Today in the Mission Yearbook - ‘When America gets a cold, the African American community gets pneumonia’

COVID-19’s impact on black Presbyterian churches

July 31, 2020

Through the leadership of the Rev. Wayne Steele, Peace Presbyterian Church is very active in the Newburg community in Louisville and Mid-Kentucky Presbytery. (Contributed photo)

It is said, “When America gets a cold, the African American community gets pneumonia.”

The COVID-19 pandemic is proving that to be true. As the virus spreads across the country, it appears that it is impacting African Americans at a disproportionally high rate. In hot spots like New York, Detroit, New Orleans and Chicago, blacks are dying at alarmingly high rates.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to expose disparities and inequities in the nation’s health care system and socioeconomic status, but it also shines a spotlight on systemic racism and poverty, two issues that have plagued this country for centuries.

The coronavirus crisis is impacting every aspect of the black community, including the church. For African Americans, the church has been an integral part of life for centuries. The church has been key for American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) through the inhumane treatment of slavery to Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the civil rights movement. ADOS have relied on their faith and their church to sustain them in perilous times.

Now in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation, how is the black Presbyterian church faring?

The Rev. Wayne Steele Jr. is the pastor of Peace Presbyterian Church, a church with nearly 100 members in Louisville. Steele has been the pastor for 20 of the 60 years of the church’s existence. “For our African American churches, we don’t have money that’s stored up,” Steele said. “We don’t have nice endowments set aside for rainy days.”

“It’s nice that the government, the church, the presbyteries and the synods are giving loans, but the truth of the matter is with the bottom line that many churches have right now, it’s going to be difficult to pay back a loan to help us survive right now,” he said.

“I’m very concerned that for a lot of our African American pastors, this calling that we have is our only source of income,” he said. “This is our full-time job.”

Peace Presbyterian livestreams on Sunday mornings. “Thanks be to God,” Steele said, that the church had started online giving before the pandemic. “For the African American community, online giving is a new way of giving to the church and we don’t often gravitate to change as quickly as others, so this becomes a new process,” he said. The age of the congregation also impacts online giving, he said. While many African American churches have young adults familiar with technology, it’s the seniors who carry the church financially.

“Last week we mailed all members a personal letter talking about the love of Jesus,” he said. “Not only did we talk about their spiritual responsibility to the church, but their financial responsibility as well.”

An offering envelope was enclosed with the letter. “Hopefully they will take advantage of that,” he said. “I’ve heard some good positive responses from members promising to mail their contributions.” The church is open on Mondays and has made accommodations for members to drop a check off while practicing social distancing.

The congregation is assessing its staffing situation every month. And while finances may be an issue, Peace Presbyterian continues to serve its members and the community. Currently the church offers online Bible study and is exploring opportunities to offer online youth ministries. Additionally, the church continues to serve the community through its food pantry ministry.

 Gail Strange, Director of Church and Mid-Council Communications, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for:   

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Edgar Jones, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Ray Jones, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray:

Dear God, thank you for being present in our lives, though we sometimes doubt more than we believe. Thank you for all the good things in our lives. We ask that you continue to walk with us that you may teach us and help us live into our calling, loving others as you loved us. Amen.

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Here for a Reason

Here for a Reason: A Letter from Bob and Kristi Rice, serving in South Sudan July 2020 Write  to Bob Rice Write  to Kristi Rice Individuals:   Give  ...

Here for a Reason

A Letter from Bob and Kristi Rice, serving in South Sudan

July 2020

Write to Bob Rice
Write to Kristi Rice

Individuals: Give to E200429 for Bob and Kristi Rice’s sending and support

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In Matthew 25, Jesus tells three parables – the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the talents, and the parable of the sheep and the goats. Within these three parables, Jesus interweaves themes worthy of reflection, instructing his disciples to “keep watch” and be ready, to be faithful with what they have been given, and to care for the “least of these” in their midst. Perhaps, in the final analysis, our faith will be authenticated or invalidated according to these themes. Such ponderings can arouse soul-searching questions in us, such as “Am I a sheep or a goat? Am I a wise or a foolish virgin? Do I use my resources and gifts to serve our world better?”

