Mission Yearbook: Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ still proves true

A recent sermon during Chapel worship afforded staff of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to be ministered to by one of their own — the Rev. Denise Anderson, director of Compassion, Peace & Justice ministries in the Interim Unified Agency.

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Photo by Michael Kroul via Unsplash

Preaching from John 14:23–29 — Jesus’ reminder to the disciples they’d have the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, to be with them after he was gone — Anderson recalled her own roots, especially the taste in music passed along to her by her father.

“My father was an early fan of rocksteady and later reggae music,” on which he raised his daughter, including the music of Third World, Steel Pulse, Peter Tosh, Inner Circle, “and, of course, Robert Nesta Marley,” better known as Bob Marley, who sang “Three Little Birds.”

As Anderson related, Marley’s inspiration was “a trio of birds who would fly by and settle at his house. He would see them day after day,” she said. “Seeing them every day became such a norm that it provided him with a sense of normalcy and stability and expectation. Seeing these three birds, he could rest assured that all was right with the world. Every little thing was gonna be all right.”

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Photo by Pavlo Semeniuk via Unsplash

She wondered: How did Marley feel when they skipped a day, or flew away altogether, migrating somewhere else? “What happened if they found another house that they needed to visit and provide them with a sense of normalcy and security? Would everything still feel all right?”

In this passage from John, early on in Jesus’ Farewell Discourse, “we’re given an account of an intimate and somber moment he is having with his disciples — in which he is, in a sense, preparing them for his death and warning them of the things to come,” Anderson said. “Their sense of normalcy was going to be interrupted. Their sense of security was going to be challenged. It would become more difficult to know what to expect next, and that might be cause for some anxiety. How many of us can relate to that?”

What Jesus needed his disciples to understand was that “there would soon be a lot that would not make sense to them,” Anderson said. “In his leaving, he was going to be doing something big. He was going to be returning to them, but this time more powerful, more palpable and in a more substantive way than ever before.”

In the meantime, Jesus has a simple charge for his disciples: “Just keep my commandments. Just stay the course,” she said. “They needed to not be rattled. They needed to have, for you ‘Star Trek’ fans, a Prime Directive in the event that their world would one day look drastically different. They couldn’t get sidetracked.”

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The Rev. Denise Anderson addresses the PC(USA)'s Matthew 25 Summit in January 2024

That message “is just as relevant today for Christ’s church as it was the night before Jesus died,” Anderson said. “We’ve gone through a lot of changes. There’s been so much to jar our sense of normalcy, our sense of security, our sense of stability. We’ve had to say goodbye to ministries and programs and colleagues. With the loss of a sense of normalcy such as these, it can feel like we’re lost track of God sometimes. I’ll say ‘amen’ by myself if you don’t feel that way.”

“Somehow, in a way that’s even more powerful than if he were here and fleshed, [Jesus] promised his disciples he would send the Advocate, the Parakletos, and what’s beautiful about that word is the implication that it is someone who will walk with you, someone who will accompany you, someone who will journey with you. The Parakletos is an active presence in our lives,” she said. “That’s what the Holy Spirit does — walks with us, empowers us, strengthens us and encourages us, reminding us that God is still here, even if everything doesn’t seem all right.”

“In this world of distractions and enticements, our charge is to stay the course, to keep his commandments, to do what we have been called to do, to stay focused as much as possible — and try as best we can to not worry about a thing, because irrespective of how it feels, the Parakletos walks with us. Thanks be to God! Amen.”

