Mission Yearbook: Over $1 million in grants are approved by Presbyterian Hunger Program

The Advisory Committee of the Presbyterian Hunger Program has approved more than $1 million in grants to further the work of organizations across the United States and nearly 30 other countries.

The funds will be used to address hunger and poverty and their root causes, while also supporting advocacy efforts, including community organizing.

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The Rev. Rebecca Barnes manages the Presbyterian Hunger Program (Photo by Rich Copley)

“We remain grateful for the generosity of Presbyterians in giving to One Great Hour of Sharing, hunger appeals and other accounts so that we can support these grants that are making a difference in places like Palestine, Haiti, Sudan and multiple states all across the United States,” said the Rev. Rebecca Barnes, who manages PHP.

The grants also include funds from the Presbyterian Tree Fund, which comes from contributions that Interim Unified Agency offices make to compensate for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) work-related travel, Barnes said. The fund is used for tree planting and carbon-sequestration projects.

“PHP grants support grassroots communities, nonprofit organizations, coalitions building people power, community organizing groups, and presbytery-based Hunger Action Advocates,” Barnes said. “Recipients range from long-term partners such as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to Joining Hands networks in Peru and Cameroon to new groups like the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network or Juneli Nepal — all of whom are working persistently and creatively to address hunger in their own ways and in their own contexts.”

Additional recipients will include Alaska Community Action on Toxics, an Indigenous-led group concerned about contaminants in their region. Among other things, the group will be teaching residents how to grow food organically and providing health-related advocacy and leadership training.

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Yarducopia is a program of Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT), a non-profit group based in Anchorage, Alaska. It helps residents reconnect with nature. (Photo by Jennifer Evans, Presbyterian Hunger Program)

“I just love what they do,” committee member Eileen Best said. “They have an emphasis on gardening and local sustainability for their food, rather than importing everything.”

Best also highlighted the group’s “emphasis on transitioning away from fossil fuels and eliminating plastics,” adding, “They do really, really good work.”

International grant recipients will include the Good Shepherd Collective, which is planning to produce a podcast series tying current events in Palestine to broader systems of economic exploitation, imperialism, settler-colonialism and Indigenous resistance globally, according to PHP.

“This is an excellent way to tell truth when more and more mainstream media is blocking facts,” said the Rev. Ann Elyse Hicks, another committee member. “This podcast and the stories that they are trying to lift up are so crucial to hear right now.”

National Hunger Associate Andrew Kang Bartlett noted that groups are operating during a time when poverty and income inequality are deepening, and “we see all around us the dismantling of government and public funding for the public good.” 

Valery Nodem, PHP associate for International Hunger Concerns, was part of a staff overview of challenges on the international scene.

“There is a huge wave of authoritarianism coming back,” Nodem said. “Before Covid, it had started ... going down, but it’s coming back — very, very strongly — and I feel like a lot of us in this country are probably feeling that as well.”

Other challenges abroad include stagnant development and lack of opportunity, rampant inflation, and “lots of civil conflicts and wars are shaking the world right now," he said.

Because of those issues and more, it is important for Presbyterians to be a part of finding solutions, according to PHP.

“With recent drastic cuts to international food aid and to federal support that undergirds state SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, it is more critical than ever that Presbyterians demonstrate our commitment, our values, and our financial support for addressing hunger in our communities and around the world,” Barnes said. “While the grants that the Presbyterian Hunger Program makes are vital, churches and charities will not be able to fully make up for the lack of structured, funded, governmental support for those who are hungry.”

Barnes is thankful for the Advisory Committee, which receives nearly 100 grant applications each fall, and for the PHP staff, which invests in grant partner relationships and solidarity throughout the year, bringing expertise and vigor to visioning and planning.

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Adriana Ballard, AVP, Director of Investment Management, Investments, Presbyterian Foundation
Clare Balsan, Associate, United Nations Advocacy, Office of Public Witness and Presbyterian Ministry at the UN         

Let us pray:

Compassionate God, we lift up the organizations that are doing important work for people in this country and around the world. Where there is scarcity, bring provision; where there is injustice, bring courage; and where there is weariness, bring hope. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Tennessee church group seeks Christ-centered dialogue across divides

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Though there are nearly three dozen places in the United States named Greenville, there is only one spelled “Greeneville.” With a population of just over 15,000, the East Tennessee town is far smaller and less well-known than its counterparts in North Carolina and South Carolina. But locals will quickly tell you about its notable history as a nexus for education, political leadership and human rights. Today, a small group of faithful Presbyterians — and a few others — are continuing this spirited legacy in their own unique way, with something they call “The Zacchaeus Group.”

