Today in the Mission Yearbook - Presbyterian ruling elder notes that Jesus spoke freely about money

And so can we, says a certified financial planner during Stewardship Kaleidoscope

December 12, 2023

Sherry Kenney (Photo by Gregg Brekke)

Churches rely on members with more money to power ministries that help those with less. Yet our attitudes about money can fuel or deplete our power to help ourselves and others.

Sherry Kenney, a certified financial planner and ruling elder at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver, explored these assertions in “Is it Wrong to be Rich?” The workshop was part of the annual Stewardship Kaleidoscope conference in Minneapolis, an annual conference sponsored by the Presbyterian Foundation.

Kenney, a former Ministry Relations Officer for the Presbyterian Foundation, now coaches pastors in the Foundation’s Church Financial Leadership program. “I’ve spent a lot of time talking with a lot of people about money — their money and other people’s money,” she said.

Attitudes about money come from family, culture and circumstance, sometimes with unintended results. For example, not boasting about money (1 Timothy 6:17) can translate to not talking about money. That hampers important decisions in our homes and churches.

Jesus had no trouble talking about money, Kenney said. In fact, he talked about money more than anything other than the kingdom (or kin-dom) of God.

To gain insight, Kenney suggested an online quiz developed by Kansas State University: What’s Your Money Personality? It identifies four attitude categories (most people won’t fit neatly into just one, she said):

Money worship: People who identify with this category tend to think more money is the solution to most problems, thereby giving money outsized power.

Money avoidance: If our parents fought over money, for example, we may avoid talking about it, even if we are pastors leading stewardship efforts. The Presbyterian Foundation can help with that, Kenney said. She also recommended the book “Kitchen Table Giving” by William G. Enright.

Money vigilance: Those who identify with this one watch their spending and save carefully. They can also be secretive: “In the church, we would call that a lack of transparency,” Kenney said.

Money status: Money is seen as a way to influence or gain acceptance. Often the result is appearing wealthy despite depleted reserves, Kenney said.

Jesus famously said it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25) Where does that leave any of us whose resources might exceed what we need?

A participant suggested that perhaps it means: “If you die and still have all your money, you are going to have to squeeze through the eye of a needle. But if you share, you might get to go through a larger aperture.”

Laughter followed. “I’m really having a new vision now. I love that,” Kenney said.

Kenney’s reading of Mark 10:25 is that our wealth can come between us and God, making us self-reliant rather than God-reliant. It can come between us and our neighbor in that we tend to associate with people of similar economic circumstance and don’t see the needs of others. She shared data from the Federal Reserve indicating the top 10% of earners in the U.S. control almost 70% of the wealth. The bottom 50% of earners control less than 3%.

To bridge these gaps, we can start by debunking myths and attitudes about poverty and wealth. She highly recommended the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty’s book, “The Problem of Wealth: A Christian Response to a Culture of Affluence,” which asks: “What would it mean for the world if we lived by an ethic of enough?”

She then rephrased the workshop’s original question, “Is it wrong to be rich?” as: “Is it wrong for those of us who have good jobs and who enjoy privilege and who benefit from the current system to continue to embrace it?”

Examples of people with different values working together to embrace the “ethic of enough” to life are everywhere, Kenney said. She and participants named a few in their communities — everything from ability-to-pay cafes and caregiver grants to churches that fund school lunches.

If we can move away from a scarcity mentality and toward such an ethic, she said, “I have no doubt we can experience more fully the kingdom, or kin-dom, of God, and bring others into it.”

Nancy Crowe for the Presbyterian Foundation, writer, editor and animal wellness practitioner based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Today’s Focus: Stewardship Kaleidoscope

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Teresa Sontarp, Controller, Board of Pensions
Jake Souder, Program Assistant, Educational Resources, Office of the General Assembly

Let us pray

Lord Jesus, you demonstrated for us a heart for all people. May we do what is needed to introduce the lost to your love and mercy, for the sake of your kingdom. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Like MLK before him, the Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon urges Presbyterians to be more like thermostats and less like thermometers

The Board of Pensions’ Vice President for Ministry Innovation concludes the Policy, Benefits and Mission Conference with a prophetic sermon

December 11, 2023

The Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon, vice ;resident for Ministry Innovation 

with the Board of Pensions, preached during closing worship at 

the Policy, Benefits and Mission Conference. Photo by Randy 

Hobson.

