Mission Yearbook: PC(USA) charters its first Zo Presbyterian Church

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The first class of elders of the Zo Presbyterian Church is ordained and installed. (Contributed photo).

The sanctuary at North Decatur Presbyterian Church resonated with the rhythmic pulse of traditional Zo music and voices lifted in harmonious prayer last fall as an Indigenous community from Myanmar’s western mountains claimed its place in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The Service of Constitution, conducted in multiple languages and punctuated by spirited hymns, marked a historic milestone: the chartering of the first Zo Presbyterian Church in the PC(USA). For two hours, the congregation celebrated not just the birth of a new church but also the fulfillment of a journey that began thousands of miles away and was nurtured by the hospitality of Presbyterian communities across metro Atlanta.

The Zo people, an Indigenous ethnic group who fled persecution in Myanmar, have worshiped at North Decatur Presbyterian for the past two years. Before that, Memorial Drive Presbyterian and Decatur Presbyterian Church welcomed them to worship in their spaces, providing temporary homes as the community grew and discerned its call to become a chartered congregation.

Video URL: player.vimeo.com/video/1043556984

The service showcased the vibrant worship style of the Zo community, with congregants dressed in traditional attire leading spirited hymns accompanied by drums and guitars. The Rev. Andy James, the stated clerk of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, conducted the installation of the Rev. Sarah Lane as pastor of the new congregation.

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The Rev. Sarah Lane (Photo by Lindsay Armstrong)

Lane is the daughter of the late Rev. Dr. Lianchinkhup Taithul, who founded the Zo Presbyterian Church before suffering a fatal car accident. Upon her father's death, Lane felt called to attend seminary, seek ordination and lead the community, becoming the first Zo woman ordained in the Presbyterian Church.

“The roots of this church reach back to Myanmar’s mountains, but its branches already stretch throughout Atlanta and are growing toward Baltimore, toward Indianapolis and toward the world,” Lane said. “Where others saw displacement, God saw dispersal — seed scattered to grow new life in unexpected soil.”

The chartering represents the culmination of years of faithful work that began with a single visit to a presbytery office. The Rev. Dr. Lindsay Armstrong, executive director of the presbytery’s New Church Development Commission, recalled that pivotal moment. “When Rev. Dr. Lianchinkhup walked into my office years ago, he carried more than a dream — he carried a people’s hope,” Armstrong said. “Today, that hope has been realized.”

Armstrong emphasized the significance of the milestone, describing it as both historic and deeply personal. “The first Zo congregation in the PC(USA) is not an ending but a beginning,” she said. “It is the Spirit saying again, ‘See, I am doing a new thing — do you not perceive it?’”

The Zo people fled Myanmar amid political persecution and civil conflict, with many settling in the United States over the past decade. The community has maintained strong ties to its cultural and religious heritage while building new lives in American cities.

For North Decatur Presbyterian, serving as host church to the Zo congregation has provided a glimpse into the early days of church planting. The Rev. Mary Anona Stoops, pastor at North Decatur Presbyterian, was preparing for her own congregation's 70th anniversary celebration when the Zo church was chartered.

“Celebrating the chartering of Zo Presbyterian Church was a profound joy and gift,” Stoops said. “It is like seeing our own story come alive again, reminding me of what it takes to begin a new church: perseverance, vision and deep faith.”

The service included the presentation of a charter certificate, the examination of the congregation’s officers and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Congregants from across the presbytery attended to witness the historic occasion.

“To charter is not to finish something — it is to throw open the doors of possibility,” Armstrong said. “Zo Presbyterian Church stands as both home and horizon.”

According to Armstrong, the new congregation represents a growing trend in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as immigrant and ethnic communities increasingly shape the denomination’s future. The PC(USA) has prioritized new church development in recent years, with particular focus on multicultural and multilingual congregations.

“This moment is historic, but it’s also profoundly personal,” Armstrong said. “The Zo people are teaching us what it means to be the Church — courageous, communal and compelled by love.”

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Life & Witness (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Robert Kent, IT Specialist, Information Technology, The Presbyterian Foundation
Joshua Kerr, Ministry Relations Officer, Development Office, The Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray:

Gracious God, give us strength and courage to follow your call. Even though our numbers are small, grant us that our fruit be plentiful and our blessings great. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Memorial Day Devotional: Remembering. Honoring. Walking Together.

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Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

There are moments in history that leave marks too deep for time to erase. Wars are among them. They shape generations, redefine communities, and leave behind both visible and invisible wounds. For those who have served — and for those who have loved them — these marks are carried long after the conflict ends.

Memorial Day invites us into a sacred pause. It is more than a long weekend or the unofficial start of summer. It is a day set apart to remember, intentionally and reverently, those who gave their lives in service to others. It is also a day to acknowledge the quiet grief carried by families, friends and communities who continue living in the absence of someone they love.