The Rev. Todd Jenkins and the Rev. Robert Moore of First Presbyterian Church
in Greeneville, Tennessee appear together on a Zoom call with Presbyterian News Service.

Greeneville served as the starting place for President Andrew Johnson’s political career and was also part of East Tennessee’s strong abolitionist movement in the early 19th century. Perhaps most curiously, it was also briefly the capital of Franklin, a proposed-but-never-approved U.S. state in the later 1700s made up of territory ceded to Congress by North Carolina to pay off Revolutionary War debt. Nearby Tusculum University — originally founded as a Presbyterian institution — was also Tennessee’s first university.

First Presbyterian Church of Greeneville was the first church established in Greene County hundreds of years ago, and it continues to be a central part of town life today. It has born witness to Greeneville’s history and provided a spiritual home for many of its residents. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Todd Jenkins, said that these days, the church has a membership that spans the political spectrum. Congregants come together for worship but separate into Sunday school classes that tend to favor their own ideological bents.

As political tensions have continued to escalate in the United States and polarization has become more and more entrenched, a small group of church members began to question how their Christian faith was calling them to respond to such a world. The conversation felt crucial, and they became increasingly uncomfortable with how the siloes and divisions in the world around them were reflected in their own church, as well as how removed the church at large felt from the hard realities happening in the U.S. and globally.

“It was clear to most of us in the group that unless somebody started doing something a little bit different, we were we were not going to have any voice in the outcome of what was happening —what was ahead,” said the Rev. Robert Moore, a retired Presbyterian minister and one of the group’s organizing members.

Six months ago, the group left behind the Sunday school classes they’d been attending and began to meet together instead. They read a chapter per week from “On Tyranny” by historian Timothy Snyder. Each chapter lifts up a lesson to be learned from the U.S. in the 20th century. Resisting the urge to devolve into party-line arguments, the group has examined each lesson from the book through the lens of the Gospel, seeking to understand and learn from the spiritual teachings and political wisdom of Jesus.

They call their initiative the Zacchaeus Project because Zacchaeus “spoke up when nobody else did and was a committed voice,” according to Moore. They see their own efforts in a similar light. The group has the passionate endorsement of Jenkins which, Moore says, gives them “tremendous encouragement.”

Most of the group’s 15 members came from the more progressive-leaning Sunday school class, and their goals place a clear emphasis on social justice, equity and human rights. However, they have intentionally sought to engage more conservative voices. They also count several Methodists among their number, including two retired Methodist ministers. They maintain parity between men and women, and rotate leadership each week to eschew a hierarchical structure. Everyone who was a part of the group at its beginning is still involved.

Some of them engage in protests and demonstrations according to their own values, but the group itself is focused on discussion and learning. Again and again, they call themselves back to the central question of what Christ truly calls the church to be in the world as it is. They are hoping the fruit of their conversations will be outreach to and care for others in need.

“The voice coming out of the group is very centrist,” Moore said. “It’s also very strongly a voice that is not looking for breaking things but is looking for building things and bringing new life.”

Layton Williams Berkes, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Amber Baker, Donor Advised Fund Specialist, Operations, Presbyterian Foundation
Charles Baker, Production Clerk, Presbyterian Distribution Service, Administrative Services Group, (A Corporation)                                   

Let us pray:

Gracious God, you call your people not to comfort alone but to climb above fear, to see one another clearly and to respond with love. We give thanks for communities willing to wrestle with hard questions, to listen across differences and to seek your justice with humble hearts. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Special Offerings - Rebuilding Lives and Restoring Hope in South Sudan

Rebuilding Lives and Restoring Hope in South Sudan As a girl in South Sudan, Mama Nyaiar had a good life until civil war broke out in 2013, exposing her to unimaginable horrors. All around her, countless lives were lost to the armed conflict. Among them were her father and nearly all of her nine siblings. As Mama and her family fell deeper into desperation and hopelessness, “hope” reentered their lives in the form of Hope Restoration South Sudan, a nationally registered, women-founded and women-led non-governmental organization that is a partner of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) To learn more about Hope Restoration South Sudan, and how our gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing not only bring hope, but saves lives, please read this story. Read the full story about Hope Restoration South Sudan. The needs of our world are great. Please give what you can to One Great Hour of Sharing; for when we all do a little, it adds up to a lot. Thank you for generously supporting One Great Hour of Sharing, the single largest way Presbyterians come together to make a difference in the world. If you have any questions, reply to this email or call us at (800) 728-7228, Ext. 5047.