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Angela Wyatt, 1001 Apprentice, 1001 New Worshiping Communities, Interim Unified Agency
Yun Kyoung Yang, Editorial Assistant, Korean, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation 

Let us pray:

Lord, thank you for allowing us to learn from such powerful people of God. Help us to grow in patience, hope, endurance and love. Continue to give them the strength they need to continue to love and grow in you. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Travel inspires spiritual growth, inspiration for Presbyterian pastor and author

A Presbyterian pastor for nearly 45 years, the Rev. Douglas Brouwer has a long history of serving churches in both the United States and Europe. His experiences, which include leading pilgrimages and study tours, and his new book, “The Traveler’s Path: Finding Spiritual Growth and Inspiration Through Travel,” were on display during a recent episode of “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast.” Listen to Brouwer’s enlightening 47-minute conversation with hosts Simon Doong and the Rev. Lee Catoe here.

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Photo by Oxana V via Unsplash

“I think with some coaching and encouragement, people could have larger experiences when they travel than they do,” Brouwer said, citing his own youthful experience as an example. “The first time I saw the Grand Canyon at age 10, I was in awe, overwhelmed at the sight of the Grand Canyon. I wish I could say I learned wonder and awe in church, but I learned it outdoors.”

He encourages travelers to “get off the bus” and “engage in the cultures they visit” by “listening to their stories, understanding their culture and being willing to be changed by the encounters that they have.” In the book, he includes a chapter on language learning. “The last church I served was in a country that required me, for my work permit, to learn the local language,” he said. “I discovered in language learning I was able to encounter a culture different from my own in a very deep way. That’s the beginning of what I take to be the possibility of travel.”

Travel “can be exhausting, and the planning can be overwhelming,” Brouwer said. “But if you aim for something in the travel, that’s a good beginning.” The first time he led a group of church people to Israel-Palestine, travelers got to know Palestinian Christians who lived there — “so well, in fact, they have been guests in my home just as we had been guests in theirs,” he said. “We listened to their stories and realized there isn’t just one story or two stories — there are many sides to this particular story. … I am who I am today because of these personal encounters.”

Americans tend to stay together when they’re abroad, Brouwer said. “I’ve noticed this with missionary families, and this happens with the military. People stationed abroad tend never to leave the base,” he said. “We need to push ourselves to get out there and make a new friend — a friend from another culture.”

“My sense is, when we’re uneasy or off-balance, in a position where we need help from a stranger, it’s then that we’re learning from other cultures.”

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The first week Brouwer owned a car in Europe, he picked up two traffic tickets when “I didn’t see the camera taking photos of my license plate as I sped by,” he told Catoe and Doong. “But being in a learning situation — getting an expensive traffic ticket — made me learn something about the culture I was in.” It can be the same when we need medical attention while overseas. “When you get sick far from home and use the medical services of another country, you learn a great deal about what that culture is all about.”

He said he read once that Americans are like peaches. “On the surface, we seem easy to get to know. We’re very friendly. But then there’s a hard core that’s impenetrable.” The European people Brouwer experienced “were more like coconuts. On the surface, they’re very difficult to get to know. But underneath, they’re the warmest, most generous people I’ve ever met.”

Asked to describe the book, Brouwer said it’s a work that includes not only vacation travel, but pilgrimages, mission trips and study tours he’s led. “The conclusion I come to is I think a lot of the travel we do is spiritually motivated,” he said. “I encourage the reader to think about the spiritual motivation behind the travel that we do. It’s about becoming far more mindful in our travels than we often are.”

New editions of “A Matter of Faith: A Presby Podcast” drop every Thursday. Listen to previous episodes here.

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Kaden Wood, Business Analyst, Presbyterian Foundation
Dianna Wright, Mission Director, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, Interim Unified Agency   

Let us pray:

For those who open to us the word of Scripture, we give you thanks, great God. As Scriptures opened, as hearts are transformed, may the church of Jesus Christ thrive and bloom for this and all generations. Amen.

Luminosity Conference - Rekindle Your Vision. Renew Your Call.