Remembrance is not passive. It asks something of us. It calls us to see the cost of sacrifice, to honor it not only with words but also with presence. For some, this remembrance is expressed in ceremonies and flags placed beside gravestones. For others, it is found in silence, in tears or in stories shared around a table.

As people of faith, we are also called to care. To stand beside those who mourn. To listen without rushing. To offer comfort not just through words but also through companionship. Sometimes the most meaningful ministry is simply refusing to let someone grieve alone.

We may not fully understand the weight carried by those who have experienced war firsthand or the depth of loss felt by their families. But we can be a community that bears witness to their stories. We can be people who embody compassion, extending grace and support in both small and profound ways.

Our denomination has over 120 chaplains serving in the Veterans Affairs hospitals, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the military, and they are ministering within a broader community where that reality is an indelible part of their life journey. While it will be a day for remembrance, as chaplains, it is, more importantly, a time to share a prayer, offer a shoulder to cry on, counsel, or walk in silence, but never alone. Hopefully, it will become an indelible support in a time of remembering. 

On this Memorial Day, may we remember with gratitude. May we honor with humility. And may we walk alongside those who carry loss, offering them the steady reminder that they are not alone.

Rev. Dennis Hysom, Executive Director, Presbyterian Federal Chaplaincies

Let us join in prayer for:

Jessica Kelley, Senior Acquisitions Editor, Publishing & Editorial, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Wilson Kennedy, Associate Director, Annual Giving, Administrative Services Group    

Let us pray:

God of mercy and peace, we remember today those who gave their lives in service to others. We honor their sacrifice and hold in our hearts the families who continue to feel their absence. Teach us to be people of compassion and be ready to listen, to comfort and to stand with those who grieve. May we reflect your love in our care for one another. Amen.

World Evangelical Alliance - Make It the Day Your Church Adopts a Frontier People Group

Frontier People Group is a valued partner of the WEA. May 24 is the International Day of the Unreached. This year, Joshua Project, A Third of Us, and Missio Nexus are inviting churches and networks to do something concrete on that day: adopt a Frontier People Group. Who Are Frontier People Groups? Frontier People Groups (FPGs) are among the least-reached people on earth. - Less than 1 in 1,000 is a follower of Jesus - Most have no access to a church planting movement - Most have no cultural access to the gospel They are the highest priority in global missions. What Adoption Looks Like Adoption connects your church, small group, organization, or network to organizations directly engaging FPGs. Joshua Project's matching tool links adopters with partners already working among the group you choose. The process follows five steps: 1. Awaken — understand why FPGs are the highest priority in global missions 2. Decide — choose a group for your church, network, or small group to adopt 3. Orient — learn who they are: their culture, beliefs, and daily life 4. Pray — pray for open doors, gospel workers, and breakthrough 5. Team Up and Take Action — connect with field organizations, clarify your role, and take action Get Started Learn more and find a group to adopt at joshuaproject.net/adopt   Adopt a People Group May 24 is a starting point. The work lasts much longer. For those still waiting to hear, With gratitude, World Evangelical Alliance  Over two billion Christians in the world today are represented by three world church bodies. The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is one of those, serving more than 650 million evangelicals belonging to churches that are part of 163 national Evangelical Alliances in 9 regions. Launched in London in 1846, the WEA unites evangelicals across denominations for prayer, evangelism, mission, theological education, religious freedom, human rights advocacy, relief, and engagement in a wide range of social issues. It speaks with one voice to United Nations, governments, and media in public or through behind-the-scenes diplomacy on issues of common concern to the Church. For more information, visit worldea.org WEA has been a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability since 1980. WEA is audited annually by an independent public accounting firm. WEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In the United States, your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

© Copyright 2026 World Evangelical Alliance

Minute for Mission: Presbyterian Heritage Sunday

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John Witherspoon Portrait (provided)

The Rev. John Witherspoon was many things: the only active clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, the leading Presbyterian of the Revolutionary era, a Scottish immigrant, president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), an active politician and a slaveholder.

Witherspoon was born in Scotland in 1723. He attended the University of Edinburgh and then served two parishes as a Church of Scotland minister. He was 45 years old, a husband and father, when two Americans — Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton — persuaded him to emigrate to America in 1768 to head the College of New Jersey. 

By most accounts, Witherspoon was an excellent choice for the College. He built a reputation as a dynamic preacher, an engaged teacher, and a colonial leader — not just in Presbyterian, religious and educational circles but increasingly in politics as well. 

In May 1776, two months before he began serving in the Second Continental Congress, Witherspoon preached a sermon titled “The Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Men.” This sermon became one of the most well-known and influential sermons of the Revolution. Witherspoon made a strong case that God sided with the patriots because their cause was just.

