Mission Yearbook: Camp Grier in North Carolina responds to crisis and helps community

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All photos contributed by Jason McDougald

When Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina in September 2024, leaving communities without power, water and access to basic services, Camp Grier in Old Fort, North Carolina stood out — not just for its resilience, but for its rapid, community-centered response. Within days, the camp transformed into a disaster relief hub, offering hot meals, showers, laundry services and shelter to hundreds of residents.

This extraordinary pivot wasn’t a matter of luck — it was the result of a decade-long transformation in Camp Grier’s governance and mission.

Camp Grier’s ability to respond so nimbly to Hurricane Helene traces back to a pivotal decision in 2013 predicated on the financial necessity of its governing bodies. Originally owned and operated by three presbyteries — Charlotte, Salem and Western North Carolina — the camp was spun off into an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This move, led by a tri-presbytery task force co-chaired by the Rev. Paul Sink, gave Camp Grier the autonomy to act quickly without waiting for multiple mid council approvals.

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Tracks across from camp derailed by Hurricane Helene

According to Sink, a Camp Grier board member and outgoing stated clerk of Salem Presbytery, the presbyteries faced shrinking budgets and found it increasingly difficult to maintain responsibility for multiple camp properties. Jason McDougald, who became executive director of Camp Grier in 2013, noted that while the support of three presbyteries had benefits, there were governance challenges — bylaws required all three to vote on capital expenditures over $50,000 or on changes to vision or strategy.

The camp’s location makes it most accessible to churches in the Presbytery of Western North Carolina, with travel times ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 hours for Salem Presbytery churches and two hours for the Presbytery of Charlotte. As a Presbyterian-founded camp, Grier maintains ties with churches in all three presbyteries that host retreats, send campers and offer scholarships. While Salem and Charlotte presbyteries withdrew budget support within two years of incorporation, the Presbytery of Western North Carolina has continued funding through a designated fund for cabin renovation and scholarships.

Sink said the shift to independent governance proved invaluable during the hurricane. “We would not have been able to make a $50,000 capital purchase in three days if we were still owned by three presbyteries,” he said, referring to the generator that restored water and power to the site.

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Water pours into the home of Camp Grier’s director of maintenance during Hurricane Helene. The house is being rebuilt with help from the Old Ford Strong Fund and contributions from several Presbyterian churches in Virginia. 

Independence meant that Camp Grier needed to diversify revenue streams well beyond summer camp and retreats. McDougald envisioned positioning Old Fort as a hub for outdoor recreation by making the camp, which borders Pisgah National Forest, a year-round destination.

Under his leadership, the camp forged key partnerships. The G5 Trail Collective, launched with the U.S. Forest Service, began work on a 42-mile trail expansion in 2021, with support from Dogwood Health Trust. Partnering with People on the Move for Old Fort, a Black-led advocacy group, the project also sought to reconnect the local Black community to the forest through job creation.

To foster equitable economic growth, Grier joined with Eagle Market Street Development Corp., whose first project was a 2,500-square-foot business incubation hub in downtown Old Fort.

The G5 Trail Collective has since attracted millions in grants, especially after Hurricane Helene, as the Forest Service, which lost 10% of its workforce in 2025, now depends heavily on contractors for trail restoration and maintenance in areas damaged by flooding and erosion.

Camp Grier also acquired Tanawha Adventures and Pisgah Productions, race and event production companies that host trail running and mountain biking events that draw hundreds of participants and generate significant income.

A new partnership with McDowell Tech Community College will create student housing and offer training in culinary arts and outdoor maintenance.

McDougald has announced the upcoming Grier Village project — a $15 million development with a new dining hall, student housing and high-end rental cabins. Profits will be reinvested into scholarships, trail upkeep and community programs. The camp also acquired a 250-acre property in Fairview, North Carolina, for youth career exploration programs and day camps.

These ventures will not only sustain the camp financially but also allow it to keep summer camp fees affordable. In 2022, Camp Grier awarded 100 scholarships.

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist

Let us join in prayer for:

Tim Stepp, Associate Director, Internal Audit, Administrative Services Group
Andrea Stevens, Gift Planning Specialist, Development Office, The Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, you showed us that in God’s manna world there is enough bread for all. With gratitude, we are mindful of God’s abundant gifts. So, wherever there is scarcity, let us serve with strong limbs and joyful hearts. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Video shows how Minnesota church is answering the question ‘Is Racial Justice Possible?’