Join us at the Luminosity Conference in Orlando, FL from March 9-11, 2026: Where Deep Faith Meets Courageous Imagination In a time when the Church is being called to reimagine its witness and renew its work, the Luminosity Conference offers a space for listening, learning, and leading. Rooted in the Reformed tradition and grounded in the life of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Luminosity gathers innovative leaders, gifted storytellers, and faithful scholars who are illuminating the path ahead. You’ll hear from voices like: Rabbi Sharon Brous, whose work in healing and justice resonates across faith traditions. Dr. Eric Barreto, a biblical scholar helping the Church interpret God’s Word through diverse cultural lenses. Jack Hess, who trains communities to work together toward lasting change. Rev. Ayana Teter, a congregational consultant who works to equip non-profit organizations. Mark Yaconelli, who invites us into the transformative power of story and compassion. This leadership conference is designed to renew your spirit and stretch your imagination. You’ll leave this gathering: Encouraged by faithful innovation Equipped with new tools for ministry Inspired by practical theological reflection Connected with leaders across the Church Click here to download the Luminosity flyer. Come. Be renewed. Go forth reimagined. Register Today

In faith and hope, The Luminosity Conference Team Presbyterian Foundation | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Mission Yearbook: Presbyterian Advocacy Hour webinar on education draws nearly 200

Almost 200 people recently attended a Presbyterian Advocacy Hour focused on public education.

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Photo courtesy of CDC via Unsplash

“Education is in trouble. We have witnessed attacks on education by the current administration,” said the Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson, convenor of the PC(USA)’s Education Roundtable. “But there is something we can do about it. We can move away from despair and take action.”

Presenters offered strategies for supporting students and classrooms in their communities.

“The quality of education we experience begins at home” by “reading and talking to our children,” said Dr. Wanda Beauman, a retired educator and an Education Roundtable member. “We as the church want to include, encourage and support them” through strategies that include focusing on education-oriented ministry and supporting congregations in starting or improving educational programs.

Johnson pointed attendees toward “Loving Our Neighbors: Equity and Quality in Public Education (K-12),” the most recent General Assembly statement on education, which was approved in 2010.

The Rev. Suzanne Parker Miller, executive director of Pastors for North Carolina Children, pointed to a long list of those who “make decisions for our schools,” including the president, Congress, the courts, the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Agriculture (which provides breakfast and lunch programs), state legislatures, local school boards, superintendents, principals and teachers.

Miller called it “our job” to counter and dismantle Christian nationalism, “the No. 1 threat to education today” because of its connection to school vouchers that “defund public schools,” book bans, and other initiatives.

Renee Danyo, a retired Detroit educator and member of the Education Roundtable, appeared alongside Andrew Reinel, director of adult and neighborhood organizing at 482 Forward, a Detroit-based education justice coalition. Reinel explained the organization began about 10 years ago when the state of Michigan took over Detroit Public Schools when the schools went bankrupt. Since then, 482 Forward “has been active in the education scene to get students the quality education they deserve,” Reinel said.

“Even the better public schools in Detroit are facing things no kid should have to go through,” Reinel said. Dangerous schools and crowded classrooms continue to be issues, “and we are behind in several academic measures.”

The coalition is working to galvanize voters behind a statewide ballot initiative planned for next year around increasing school funding. “We’re it. There is no cavalry to come save us,” Reinel said. “We know Covid money is running out, and with threats from the federal level, this [ballot initiative] is something folks are excited about.”

Laura Zhang-Choi of New Jersey, another member of the Education Roundtable, offered up a list of what congregations can do to boost schools in their neighborhood. The list included supporting students and teachers at community functions, assigning a ruling elder or outreach-focused committee “to check in with the district,” and attending school board meetings “to support staff and advocate for students. Show up with a clergy collar, if necessary,” she advised pastors on the call.