It was up to the Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon to wrap up the Polity, Benefits and Mission conference with preaching laced with both insight and inspiration, and Cannon did plenty of both during closing worship.

Cannon, Vice President for Ministry Innovation at the Board of Pensions, preached as others had during the conference on Ephesians 3:20–21. In addition to accomplishing abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, what else does Scripture say God has done? That long list, Cannon noted includes rescuing God’s people from a fiery furnace and from a lion’s mouth, restoring sight to the blind, keeping many from stumbling “and making every grace overflow to you. God can work exceedingly abundantly beyond our wildest dream,” Cannon said.

There is a “but,” however: Those works are “according to the power that works within us — the believer’s strength, the believer’s capacity, the power to believe … God is doing things that blow your imagination, if you will let God be God,” he said.

In the letter to the church at Ephesus ascribed to Paul, the audience can include preachers and teachers and executive presbyters and denominational leaders “warning that the diligent will face trial after trial, but don’t give up,” Cannon said. “God is still able. Not the church, not our intellect or finance, but God is still able. Not our social network and definitely not our politics, but God is still able.”

Cannon shared portions of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” published April 16, 1963. The “most pertinent” epiphany from that famous letter is this, according to Cannon: “There was a time when the church was very powerful — in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.”

King “replied in a disarming, conciliatory tone” in response to white clergy who questioned the timing and the tactics of civil rights leaders, Cannon said, “and he was throwing shade while he was doing it.”

A thermometer reflects the temperature, but a thermostat determines the temperature, Cannon noted. “The thermostat allows you to set the temperature to what you need it to be,” he said. “Once it reaches the desired temperature, the thermostat still works.”

“I believe the writer of Ephesians would say that we still need to be a thermostat,” he said. “Don’t let public opinion determine how you think. Be a thermostat. Don’t let circumstances dictate how you feel. Be a thermostat.”

Imagine what a better life we might have if the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) functioned as a thermostat, Cannon said. “I have a sneaking suspicion there are some thermostats sitting in the audience this morning. Somebody is going to turn up the heat in a cold church. I just have a sneaking suspicion and a Holy Ghost inclination that you are serving a God who has a future you have never seen, but a God who’s prepared you for right now.”

“God is able to accomplish more in our lives than we can ever imagine,” Cannon reminded those in worship. “May our shared plans become shared actions. … May we march toward the promise of a better tomorrow, knowing that the path becomes wider and we never march alone. … On our way, let us become the thermostat that changes the world for the glory of God.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Rev. Dr. Jerry Cannon preaching at the Polity, Benefits and Mission Conference

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Barbara Soete, Ministry Specialist for Special Offerings, Ministry Engagement & Support, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Samuel Son, Manager, Diversity & Reconciliation Associate, Advocacy, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Gracious God, fill us with power to proclaim your name boldly at every age, until all come to the knowledge and love of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Minute for Mission: Human Rights Day

December 10, 2023

I charged your judges at that time: “Give the members of your community a fair hearing, and judge rightly between one person and another, whether citizen or resident alien. You must not be partial in judging: hear out the small and the great alike; you shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. Any case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.” Deuteronomy 1:16–17

Human rights violations are far too common in our world today. These violations come in the form of exploitation, discrimination, violence and many other horrors. These rights are God-given by our nature of being human and being God’s children. However, they have been simultaneously named by society and have been declared human rights by documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and countless examples of legal repercussions for those who have violated the rights of others. As Deuteronomy says, all people shall receive equal judgment and equal respect, regardless of identity, citizenship or political standing. The text also mentions that any question that is too tough for us to tackle as mortal beings should be brought unto God. It seems that the aspirations that we have for human rights and human rights law are in line with the aspirations that are set out for us in Deuteronomy. So, it is our duty as Christians to work toward the respect of human rights for all people, all the time. As we see brutal violence all over the world, in Israel and Palestine, in Ukraine, in Sudan and all over the world, we are called to speak for those who have been silenced by oppressive and exploitative forces. Listen to the voices of those oppressed in the same manner that we would listen to those in positions of power. When we feel overwhelmed by the horrors of human rights violations around the world, God calls us to bring these burdens before God. For all our human shortcomings, God sees no difference between the big and the small, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless. We continue to strive to make our human rights laws reflective of the way God calls us to treat each other, while always knowing God is there to listen when we struggle with the ways that we have failed others.