The day before Kristi and I were requested by our mission leadership to leave South Sudan for the United States in late March, the government of South Sudan issued a declaration to close all schools. A few days later, the government issued a lockdown that limited movement, prohibited public gatherings, and forced many businesses to close temporarily. While Nile Theological College (NTC), where I teach, closed during this lockdown, members of the faculty continued to meet in a safe way, praying about the situation, and seeking ways to remain engaged with the students. Their first action was to create a Facebook Messenger group to communicate easily with each other. The second action was to request students to come individually to the college to pick up notes and assignments from their teachers so that they could study from home. The third action NTC took was to gather students in small groups, socially distanced, to listen to teachers lecture from a remote location via WhatsApp on their phone. Sadly, the weak internet connection in South Sudan foiled this plan. Lastly and most recently, the administration of NTC solicited the help of two larger churches in Juba, requesting the use of space so that students could safely social distance while being instructed in an intensive format so that they could finish the semester.

      

I have been impressed by Rev. Santino Odong, the principal, and members of the faculty who have persisted in their efforts to serve the students and to remain faithful to the calling of preparing leaders to serve the peoples of South Sudan. Despite limitations and grave challenges, they kept hope alive and found creative solutions to intense problems. Like the wise virgins, they kept “enough oil” on hand to accomplish their task. Like the shrewd holders of talents, they took risks and expanded their influence by finding partners who could help them. Like the sheep, they were aware of their students’ needs, a group often marginalized and forgotten. I am inspired by Rev. Santino and my NTC colleagues, who remain in Juba.

Kristi and I feel challenged by these parables of Jesus as we have had to leave our home, our ministry, and our life in South Sudan. We wept and rebelled in our spirits as we left our beloved country of service. Had we buried our talent? Had we abandoned our post? Upon our return to the United States, there were many days when we felt divided in spirit, recognizing the wisdom in our return but feeling grief over leaving. Over time, we have come to realize that God has us here for a reason. We have had unique opportunities to connect virtually with colleagues, family, and friends, which have sustained and strengthened us during the pandemic.

We have been able to support others and be supported during these tumultuous months. We have had opportunities to reflect more deeply upon the challenges we find in the U.S. regarding systemic racism. We have been challenged by the protests over the death of George Floyd and other African American men and women and the continued police brutality against people of color. There is an ongoing need for repentance, healing, restoration, reconciliation, and peace.

We have read, listened, and engaged with African American and other concerned and prophetic voices who are helping us understand what it means in our United States context to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). We will keep learning, keep growing, keeping asking, and keep seeking to know how to stand with the poor, the marginalized, the stigmatized, the oppressed, the harassed and harangued persons, and peoples of color, for that is where Jesus dwells. Are we sheep? Are we watchful and ready? Are we taking risks in our faith journey? Only God knows, but we are trying, we are hoping, we are praying, and we are taking steps towards action. We trust that God has us here for a reason.

Friends, we want to express to you from the bottom of our hearts how grateful we are for your ongoing prayers and financial support, which sustains us and our ministry. We do not know when we will return to South Sudan, but we invite you to pray with us for that “window” to open so that we can return home. May God grant you strength, wisdom, courage, love, and compassion for the days ahead.

In Christ,

Bob and Kristi

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Here for a Reason 07/28/2020 15:57 A Letter from Bob and Kristi Rice, serving in South Sudan | July 2020 The post Here for a Reason appeared first on Presbyterian Mission Agency.

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Presbyterian Church USA 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville, KY 40202 United States

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Seattle pastor survives the coronavirus

Rev. Jane Pauw says she was ‘held spiritually tight’ after entering ‘blissful mindlessness’

July 30, 2020

Pictured on the way to get tested for COVID-19, the Rev. Jane Pauw, who serves Rainier Beach Presbyterian Church in Seattle, blacked out in her car on the way home. (Photo by Jack Pauw)

The Rev. Jane Pauw remembers the date, March 12, when she blacked out and entered the darkness, into what she calls “a warm, mindless comfort” that she had never experienced before.

One of the first few hundred Americans to be tested for COVID-19, Pauw’s sinuses were already swollen when a long, bendable swab entered her nasal cavity.

“It felt like they were getting as close as possible to my brain and then they twisted it,” she said.

Within 10 minutes of feeling excruciating pain, Pauw, who serves Rainier Beach Presbyterian Church in Seattle, was on her way home with her husband, Jack, when she blacked out in the car. She’d had an adverse reaction known as vasovagal syncope, which causes one’s heart rate and blood pressure to drop suddenly. That leads to reduced blood flow to the brain, which causes the person to briefly lose consciousness.

Pauw’s first coronavirus-like symptoms began in early March. On Feb. 29, she picked up an 80-year-old Rainer Beach Presbyterian Church parishioner from a local bus stop and drove her to a Bible study at a coffee shop about 20 minutes away.