In a time when conversations about racial justice can feel polarized or paralyzed, Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Minnesota, is offering a bold and faithful witness to what is possible when a congregation commits to repair. Its journey is documented in the video “Is Racial Justice Possible?,” the second installment in the five-part series “Zero to One: A Congregation’s Journey to Repair,” produced by the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

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The Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms, speaks with members of Oak Grove Presbyterian Church after worship. (All photos by Rich Copley)

This video, available on the PC(USA) Vimeo channel and the Center’s resource page, features candid reflections from Oak Grove members and leaders as they wrestle with the theological, historical and personal dimensions of racial justice. Through interviews and Scripture, the video explores how faith communities can move beyond lip service to tangible action — especially reparations.

The voices in this episode are diverse and deeply rooted in experience. Becky Dop, a ruling elder, said, “I do think racial justice is possible,” but cautioned that achieving it requires intentional learning and listening, especially about white privilege and its pervasive influence. Ruling Elder Bob Heise added, “Until you actually get in and start doing something about it, you're effectively paying lip service.” Their words reflect a congregation that has moved from reflection to action.

The video also features the Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms. Ross-Allam speaks to the spiritual urgency of reparations, noting that preaching the gospel without addressing systemic racism felt hollow. His work with Oak Grove began during a time of national and local reckoning in the wake of the deaths of Philando Castile and Jamar Clarke and helped catalyze the church’s commitment to reparative giving.

Other voices, like Ruling Elder Elona Street-Stewart and the Rev. Gregory Bentley, Co-Moderators of the 224th General Assembly (2020), bring historical and denominational context to the conversation. Street-Stewart reminds viewers that Oak Grove’s story is part of a larger narrative of settler colonialism and Indigenous displacement, while Bentley challenges the church to develop the “moral imagination” to envision a different world.

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The choir at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, whose mission is to be “a joyful, inclusive, compassionate community of faith seeking to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.”

Scriptural grounding for the episode includes Galatians 3:23–28, emphasizing communal responsibility and spiritual unity. These texts frame reparations not as political gestures, but as expressions of the gospel.

The “Zero to One” series chronicles Oak Grove’s journey from initial conversations to concrete commitments, including significant financial contributions to Indigenous and Afro-American communities made possible through the nonprofit organization Restorative Actions. Each episode was released weekly through August and early September, offering a step-by-step look at how one congregation is living out its call to justice.

“Is Racial Justice Possible?” doesn’t offer easy answers — but it does offer hope. In order for this hope to be realized, bold political and economic action is required, but so is a collective “metanoia,” — a transformation of our social imagination that repents of past and present systems of thought and socio-political-economic structures.

In response to this particular video and reflecting on the question, “Is racial justice possible?” Ross-Allam said that though the phrase “racial justice” is very familiar, it is in fact an oxymoron. “Reformed theology recognizes there can be no true justice built on the concept of race — especially so-called ‘racial justice,’” he said.

This video and its companions offer a spiritual invitation for individuals and congregations to consider their role in repair and to recognize that even small steps taken in faith can lead to transformation.

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Marsha Stearley, Desktop Support Analyst, Information Technology Infrastructure, Administrative Services Group
Elaine Stepp, Operations Reconciliation Specialist, Operations, The Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

Loving God, too often we see people who are suffering, and we cross to the other side of the street. Help us to be compassionate, to love our neighbors to feed your lambs. Amen.

Reminder to Remit Special Offerings Gifts by January 22

January 22 is the Deadline for Remitting 2025 Gifts In order to ensure your gifts are counted in 2025, you must remit Special Offering gifts by January 22, 2026. Any gifts received after this date, when the books close, will be designated as 2026 gifts.  Gifts received after the books close for the Pentecost and Peace & Global Witness offerings Pentecost Offering funds remitted after January 22 will still support the causes of children at risk, youth and young adults, but will be reported as gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering, where the General Assembly moved these causes. Peace & Global Witness funds remitted after January 22 will still support the causes of peacemaking and global witness, but will be reported as gifts to the World Communion Offering, where the General Assembly moved these causes.  How to Remit Funds Congregations remit through their normal receiving agency (usually the presbytery) or mail checks to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) P.O. Box 643700 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. Mid Councils remit to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) P.O. Box 643751 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3751 or through Payer Express. Learn about Special Offerings changes. Contact us with questions by replying to this email or calling 800-728-7228 ext. 5047. Thank you for your support of the Churchwide Special Offerings.

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Mission Yearbook: U.S. Supreme Court Bar admits Board of Pensions general counsel

Vivian D. Wesson, executive vice president and general counsel of the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. She is the first Board of Pensions executive to achieve this professional honor.