The Rev. Dave Brown, who’s also a member of the Education Roundtable, had a list of six things “every church can do to support public education”:

• Celebrate and pray for educators in worship one Sunday in the fall.
• Meet the principal of the public school nearest the church. “Be sure they know your support,” Brown suggested. “Be clear that you support the separation of church and state.”
• For preachers: Offer a sermon on education, knowledge, equity and the way of Jesus.
• Create a fund that can be used by teachers for out-of-pocket expenses and publicize the existence of the fund.
• Establish a school board liaison person or team. Host a school board candidates forum, or a forum for others running for office with a focus on public education.
• Explore establishing a before- or after-school program at your church.

Bruna Bouhid, senior policy director for United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led community in the nation, noted the stories of disappearances happening to immigrants at the hands of law enforcement.

“I share this not to paralyze us into fear, but to empower us into action,” Bouhid said. “We need folks speaking out. Let’s be community together.”

The Presbyterian Advocacy Hour is offered at noon Eastern Time on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Learn more and register here.

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Ashley Winn, Associate for Portfolio Administration, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program
Janna Wofford, Operations Manager, Association of Presbyterian Colleges & Universities (APCU) 

Let us pray:

Almighty God, give us grace that your knowledge may become ours. May we grow in faith and bear fruit worthy of your people, living and growing in the Holy Spirit, both now and forevermore. Amen!

Mission Yearbook: Gun violence prevention training set for Sept. 24–27

As the White House dismantles gun violence prevention programs, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship forges ahead to nourish the fortitude and skills of congregations for saving lives. If you and your congregation are distressed by more than 40,000 Americans dying from gun violence each year — and you want to do something about it — then register for the Peace Fellowship’s Atwood Institute for Congregational Courage.

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Presbyterian Peace Fellowship has hosted many Guns to Gardens events (photo courtesy of Presbyterian Peace Fellowship)

This annual gun violence prevention training for clergy and lay leaders will be held Sept. 24–27 at Massanetta Springs Camp and Conference Center near Harrisonburg, Virginia. The event welcomes churches of all denominations. Learn more, register and find the Institute schedule here.

Forging ahead will also include portable forges as participants gain hands-on opportunities to learn about Guns to Gardens and to beat unwanted guns into garden tools. “The Atwood Institute is an immersion in a community of clergy and lay, newcomers, activists and experts — a kind of baptism for faith-based gun violence prevention,” says the Rev. Margery Rossi, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship’s Minister for Gun Violence Prevention. “It offers practical learning and continuing education from how to preach on this issue to how to foster congregational education and action to how to offer pastoral care at times of gun violence.”

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The Rev. Sharon Risher (photo courtesy of Faith and Leadership)

Hosted by the Massanetta Springs Camp and Conference Center, the Institute honors the late Christian prophet of gun violence prevention, the Rev. James Atwood. The Institute’s faculty this year will include Joshua Horwitz, Atwood’s long-time colleague and now co-director and 

Distinguished Professor of Gun Violence Prevention and Advocacy at the Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University. The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, the PC(USA)’s director of advocacy, will offer the send-off sermon for the Institute, as participants commit to taking faithful action. Other faculty will include Quaker artist and blacksmith Scotty Utz of RAWTools South, who will lead training for Guns to Gardens, and Rev. Rosalind Hughes of the Episcopal Archdiocese of Cleveland and the author of “Whom Shall I Fear?”

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Massanetta Springs Camp and Conference Center will host the 2025 Atwood Institute (photo by Colleen Earp).

The Institute’s keynote speaker, the Rev. Sharon Risher, will mark 10 years since her mother and other relatives were killed at the Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. The author of “For Such a Time as This — Hope and Forgiveness after the Charleston Massacre,” Risher will demonstrate the need to tell our stories, rather than rely only on statistics about gun violence. She will lift up a call to courage in the face of a political climate where recent gains in saving lives are now all at risk. Risher’s address on the evening of Sept. 24 will be open to the public and area churches.