Children's Resources for One Great Hour of Sharing 2026

One Great Hour of Sharing serves individuals and communities in their most challenging times of need. This work responds to Christ’s call to ministries of compassion for the world’s most vulnerable. It is so important to share the message of our work with young people so they grow in understanding of how by working together we, the Church, can make a difference for a lifetime. Many resources for young people are free and downloadable. We invite you to make this season of Lent one that makes a lasting impact not only on those we serve, but our youth as well.

Download Gracie and the Power of Friendship

Download a Curriculum for Younger Children

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NEW THIS YEAR! Fish Box Stickers For many years, youth have used Fish Boxes to collect coins for One Great Hour of Sharing. Print these stickers to use wherever you like. Get creative! Use these stickers or the Can Wrapper below to make your own way to collect coins. Download Fish Stickers

Can Wrapper Create coin cans and display in the church sanctuary to remind folks to use their own coin boxes or to drop in extra change. Download Can Wrapper

Thank you for responding to Christ’s call. We are the Church, Together.

Thank you for generously supporting the Churchwide Special Offerings. If you have any questions, reply to this email or call us at (800) 728-7228, Ext. 5047.

Mission Yearbook: California presbytery returns ancestral land to tribal government

The Presbytery of San Gabriel and the Gabrieleno-Tongva Band of Mission Indians gathered over the summer to celebrate a groundbreaking act of reparative justice.

The Presbytery of San Gabriel officially returned land previously used as the presbytery’s La Casa de San Gabriel Community Center to the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, led by the Gabrieleno Tongva Tribal Council under Chief Anthony Morales. This marks the first-ever land back transfer by a church in California to an established tribal government, and the first of its kind in California and Los Angeles County.

“It was both an honor and a blessing to join the Stated Clerk to witness the Tongva people receive one portion of their ancestral lands back from the Presbytery of San Gabriel as the caretakers of Tongvar,” said the Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms. “The emotional response I witnessed from San Gabriel Mayor Denise Menchaca and Council Member John Wu on that gorgeous sunlight day blessed with white sage offerings reminded me that when we follow the direction the Spirit is leading us toward God’s wholeness, we can rest assured that we will soon discover we are not the only ones who the Spirit intends to move!”

Watch the video below to hear from members of the Gabrieleno-Tongva Band of Mission Indians.

Video URL: https://vimeo.com/1120928262?share=copy

Kristen Gaydos, Director of Communications, Presbyterian Historical Society Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Kristine Baker, Associate for Risk Management, Administrative Services Group (A Corporation)
Zenia Baker, Administrative I, Operations, Presbyterian Foundation               

Let us pray:

Holy and faithful God, on sacred ground once separated and now restored, we witness your Spirit at work, guiding hearts toward repair and renewal. Please teach us to listen to the stories carried by the land and by its people. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Pastor-turned-mayor of Roanoke, Virginia, speaks during engaging webinar

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The Rev. Dr. Joe Cobb is the mayor of Roanoke, Virginia. (Photo courtesy of the City of Roanoke)

Not many American cities have a seminary-trained mayor.

Roanoke, Virginia, is one such city. The Rev. Dr. Joe Cobb, who took office in January 2025 after serving on the city council and as vice mayor, earned a doctorate at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, and a Master of Divinity at the Perkins School of Theology in Dallas.

Cobb was the guest as part of CTS’s recent “What Comes Next: Addressing Politics as the Church” webinar series. Dr. Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics at CTS, asked Cobb a number of questions before inviting webinar participants to do the same.

Cobb moved to Roanoke in 2001 after surrendering his United Methodist Church credentials when he came out as a gay pastor. He soon found Roanoke to be “a place I could be open and authentic in my real self.” He called his community a place “where people genuinely believe Roanoke is a welcoming and open community.” Cobb directed a local chapter of Family Promise and worked for the Roanoke Symphony. He was ordained into the Metropolitan Community Church and served two congregations, one in Roanoke.

Eight years ago, Cobb had “a cathartic moment. I realized my work as a pastor was coming to an end but felt called to expand my work in social justice, equity and equality.”

A friend who was running for city council said Cobb’s work uplifted marginalized communities, “and she just kept hounding me about running.” He announced a run for city council in January 2018, and as the top vote-getter became Roanoke’s vice mayor, the first time he’d ever held public office. Four years later, he won a second term as vice mayor, then won a close race for mayor in 2024.