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Vivian D. Wesson

Wesson, also agency corporate secretary, joined the Board of Pensions three years ago from Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., where she was chief intellectual property counsel. In more than 16 years with the global professional services firm, she held other leadership roles in key areas such as mergers and acquisitions, compliance, reinsurance and strategic investments.

Since joining the agency’s Executive Team in 2022, Wesson has strengthened operations in the critical areas of corporate governance and risk management. A noted legal expert on artificial intelligence, she has presented frequently on the topic to other lawyers, law students and the Church Benefits Association.

Wesson is a member of the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association, an out-of-state delegate to the NYSBA House of Delegates, chair of its Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies, vice chair of its Committee on Membership, and immediate past chair of its Committee on Attorney Professionalism. She is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law, Pomona College and Phillips Exeter Academy.

In addition to practicing before the high court, members of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar gain access to a network of fellow legal professionals.

The Board of Pensions is an agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Through the Benefits Plan of the PC(USA), we provide a broad range of benefits and programs to PC(USA) congregations, agencies, and mid councils as well as affiliate employers — including educational institutions, camps and conference centers, retirement and senior housing communities and human services organizations.

Board of Pensions (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Roger Spalding, Prospect Research Analyst, Funds Development Operations, Administrative Services Group
Frank Spencer, President, Office of the President, The Board of Pensions

Let us pray:

Gracious and merciful God, empty us of the judgment, fear, and anger we harbor toward others, so that we may follow your example of love and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Farminary at Princeton Theological Seminary turns 10 with four-day celebration

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Princeton Theological Seminary celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Farminary with a four-day gathering Sept 24–27. The event convened some of the brightest minds shaping the future of theological education and ecological imagination, including Willie James Jennings, Barbara Brown Taylor, Jeff Chu, Michael Twitty, Tiya Miles and Heber Brown. Together, they explored urgent questions at the intersections of theology, ecology, food justice, Sabbath, and community through keynote presentations, conversations, panel discussions, shared meals, workshops and more.

Established in 2015, the Farminary is a 21-acre sustainable farm where students and community members engage in regenerative agriculture as a context for theological reflection. Over the past decade, it has become a vital space for spiritual formation, communal healing and deep engagement with the ecological challenges of our time.

The Farminary is the heart of Princeton Seminary’s Master of Arts in Theology and Ecology (MTE), a visionary degree program launched in 2023 to prepare leaders for ministry in an era marked by ecological urgency, complexity and possibility.

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Rooted in the conviction that theological education must respond to the realities of a changing planet, the program has already doubled in size and recently welcomed 14 students into its new cohort. While the Farminary is the foundational location for the MTE program, seminary students from all degree programs have an opportunity to learn not only from books and classrooms but also from compost piles, planting beds, livestock, and shared meals that reflect a theology of interdependence and care. “If the classroom is where we think about God, the garden is where we remember we belong to God, and to one another. The Farminary invites us to do both,” shared Barbara Brown Taylor, author of “An Altar in the World” and “Holy Envy,” preached at the celebration’s opening worship service.

Over the past decade, the Farminary has also become a gathering ground for neighbors, theologians, artists and seekers of all ages. The anniversary celebration was designed to reflect this expansive vision and nourish body, mind and spirit.

The celebration began on Princeton Seminary’s main campus with community worship and shared meals, featuring a sermon by Brown Taylor and an afternoon keynote at the Farminary from Willie James Jennings, joined by respondents Norman Wirzba, Tink Tinker and Hanna Reichel for a rich theological discussion on Creation. The evening concluded with Wine and the Bible, a unique wine tasting and spiritual reflection led by John Anthony Dunne.

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Thursday, Sept. 25, was a day of hands-on learning and spiritual formation, including workshops on composting, native seed collection, poetry and ecological infrastructure. Crystal Oliver (EcoTheo Review) and Larry Rogers (Farminary farm manager) led sessions alongside partners from Princeton Open Space. The day culminated in a powerful evening conversation between Jeff Chu and Chef Michael Twitty, exploring food, land, identity and faith.

Friday, Sept. 26’s sessions included workshops on institutional ecology, social entrepreneurship, and congregational farming practices, led by practitioners including Nick Babladelis, Lissette Gonzalez Sosa, Werner Ramirez and Chef Gabby Aron. Alumni reflected on how the Farminary has shaped their ministry, and a Farm Chef Fest offered a curated tasting experience from local culinary leaders. The evening closed with a featured conversation between Tiya Miles and Nate Stucky, exploring Black environmental consciousness, storytelling and sacred ecology.

The celebration concluded on Saturday, Sept. 27, with a joyful, community-centered closing worship service at the Farminary. The sermon was delivered by Heber Brown III, a nationally recognized pastor and founder of the Black Church Food Security Network.