Within two days, one of the congregant’s best friends had died of COVID-19 at the residential facility where she lived. While all the residents were being tested — the asymptomatic congregant was positive — Pauw was on lunch date with two friends who kept raving about how good the food was.

“I kept trying it, but I couldn’t taste or smell anything,” she said.

Then she began to feel tired. When exhaustion, chest congestion and a deep cough settled in, her doctor recommended she get tested for the coronavirus at a Tacoma urgent care center about 45 minutes away.

After the test, and until her fever broke on March 19, Pauw had a temperature of about 102 degrees. She had deep body aches, was nauseated and had no appetite. A few times she crawled to get water. Going down the stairs, she felt like a child again, sitting and sliding for a few steps before pausing to rest.

Unable to concentrate, she entered what she called a state of “blissful mindlessness,” where she was spared any real emotional involvement in her illness.

“While I didn’t feel comfortable physically, I never felt afraid or worried about myself,” she said, “but spiritually I was being held tight.”

Even as her daughters were frantically calling daily to check in, even when Jack stood by her bed to make sure she was still alive, even when church members felt like they wanted to come and say their goodbyes, Pauw felt nothing but that warm, mindless comfort.

Thinking back on it, she believes it was an answer to prayer and that it was God holding her tight, erasing all fear and anxiety — even though she didn’t know it then.

“Somebody was holding me,” she says, “but others were doing it for me by praying.”

While Pauw’s sense of smell and taste are returning, she continues to live with fatigue, having about half the energy she used to.

Pauw is hesitant to talk about how the coronavirus has changed her. While there are important individual and communal lessons to learn, she said she doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions of what those might be just yet.

“In my little death, followed by stay-at-home orders for a month, I feel a bit like I’m in a hermit cell,” she said, “trying to find the ways that Jesus is in solidarity with me, with us and the world.”

Thinking about the people for whom she laments in their illness and for those who might die alone, she said, “We always pray for people not to just be well, but for God to be with them. Could it be that God accompanies all people with this gift of warm, mindless comfort?”

“I know that I was held,” she said. “What if we are priests for one another, in very deep, life-saving ways?”

Paul Seebeck, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Caralee Jones, Presbyterian Foundation
Debra Jones, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray:

Lord, our God, may our faith be strengthened. May we be watchful and found faithful at your return. We pray in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Building the household of God with children, youth and young adults

We look especially to the younger members of God’s family

July 29, 2020

Take a minute to look back on your life. Who all have you lived with? In the earliest parts of our lives, we might live with parents or grandparents or other caring adults. Perhaps siblings. Over the years, we might live with friends and extended family, family of choice or even sometimes with strangers. And sometimes we might find ourselves living alone.

No matter whom we live with now, or whom we have lived with before, God’s vision for the world is that everyone finds a place within God’s kingdom — God’s house. What we celebrated during the season of Pentecost was God’s pouring out of the Holy Spirit so that people of every identity and language can hear a word of welcome into God’s household. All belong in God’s household, and we get to live together, and learn together and celebrate together.

At Pentecost, we looked especially to the children, youth and young adults with whom God has called us to live. The psalmist reminded us of the importance of faith being established during our earliest years, saying, “God from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.” God’s youngest family members need support to build their full potential in both faith and life, and all of us have a role to play. These young ones also show and sometimes teach all of us more about faith in Jesus Christ and how the Holy Spirit is moving in our world.

The Pentecost Offering lets us support the development of children, youth and young adults in our community and throughout the country. Forty percent of this offering stays within our community because we want to build the household of God together, in this place. The remainder is sent on to our denomination so that young adults can lay a foundation for their lives through a year of service as part of the Young Adult Volunteer program. It is also used to support ministries with youth, through experiences of worship and formation like the Presbyterian Youth Triennium, which gathers nearly 5,000 young people every three years to learn and grow together. There is also a portion of this Offering that supports the education of every child in this country, through the Educate a Child, Transform the World national initiative. Even when there are no children or young people in the places where we live, there are many, many with us in the household of God.

I want us to celebrate the fact that we are building a life of faith and building the household of God with our children, youth and young adults. Through our gifts today, we join with them and with God in building that household together.

If we all do a little, it adds up to a lot.

Bryce Wiebe, Director, Special Offerings, Mission Engagement & Support, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff

Nicholas Johnson, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Sandy Johnson, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)

Let us pray:

Holy Spirit, breathe on us. Inspire us to give and to grow your household. Thank you for the special place you offer to the youngest members of your family. May our efforts reflect the joy and delight that Jesus showed in welcoming children. Amen.

