in.

It is our work to make more visible the tragic reality of violence and to facilitate alternative ways to handle life’s circumstances. This study series and other resources are available to you. 

Resources and stories that highlight this important work can he found here.

As we participate in this work together, let us make the Thursdays in Black Pledge:

I commit to Thursdays in Black.
In solidarity, in protest, in mourning, for awareness and in hope

By supporting Thursdays in Black I stand:
- In solidarity with 1 in 3 women worldwide who face violence in their lives.
- In protest against systems and societies that encourage violence in any form.
- In mourning for men, women and children who are harmed and killed in sexual violence.
- For awareness and knowledge about the challenges of sexual and gender-based violence.
- In the hope that a different reality is possible.

Dianna Wright, Director of Ecumenical Relations, Office of the General Assembly

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff:

Erika Nazaryan, Administrative Support, Jinishian Memorial Program
Ashley Wiley, Administrative Support, Young Adult Volunteers<

Let us pray:

Loving God, pour out your love and compassion upon us, that by the power of your spirit, we may bring an end to the violence and hatred we bring to bear on each other. Amen.

WCC NEWS: WCC hosts United Evangelical Mission delegation

The World Council of Churches (WCC) hosted representatives of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM)—including Rev. Dr Andar Parlindungan Pasaribu, general secretary, and Thea Hummel, head of advocacy, on 2 February.  Visit of Rev. Dr. Andar Parlindungan Pasaribu, General Secretary and Ms Thea Hummel, Head of Advocacy, from the United Evangelical Mission, on 02 February 2026. Photo:Gregoire de Fombelle/WCC 05 February 2026 They met with WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, then participated in discussions about unity, mission, ecumenical formation, and communications. They also discussed the WCC Life, Justice, and Peace programme.  “It was a great pleasure to renew our relationship in our respective new responsibilities,” said Pasaribu. “Our meeting reaffirmed our shared commitment to concrete collaboration—particularly through a joint solidarity visit to West Papua, coordinated responses to the situation of churches in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and continued cooperation in the areas of human rights, gender justice, and peacebuilding. With gratitude and hope, we look forward to nurturing this partnership between UEM and WCC as a sign of our common witness to God’s justice, peace, and the integrity of creation.” Visits to the World Council of Churches 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

Mission Yearbook: Gathering celebrates Portugal’s 180 years of Protestant presence

The 79th Synod of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Portugal (IEPP) celebrated 180 years of Protestant presence in Portugal in 2025. A recent report from its annual gathering, held May 23–25 at the Cova Gala Social Center in Portugal, offered a poignant reflection on the denomination’s challenges and its enduring commitment to mission, renewal and ecumenical partnership. The report written in Portuguese was shared by Luciano Kovacs, a global ecumenical liaison, and translated through PC(USA)'s Global Language Resources for the Presbyterian News Service. 

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The synod gathering closed with worship at Igreja Evangélica Figueirense – Presbiteriana (Contributed photo).

At its 79th gathering, the synod celebrated the legacy of Protestant faith in Portugal with the release of a new edition of “O Apóstolo da Madeira” (The Apostle of Madeira), commemorating Dr. Robert Reid Kelley’s medical mission and evangelism on the island of Madeira. The publication was described as “a grateful remembrance of the faith that sustains us and the legacy that inspires us.”

Delegates also acknowledged pressing concerns: a shrinking pastoral workforce, financial constraints and the difficulty of church growth in an increasingly secular society. But signs of hope were present. The synod highlighted vibrant outreach initiatives, particularly Projeto Esperança (Project Hope) and Mulheres que fazem a diferença (Women Making a Difference), which embody the IEPP’s mission to serve, heal and empower.

Launched in 2018, Projeto Esperança continues to flourish as a synodal initiative for children and youth. It fosters spiritual formation through Bible camps, regional gatherings, and the Routes of Faith program, which encourages young people to lead worship and engage in intergenerational ministry across congregations. The project also includes service opportunities like the ABC Kids program — offering school support, therapy and food baskets — and the Euro-Orphans initiative, which supports children of migrants facing emotional and social vulnerabilities.

Meanwhile, Mulheres que fazem a diferença has become a prophetic force within the IEPP. Through retreats, prayer vigils and service like the Heart in Bloom pillow project for breast cancer patients and the Just Like Me therapeutic dolls for children in Angola and Mozambique, Presbyterian women in Portugal are weaving threads of healing and hope. Their gatherings emphasize spiritual depth, leadership development, and ecumenical solidarity, with participation from Catholic, Methodist, Lusitanian and Salvation Army communities.

The synod also emphasized the vital role of young people and cross-cultural, ecumenical experiences in the church’s renewal. Youth-led worship services, ecumenical forums and international exchanges demonstrated that young Presbyterians are not absent but actively shaping the future. From July 25–29, IEPP youth were invited by the United Protestant Church of France to participate in Le Grand Kiff, an event that brought together young Christians from all over Europe around the theme: “Breathe, Hope.” Portuguese youth attended this event for five days of music, worship and sharing, expanding their understanding of the global body of Christ.