As the Farminary enters its second decade, it does so with deep roots and a wide vision for what comes next.

Continued growth will require thoughtful investment in the infrastructure necessary to support its expanding and diverse community, including students, First Thursday and event participants, and all who recognize the land as a vital context for theological formation, learning and connection.

The Farminary Project at Princeton Theological Seminary integrates theological education with regenerative farming practices and ecological attunement. It serves as a unique learning environment where students explore the rhythms of the land alongside their spiritual and academic formation. The Farminary emphasizes ecological stewardship, community engagement, and the cultivation of leaders equipped to respond to the urgent challenges of climate, justice and hope.

For more information about the Farminary and the 10th Anniversary Celebration, visit ptsem.edu/farminary10.

Princeton Theological Seminary

Let us join in prayer for:

Barbara Soete,  Mission Specialist, Administrative Services Group
Teresa Sontarp, Controller, Finance, The Board of Pensions

Let us pray:

Thank you, God, for taking the gifts you have given us and multiplying them into more abundance than we could ever imagine so that your name and your love can be shared far and wide. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Rev. Tony Larson explores ministry beyond the walls of a church

Some of the most meaningful ministry the Rev. Tony Larson engages in is well outside the walls of the church he serves, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Surfside Beach, South Carolina.

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The Rev. Tony Larson

Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly (2024), recently delivered the second part of the Woods Lecture Series in Blades Chapel at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. View Larson’s talk, “The Church’s Witness in the World,” delivered as part of a worship service, here. The Co-Moderator’s remarks begin at the 21:05 mark.

He told about “how I ended up on the front page of the local newspaper” in the early years in ministry with the first church he served, Springs Community Presbyterian Church in East Hampton, New York.

Larson discovered he could rent a fishing boat every Thursday from a couple named Buck and Bernice, who operated a boat and fishing gear rental business at the nearby marina. After he’d fish, Larson would join others at the marina to catch up on the local news. Eventually, he became a pastor to people who weren’t about to attend any church, Buck and Bernice included.

Larson grew close to Buck and Bernice. “By the alchemy of faith, I was becoming their pastor,” he said. One day, Buck brought over a bottle of whiskey rather than the cold beers he usually served. “This will be the last drink we have —at least for a while,” Buck told Larson. “Bernice is pregnant, and so we won’t be drinking for a while.” Hugs were exchanged, and then Buck asked, “Would it be possible for you to baptize our baby?”

“As your friend, I’d be hard-pressed to turn down that request,” Larson told the expectant parents. But as a Presbyterian pastor, he’d have to ask them to make promises on behalf of their child — promises to God and to those gathered for the baptism. Come to church one Sunday and check it, Larson suggested.

Two weeks later, Buck and Bernice surprised everyone by walking through the church doors. A few months later, they made professions of faith and joined the church.

They named their baby Bailey. A few weeks after her birth, Larson stopped by to prepare the family for baptism. When you give her a bath, remind her of her baptism, he suggested. When someone tells her what she can and cannot do, remind her of her baptism, and her belovedness. Springs Community Presbyterian Church will help you and Bailey, he said, and Buck and Bernice told him, “That is exactly what we wanted.

“They wanted Bailey to know she was God’s beloved child,” Larson said.

No matter how many theological arguments Larson made, the parents were convinced one bowl of water would not be enough for their big event. They got permission to hold the baptism at low tide near the marina, where the church gathered.

Despite the baptism occurring in July, Larson showed up in his robe. “We began to draw onlookers,” he said. Buck and Bernice confessed their faith, and the four of them waded out into the water. Larson took a clamshell from his pocket, dipped it into the water, and baptized the baby in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “Bailey, you are held in love that will never let you go,” he told the child.

The next Wednesday, the newspaper published the story of the unusual baptism on its front page. “There was other news in the world that week, but that news was important for that community,” Larson said. Early on in his ministry, “I had the notion I could take off my [clergy] collar and not be identifiable as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I learned from that relationship with Buck and Bernice that’s not really an option.”

Twenty-three times in the gospel accounts, Christ invites people to “follow me,” Larson noted.

“Make your life look like my life” is the way Larson puts Jesus’ invitation. “The invitation is to follow, and the commandment is to love. It really is as simple as that, and oh so challenging.”

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

Let us join in prayer for:

Stephen Smith, Business Analyst, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation
Katie Snyder, Project Manager for Digital Fundraising, Annual Giving, Administrative Services Group                              

Let us pray:

Lord of illumination, use us to reflect your light, so that your radiant grace may be shared with the world, and all people may be blessed with your life-giving love, through Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. Amen.

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