Each year, the Atwood Institute trains clergy and lay leaders in Gun Violence Prevention practical skills for congregational use, including managing trauma and opposition and engaging congregations in practical GVP education and action, including legislative advocacy, secure storage efforts and other steps to protect children from gun violence. Participants have an option to follow up the event with quarterly online gatherings with their Atwood Institute community to encourage one another over time. The first Atwood Institute was held in 2024 at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico with a community of 72 faith activists. They returned home to offer action strategies learned at the Atwood Institute, as well as pastoral care after two mass shootings.    

Costs for the 2025 Institute will be a $180 registration fee per person, plus participants are responsible for their own travel and lodging at Massanetta Springs. There is a commuter option. Thanks to sponsors, some scholarships are available. To sponsor, contact the Rev. Jan Orr-Harter, moderator of the Peace Fellowship’s Gun Violence Prevention Working Group, at gvp@presbypeacefellowship.org.

Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Melaina Wilson, Marketing Program Assistant, Presbyterian Foundation
Miatta Wilson, Associate, Christian Formation, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Interim Unified Agency 

Let us pray:

Lord of all peoples, you are continually gathering your people together in surprising and creative ways. We celebrate your call to find our unity through faith and your transformative power. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: GA226 amendments are approved by presbyteries

As of May 13, all amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order proposed by last summer’s 226th General Assembly have been approved by the requisite number of presbyteries in order to pass and go into effect. There are 166 presbyteries in the PC(USA) and amendments are required to be approved by a majority of presbyteries — at least 84 out of 166 total — in order to pass.  

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There were 12 amendments to the Book or Order and one ecumenical ministry-sharing agreement with the Episcopal Church approved by the 226th General Assembly in Salt Lake City last summer. Most of these proposed changes were met with overwhelming approval by presbyteries. 

Amendment 24-C — and to a lesser degree the closely related Amendment 24-A — were matters of significant discussion at the General Assembly and have been the subject of some heavy debate at the presbytery level as well. The amendments propose changes to two different sections of the Book of Order concerning LGBTQ inclusion.

Amendment 24-A adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of categories protected from discrimination within the church in F-1.0403.

Amendment 24-C concerns G-2.0104b and recommends examination on these principles of diversity as a component of ordination and installation. The two recommendations were separated into different amendments during the General Assembly before being approved and sent on to presbyteries.

Amendment 24-A achieved majority presbytery approval in March and has continued to receive approval from nearly all presbyteries. Amendment 24-C has been more controversial, but on May 13, it also received approval from a majority of presbyteries.

The other 10 proposed amendments concerned a range of topics, including the extension of temporary pastoral relationships from 12 months to 36 months (24-D), a standard format for representation of teaching and ruling elders at future General Assembles (24-J), and the expansion or clarification of policies and procedures around anti-racism, sexual misconduct, and protection of adults and youth (24-H, 24-K, and 24-L).

Amendment 24-B provides language in G-1.0104 to provide “minimal, flexible, and adaptable” Reformed polity for nontraditional and new worshiping communities that wish to identify with the larger church. 24-F allows for greater flexibility within presbyteries in allowing for exceptions to ordination requirements. 24-G stipulates that nondisclosure agreements are not allowed as part of the dissolution of pastoral relationships.

The ecumenical ministry-sharing agreement between the PC(USA) and the Episcopal Church will allow Presbyterian teaching elders to serve in certain Episcopal appointments and Episcopal priests to similarly fill roles in certain Presbyterian contexts.

Approved changes to the Book of Order and the ecumenical agreement went into effect on July 4. Laurie Griffith, associate director for Constitutional Interpretation in the Interim Unified Agency, said that with all proposed amendments having achieved the necessary majority of presbytery votes, a new version of the Book of Order reflecting the approved changes will be printed and available when the changes go into effect.