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PC(USA) global ecumenical liaison Luciano Kovacs (in light blue) talks with participants over a communal meal. (Contributed photo)

Ecumenical support remains a cornerstone of IEPP’s resilience. The synod welcomed international guests, including the Rev. Rita Famos of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, Kovacs and Professor Douglass Sullivan-González of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and representatives from Germany’s Gustav-Adolf-Werk (a Protestant aid organization that does diaspora work for the Evangelical Church in Germany) and the Spanish Evangelical Church. Their presence affirmed the IEPP’s place within a global communion committed to justice, inclusion and shared witness.

“Welcoming brothers and sisters from different churches and organizations to the Synod was a clear sign of communion. Their presence reminds us that we are not walking alone, but that we are part of the body of Christ in the world,” stated the synod report. “Brothers and sisters who travel from afar to be with us are living witnesses of God’s care and support. There is a larger family praying for us and listening to us.”

The Rev. Sandra Reis, newly elected president of the IEPP, closed the synod with a call to action: “Let us be a community that rises up in the power of the Spirit, with our feet on the ground and our hearts on fire.”

In a time of uncertainty, the IEPP’s synod offered a compelling vision of a church that, though small in number, is rich in faith, creativity and compassion.

Read the report here.

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Donald Jeffries, Facilities Technician, Building Services, Administrative Services Group
Nicholas Stark, Associate for Lending Services, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program

Let us pray:

Eternal God, you call us to love our neighbors and to reach out to the least of these, and we are grateful that you show us ways to serve you. Bless and challenge us to love others as you have loved us, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pastor's Life - Ordinary Time

Pastoring in Ordinary Time by Rev. Lauren Gully So often the people in our congregations assume that we, their pastors, are something more than ordinary. Whether it is our role, the visibility of our work, or the sacred trust placed in us, it can be easy for others — and sometimes for us — to imagine that pastoral leaders exist on a level slightly removed from the ordinary realities of life. But the simple truth is that we are ordinary people. We carry heavy burdens. We navigate hard transitions. We experience joy and loss, exhaustion and hope, often alongside the very same struggles present in the lives of the communities we serve. Much of life, when we are honest, is profoundly ordinary. Living is hard work: raising children, caring for aging parents, navigating financial stress, managing health concerns. Living is also deeply joyful: celebrating graduations, a spouse’s promotion, the birth of a child, or a long-awaited reconciliation. Nearly everything we experience could be called ordinary, not because it lacks meaning, but because it is shared human ground. These moments are not insignificant; they form the necessary framework of our lives, marking time with peaks and valleys that shape who we are becoming. The ordinary is where life actually happens.

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Rev. Lauren Gully serves as the Pastor for Mission and Outreach at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church in California, where she previously held the role of Pastor for Spiritual Formation. Her background includes creative writing, global service-learning, interfaith dialogue, young adult ministry, and a strong passion for sustainability. Currently, Lauren serves on the board of Hope Solutions, a local housing non-profit, and is completing her thesis, “How to be Angry at God,” for her Doctorate of Ministry at Duke Divinity School.

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Mission Yearbook: New hymn celebrates blessing children in Jesus’ name

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The Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette enjoys time with her granddaughter. (Contributed photo)

Presbyterian pastor and hymn writer the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has a new hymn, “Jesus, You Once Blessed the Children,” set to NETTLETON, the tune for “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”

“This new hymn celebrates Jesus blessing the children,” she said in a statement. “It is a prayer that we, as followers of Jesus, will bless them, too, in his name— as we teach them the faith; as we protect them from gun violence; and as we create a cleaner, more just world for them to grow up in.”

“As the old children’s song goes, ‘They are precious in his sight,’ and since children are precious to Jesus, then he calls us to do everything we can to make the world a more loving, faithful, safe, and sustainable place for them to grow up. What are the ways we are willing to change, to be a blessing to them?”

She grants permission for free use of this hymn, including online, for local churches.

Jesus, You Once Blessed the Children

NETTLETON 8.7.8.7 D (“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”)

Jesus, you once blessed the children who were often pushed aside.

“God has given them the kingdom,” you proclaimed, arms open wide.

You call people to protect them and to make sure they’re all right.

May we bless the world of children who are precious in your sight.

May we share with them the gospel: In your love, you make us new!

May we help them to be faithful; may they turn in trust to you.

May we teach them love of neighbors in this world’s diversity.

May our love toward friends and strangers be examples that they see.

When our children ask for safety, may we give them what is good.

God, may weapons never hurt them in their homes or neighborhoods.

May we learn that second graders in their classrooms matter more

than the guns we fill our land with — that our nation clamors for.

May we work to stop pollution, may we counter climate change.

For the love of growing children, God, what will we rearrange?

Will we change our laws to save them?  Will we try a whole new way?

May our actions bless the children as we build a better day.

Biblical references: Leviticus 19:34; Matthew 18:5-6; Matthew 19:13–15, Matthew 25:31-46; Mark 10:13–16 and Luke 18:15–17; Hebrews 13:2.

Tune: John Wyeth’s “Repository of Sacred Music,” 1813

Alternate tune:  HOLY MANNA (“Brethren, We Have Met to Worship”)
Text: Copyright © 2025 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.

Email: carolynshymns@gmail.com. New hymns are found here.

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Angielee Acevedo, Lead Housekeeper, Stony Point Center
Rhea Adams, Service Desk Technician, Information Technology Infrastructure, Administrative Services Group 

Let us pray:

God of all peoples, help us to trust that you will bring to completion by the day of Jesus Christ the good work you have begun. In the name of Jesus. Amen.