The Young Adult Volunteer Program; Educate a Child, Transform the World; and Presbyterian Youth Triennium are all supported by your gifts to the Pentecost Offering.

News from Presbyterian World Mission – July 2020

Mission Matters The Rev. Philip Woods, associate director for Strategy, Program and Recruitment with Presbyterian World Mission, writes about this groundbreaking time in mission and ministry. (Getty Images) Read mission matters →

Matthew 25: Dismantling Racism The three focuses of the Matthew 25 vision are to build congregational vitality, eradicate systemic poverty and dismantle structural racism. In view of the current unrest and protest in our nation, the call to be a Matthew 25 church is more compelling than ever. This may very well be one of the first ways that churches can take steps to bring about racial justice. All Matthew 25 churches are invited to join our next online gathering, July 29 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, via Zoom. Mid council leaders will share how they are using Matthew 25 to impact their ministries and communities, and lead in the challenge to do something every day to raise awareness about the perniciousness of racism to encourage action in response to that awareness. Register here →

COVID-19 shows the need to answer the Matthew 25 invitation As Tracey King-Ortega recently reflected on Scripture and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, she realized that COVID-19 is like an X-ray that has exposed the most vulnerable in every part of the world and brought into stark relief the importance of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Matthew 25 invitation. (Photo by Valdir França) Read more →

Finding a new normal during a global pandemic During this pandemic, we have an opportunity to learn a bit more, as a nation and as a global community, about trauma, grief and healing. Read more → The border as a place of encounter The border is not just a physical place. When you open your heart to it, it’s a place of encounter. That was the challenge offered to Zoom participants in a recent "Coffee and Conversations" webinar hosted by mission co-workers the Rev. Mark Adams and Miriam Maldonado, serving with Frontera de Cristo, a Presbyterian border ministry located in the sister cities of Agua Prieta, Mexico, and Douglas, Arizona. (Photo by Mark Adams) Read more →

Support mission co-workers Across the street and across the globe, Presbyterians everywhere are discovering new unity and a renewed identity around the Matthew 25 vision, which is helping the PC(USA) to become a more relevant presence in the world. In South Korea, Presbyterian mission co-workers Kurt Esslinger and Hyeyoung Lee live and love in solidarity with their Christian siblings every day as they walk alongside Koreans in their movement for peace and reunification. In today’s world — where people feel more divided and isolated than ever in the face of COVID-19 — your gifts to Presbyterian World Mission will help to ensure that mission co-workers like Kurt and Hyeyoung are able to continue to bring God’s healing power and Christ’s gift of reconciliation to a broken world. Thank you for your faithful prayers and your continued generosity as we walk and work together. Give online →

Mission co-workers emerge from quarantine in Lima, Peru "Three months ago, I might have laughed at others going to such extremes (apart from the fact that the hospitals needed the equipment), but today this is how I suit up to go to the grocery store. God bless medical workers who wear this all day every day," said Jed Koball, a mission co-worker in Peru. (Photo by Jenny Koball) Read more → ‘God is always doing something new ahead of us’ The Rev. Sharon Bryant works alongside the Church of Christ in Thailand to coordinate the Christian Volunteers in Thailand (CVT) program, which will celebrate 60 years in 2021. Sharon recently shared about the CVT program during an "Everyday God-Talk" segment, hosted by the PC(USA)’s Office of Theology and Worship. Listen to interview Read more →

Download the 2020–21 Mission Personnel Guide The new 2020–21 "Called to Service: Witnessing God’s Love Around the World" Mission Personnel Guide is available now! View online → ‘To go or not to go’ COVID-19 has changed the way congregations and presbyteries are participating in mission. Before you plan your next mission or service trip, consider whether or not you should go during the pandemic. This resource provides a few guiding questions about trips and some alternatives to consider. View the resource →

New partnership offers online Matthew 25 curriculum Stony Point Center and Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary are teaming up with the Presbyterian Mission Agency to launch an online course supporting the Matthew 25 Vision. Space is limited, so register now for the first course — "Awakening to Structural Racism" — which begins on Monday, Aug. 10. Learn more →

Matthew 25-Actively engaged in the world The Matthew 25 invitation was officially launched in April of 2019. Over a year later there are over 600 churches, groups and mid councils that have made the commitment to become a Matthew 25 church and work towards building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty. Explore our bold vision →

Coronavirus/COVID-19 — Latest church resources for congregations and members

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