Layton Williams Berkes, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Layton Williams-Berkes, Communications Associate, Communications Ministry, Interim Unified Agency
Carla Wilson, Customer Service Consultant, Communications Ministry, Interim Unified Agency   

Let us pray:

O Lord, help us to see the light and gifts of others. Teach us as we teach your word and love. Place your strong hands upon us and lead us as we lead your children into a life of compassion and service. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: High court rejects appeal to save sacred native site from mining project

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Members of Apache Stronghold took part in a gathering in Lexington, Kentucky in 2024 during a cross-country trek to the nation's capital in support of saving Oak Flat. (Photo by Rich Copley)

In a case watched closely by some Presbyterians, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to save an expanse of land in central Arizona that’s considered sacred by many Native Americans who want it preserved for religious purposes.

Justices let stand a lower court decision that the land, known as Oak Flat, or Chí’chil Biłdagoteel, can be transferred to a foreign company — Resolution Copper — despite opposition from Indigenous people who’ve worshiped on the land for centuries and consider it to be a direct link to the Divine.

The decision represents a setback for Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Apaches, other Native peoples and non-Native allies that filed a formal request with the Supreme Court last year asking for justices to review a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision against the grassroots group, which wants to stop Oak Flat from being consumed by a mining operation that would create a massive crater on the land, which is primarily located in the Tonto National Forest.

The Supreme Court declined to review the case, according to Becket, a religious rights law firm that helps to represent Apache Stronghold, which has said the copper mine would swallow Oak Flat and end sacred Apache rituals forever.

“It is hard to imagine a more brazen attack on faith than blasting the birthplace of Apache religion into a gaping crater,” Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, said in a news release. “The Court’s refusal to halt the destruction is a tragic departure from its strong record of defending religious freedom. We will do everything in our power to ensure that the Apaches can continue worshiping at Oak Flat as they have for generations.”

As is customary, according to the Washington Post, the Supreme Court did not explain why it would not review the case. But dissenting Justice Neil Gorsuch called the decision a “grave mistake.”

“This case meets every one of the standards we usually apply when assessing petitions for certiorari. … Before allowing the government to destroy the Apaches’ sacred site, this Court should at least have troubled itself to hear their case,” wrote Gorsuch, who was joined by Justice Clarence Thomas.

Gorsuch added, “Just imagine if the government sought to demolish a historic cathedral on so questionable a chain of legal reasoning. I have no doubt that we would find that case worth our time. Faced with the government’s plan to destroy an ancient site of tribal worship, we owe the Apaches no less.”

Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr. of Apache Stronghold remains determined to keep pushing to stop the copper project, according to Becket, which notes strong opposition among the federally recognized tribal nations in Arizona.

“We will never stop fighting,” Nosie said in Becket’s news release. “Nothing will deter us from protecting Oak Flat from destruction. While this decision is a heavy blow, our struggle is far from over. We urge Congress to take decisive action to stop this injustice while we press forward in the courts.”

Vicky Peacey, general manager of Resolution Copper, issued a statement noting that there has been more than a decade of consulting and collaborating with Native American tribes and local communities, resulting in “major changes to the mining plan to preserve and reduce potential impacts on Tribal, social, and cultural interests, and this ongoing dialogue will continue to shape the project.”

However, Presbyterian support for preservation of the land continues. “The Office of Public Witness stands in unwavering solidarity with the Apache Stronghold and the San Carlos Apache Tribe in their sacred duty to protect Oak Flat,” said the Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, the PC(USA)’s advocacy director and an assistant stated clerk. “This land is not just soil and stone — it is holy ground, woven with prayers, sacred ceremonies and ancestors of the Apache people. To desecrate it with a copper mine is to ignore our shared responsibility to uphold Indigenous sovereignty, environmental justice and the sacredness of God’s Creation.”

Darla Carter, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

John Wilkinson, Vice President & Director, Stewardship & Funds Development, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Jeanne Williams, Managing Editor, Curriculum Resources & Geneva Press, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation 

Let us pray:

God of mercy, we ask you to comfort those who are picking up the pieces after a disaster. May we, your people, be your hands and aid in their hope and recovery. Amen.