Like many Founding Fathers, Witherspoon was an enslaver. It is not clear when he acquired the two enslaved people listed in his estate at the time of his death, and little is known about them. Their names are lost to history, at least for now, and Witherspoon never wrote about them in any of his surviving correspondence. Witherspoon did not believe, as some did, that enslavement was a benevolent practice supported by the Bible. He thought slavery would disappear in the United States within a generation. But he never called for abolition. His view of slavery prevailed in the newly organized Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. — just as it did in the national government.

McKenna Britton, Communications, Presbyterian Historical Society, Presbyterian Life & Witness

Let us join in prayer for:

Andy Keeney, Information Security Officer, Information Systems, The Presbyterian Foundation
Stephen Keizer, Vice President Ministry Relations, Development Office, The Presbyterian Foundation  

Let us pray:

Gracious and loving God, guide us as we strive to see and honor the full scope of past experiences. Open our minds and hearts to recognize the complexity of history and to feel compassion for human beings who lived in the past. We pray for your guidance today and into a future that often seems disconnected from Christ’s call. Help us to find the way. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Students, church leaders and alumni gather to celebrate 25 years of UKirk Tallahassee

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“When I visited this UKirk, I sensed something,” the Rev. Dr. Matt Frease, executive director of UKirk Tallahassee, said during its 75th anniversary celebration last fall. “I was seeing the good work that had taken place here.”

Frease reflected on how the ministry has navigated significant moments throughout its history, following the Gospel’s call to justice. Westminster House took stands on integration and the civil rights movement, reproductive rights and peace during the Vietnam War. A generation later, students led the ministry to publicly identify as an inclusive and affirming campus ministry for LGBTQIA+ people.

Students, alumni and church leaders gathered at Westminster House, on the campus of Florida State University, to celebrate 75 years of continuous Presbyterian campus ministry. The event brought together generations of students whose lives have been shaped by a ministry known for welcome and spiritual formation since 1950.

Ruling Elder Mary Hodges, moderator of the Presbytery of Florida, opened the evening with a prayer. Valerie Young, synod executive and stated clerk for the Synod of South Atlantic, sent video remarks. The Rev. Cece Armstrong, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly (2024) of the PC(USA), attended and spoke about the unique role of UKirk ministries on college campuses.

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The Rev. Cece Armstrong (Contributed photo)

The Rev. Dr. Gini Norris-Lane, executive director of UKirk Collegiate Ministries’ national office, also participated, emphasizing the significance of UKirk Tallahassee within the broader network of Presbyterian campus ministries. According to Norris-Lane, UKirks around the nation are celebrating nearly a century of ministry. UKirk at the University of Georgia celebrated 85 and Koinonia Center at the University of Oregon turns 100 in a few weeks.

“I have been reflecting on the Presbyterians 75, 85, 100 years ago who invested in ministry to and with college students,” said Norris-Lane. “They not only were committed to walking alongside their Presbyterian youth who were going to college but were also inspired to create ministries where non-Presbyterian students could explore the Christian faith and find a spiritual home.”

Norris-Lane noted how those who invest their time and treasure in sustaining UKirks help generations of college students learn to be servant leaders at a formative time in their lives, which strengthens the fabric of the PC(USA). She asked the audience, “How do we revive that same spirit of investing in the next generation of leaders for the church and the world?”

“A donation to campus ministry not only helps for a semester or a year; it is an actual investment in the kind of future we hope for,” said Norris-Lane.

Frease shared a brief history of the ministry, beginning with Dr. Miriam Wilson, who rallied Presbyterian Women across Florida to raise funds for a dedicated campus ministry space. In 1950, the Synod of Florida built Westminster House for $90,000, establishing what would become a transformative presence in the lives of countless students.

One of UKirk Tallahassee’s most visible expressions of ministry began 16 years ago with Calvin’s Coffee House, which operates on a pay-what-you-can model. Calvin’s reflects the ministry’s values of hospitality and inclusion, offering a safe, creative place for the Florida State campus and Tallahassee communities. All are welcome to be who God created them to be and can build community, study, and showcase their artistic talents through open mic nights, art installations, jazz performances and longer-form shows.

“The ministry is one of two outwardly affirming campus ministries at FSU, and Calvin’s is a known safe space in the area,” Frease said. “It is also a space known for artistic expression and a community-forming environment.”

Current student and resident Rowan Rey Miller shared how UKirk has provided a sense of belonging that can be hard to find on a large campus.

“Being a freshman is lonely,” Miller said. “I found friends. I found a family. I found a place to live, and most importantly, I found a place to spread my wings both personally and spiritually.”