Many Roanoke residents see Cobb as a chaplain for the city, or its public theologian. “That’s partly due to my calling, but also how I am present in my life, the city and the world,” Cobb said. “Twenty-four years ago, I could have never imagined the path I was called to and led on during the course of my life.”

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Dr. Mark Douglas

Roanoke is blessed by “a deep commitment from faith communities to be engaged in the community,” Cobb said. Roanoke was one of seven cities to receive a grant to do work on segregation, which historically has been its pattern, Cobb said. “We are a multicultural city, and we came together to hear about the history of segregation and began to build relationships to talk about how we could change that narrative.” During the process, “a number of faith communities stepped up and said, ‘we want to be part of this, and we want to address the segregation that might have been a part of our own history.” PC(USA) congregations in Roanoke have been at the forefront of pulpit exchanges and Bible studies with the goal of de-segregating Roanoke’s faith communities, he said.

Douglas asked Cobb, “Given the significance of relationships in your work, what are the impediments you’ve encountered?”

“There is some of that,” Cobb said. When he was seeking his first job in Roanoke, two interviewers asked him why he would want to move to Roanoke. “It was said in a way of ‘why would anyone want to move to Roanoke?’” Cobb told Douglas. The obvious reason was to be closer to his children, but on the city council and now as mayor, “we have to find a pathway to reconciliation, new possibilities and new perspectives.” Faith communities have played a big role bringing that about, he said, as has the city council.

“When people get angry, they can just cancel you. I just have to let them be in that space,” he said. “It’s not about me. It’s about something going on in their life that they have lost control over or power over. They may project that out on me or the city. … Ultimately, it is about recognizing that we are all vulnerable and that ultimately we don’t have control over everything. We do find purpose and meaning recognizing who we are as God’s beloved people. One of our greatest callings is to be in relationship with each other, even if that means giving people space.”

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Katherine Babicz, AVP Financial & Investment Planning Professional, Trust Services, Presbyterian Foundation
Nora Baez, lead reservation specialist, Stony Point Center, Interim Unified Agency

Let us pray:

Gracious God, please strengthen all who serve the common good. When anger rises, grant patience. When divisions feel deep, grant wisdom. When vulnerability feels heavy, remind us that we are your beloved people, called into relationship with one another. Amen.

Minute for Mission: International Women’s Day

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Activists, social leaders, organizations, women and men chant slogans against gender violence during the “Vivas nos Queremos” march in Quito, Ecuador. Photo: UN Women/Johis Alarcón

International Women’s Day is a day set aside each year to address challenges that particularly limit the lives of women and girls. In observance of International Women’s Day, for 2026, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women asks us to observe the day using the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.”1 

In 2026, we mark the 31st anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action — “the world’s most comprehensive, visionary plan ever created to achieve equal rights for ALL women and girls.”2 More than three decades of progress toward gender equality have bettered the lives and hopes of women and girls around the world. Even so, “in fundamental areas of life, including work, money, safety, family, property, mobility, business, and retirement, the law systematically disadvantages women. From harmful social norms to discriminatory laws, women and girls continue to face entrenched obstacles — even pushback — to equal justice. If progress continues at its current pace, it will take 286 years to close legal protection gaps.”3 

International Women’s Day reminds us to reflect on our responsibility to make this world a just world for ALL. As people of faith called by God to care for one another, let us follow the U.N.’s call to “achieve a better world for women and girls.”

Note: The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the largest gathering on gender equality at the U.N. Learn more about the PC(USA) and Presbyterian Women’s participation at CSW70 by visiting pcusa.org/about-pcusa/agencies-entities/interim-unified-agency/ministry-areas/united-nations-ministry/commission-status-women.

1. un.org/en/observances/womens-day
2. unwomen.org/en/get-involved/for-all-women-and-girls

unwomen.org/en/news-stories/announcement/2026/01/international-womens-day-2026-rights-justice-action-for-all-women-and-girls

Carissa Herold is marketing associate for Presbyterian Women in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Inc.

Let us join in prayer for:

Yesenia Ayala,  Associate, Financial Aid for Service, Interim Unified Agency
Gohar Aznauryan, Administrative Assistant, Jinishian Memorial Program, Interim Unified Agency

Let us pray:

Loving Creator, on this International Women’s Day, and all days, let us strive toward gender equality so your daughters, and all of your children, can live in wholeness, using their gifts for the good of the world. Amen.