Miller said UKirk offers a space where doubts and questions are welcomed. “It didn’t feel like ‘we’ve got you in our claws, and we won’t let go,’” Miller said. Instead, it felt like, “we want you to come be our friend. How can we help you, wherever you are in life and faith today?”

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Life & Witness (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Bequi Jump, Translator, Global Language Resources, Administrative Services Group
Kevin Keaton, Engagement & Church Relations, Church Consultant, Houston, TX, The Board of Pension

Let us pray:

God of all our lives, inspire us by your Spirit to grow in mission and understanding as we work as partners with brothers and sisters to bring your compassion, vision and shalom to those places in your world where the need is great. In your name we pray. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Ministers benefit from CREDO

The "Fantastic 5" are, from left, Rebecca Chancellor Sicks, Jennifer Barchi, Mark Allio,
Lissa Long and Matt Baker (Contributed photo).

When the Rev. Sharon Youngs worked in Louisville for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), she used her vacation time to serve on CREDO faculty. And when she left Louisville for Tennessee to pastor Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church, she built CREDO time into her terms of call. “It was the best continuing education,” she said. “Still is.”

Youngs was invited to join the CREDO faculty soon after the Board of Pensions of the PC(USA) piloted the weeklong program in November 2005. CREDO faculty, who act as an extension of Board staff, are selected for their expertise in an area of wholeness: spiritual, health (physical and emotional), financial and vocational.

“I did not know a lot about the program,” Youngs said of that long-ago invitation. Still, “the concept of clergy able to take a deeper dive than a weekend … seemed to be something different and new,” she said.

“The Board is firmly committed to CREDO as an important support for individual ministers and, by extension, congregations,” said the Rev. Lori Neff LaRue, vice president of Education for the Board of Pensions. “As we enter the program’s third decade, with the demands of ministry increasing, we plan to expand that commitment across the arc of ministry.”

By 2027, Neff LaRue expects to offer ministers three CREDO conferences seven to 10 years apart — seamless support across the span of their career. This CREDO expansion would be built on the conferences of today: recently ordained, mid career and late career.

“These would be the three bridges,” said the Rev. Dr. Michael Wilson, director of Education for the Arc of Ministry. “And between the three CREDO conferences, we’ll provide other education offerings to support ministers.”

The Episcopal Church founded CREDO three decades ago. Ten years later, the Board of Pensions licensed the program, opening a unique opportunity for PC(USA) ministers to cultivate wholeness. Today, the Board has presented more than 170 CREDO gatherings, totaling about 3,500 participants.

Guided by a team of experienced faculty in an intimate setting, up to 30 participants spend a week together, sharing knowledge, experience, and compassion, and reflecting prayerfully on wholeness. Recent CREDO gatherings have taken place at the Presbyterian Ferncliff Camp & Conference Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Neff LaRue said the Board of Pensions has gone from being dependent on the Episcopalians to being an equal partner in the program and a meaningful contributor to CREDO curriculum, which has been tailored for Presbyterians.

Originally, Presbyterian CREDO served only ministers at the midpoint of their careers who were enrolled in the comprehensive benefits package required for installed pastors. In 2014, the program expanded to include a conference for recently ordained ministers, with two weeklong gatherings, a year apart. And in 2018, a conference was added for late-career ministers. Last year, eligibility for the CREDO program was extended to any minister enrolled in the Medical Plan and/or Defined Benefit Pension Plan.

Designated CREDOs, based on participant demographics and vocational characteristics, began in 2019 with an African American CREDO. “The lived realities of CREDO participants vary greatly,” Neff LaRue said. In 2023, the Board provided CREDO for Korean ministers, and a second African American CREDO was held last November.

Today, CREDO faculty see increased anxiety and fatigue. Even among the newly ordained groups, there are concerns over “where is the Church going, the country, the world?” Youngs said. “Being with colleagues, making new friends — that helps ease their isolation.”

For decades, the Board of Pensions has heard from ministers that CREDO is a transformative experience. Participants often ask to be able to attend more than one conference across their entire career. 

 “This work of heart, mind, body, and spirit is important, sacred work that has sustained countless ministries,” Neff LaRue said. “We recognize that the need for this kind of support is more important than ever before, and at every stage of a minister’s career. We are firmly committed to meeting this need.”

The Board of Pensions supports wholeness in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) community and care for Benefits Plan members. For information, contact info@pensions.org. (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Sandy Johnson, Financial/Budget Analyst, Budgets and Forecasting, Administrative Services Group
Debra Jones, Legal Assistant, Risk Management, Administrative Services Group

Let us pray:

O God, we thank you for the gift of breath that begins each story that we tell, and for inviting us into the living story that begins in Scripture and continues in the community of faith. Bless us with the skill and courage to tell and live out your good story in a world of need. In the name of the Great Storyteller, Jesus Christ. Amen.