Margaret Collins, Young Adult Volunteer, Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations

Today’s Focus: Human Rights Day

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Katie Snyder, Project Manager for Digital Fundraising and Interpretation, Ministry Engagement & Support, A Corp
Jeya So, Associate, Training & Leader Cohorts, Theology, Formation & Evangelism, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Dear Lord, we pray for all those who suffer under any form of human rights violations. We pray that they know they are loved and valued by God and the world. Lay your hands on them. Hear our calls for justice and continue to push us to act in a way that would please you. Guide us as we strive for equality and respect for all of your children. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Presbyterian panel relates two compelling Matthew 25 stories

The presbyteries of Giddings-Lovejoy and Pacific share dramatic accounts with those attending the Polity, Benefits and Mission Conference

December 9, 2023

Dr. Corey Schlosser-Hall, at right, moderated a panel that included, from 

left, the Revs. Liz Kanera, Cedric Portis Sr., Linda Culbertson, Heidi 

Worthen Gamble and Ryan Landino. Photo by Randy Hobson.

Panelists from the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy and the Presbytery of the Pacific regaled those attending the Polity, Benefits and Mission Conference with the innovative Matthew 25 work going on in their jurisdictions — one related to affordable housing and the other to racial justice. 

The Rev. Ryan Landino, presbytery leader at the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy, told the story of the loan debt that was saddled years ago on Third Presbyterian Church, a predominantly Black congregation in St. Louis. Alongside Landino on the panel were the pastor of the church, the Rev. Cedric Portis Sr., and the Rev. Liz Kanerva, the associate presbytery leader. 

According to Landino, the upshot was that two white churches had benefitted from a property transaction while repair issues were left with Third Presbyterian Church. “The claim was all parties would give up something equally, but that wasn’t the case,” Landino said. “We made the decision to try to do what we can to make it right” by centering restoration, wholeness and repair. 

Two motions were made during the most recent presbytery meeting. One was to forgive all the debt that Third Presbyterian Church had acquired. The second was to repay all of the principal and interest Third had paid. The first motion passed 96-1. The second was approved by a count of 90-3. The price tag, he said, would be nearly $721,000. 

“In the middle of all this, I got a call from a bank,” Landino said. Proceeds from an estate with no successor were to go to a church in the presbytery that had closed. Instead, the presbytery would receive the largesse — $810,000 in all. 

“It was a literal example of manna from heaven in response to faithfulness,” Landino said. 

Portis said the movement of the Spirit “was unbelievable” during the presbytery meeting. “Immediately after, people hugged me and asked, ‘What does it feel like to be debt free?’ I said, ‘You’ll have to check back in six months. I’ve never ministered without this yoke.’” 

The presbytery “stared guilt in the face,” Portis said. “They didn’t run away from that guilt. They just stared it in the face. It took a lot of courage to do that.” 

“I’d be lying if I said race didn’t play a role in what transpired, but I’m excited by the direction we are heading in,” Portis said, “to forgive the debt and give us the start that we needed.” 

“We as a church are doing fine, and we’re excited for what the future holds,” Portis said. “We are excited about being true to our Matthew 25 covenant.” 

Kanerva wondered: “Can you have repair without repentance?” 

“I was born and raised in this presbytery. White folks in this presbytery have a lot of repentance work to do,” Kanerva said. “The Spirit is moving around us, but the repentance work is still there.” 

Next, panelist moderator Dr. Corey Schlosser-Hall, deputy executive for Vision and Innovation at the Presbyterian Mission Agency, turned to the Rev. Linda Culbertson, who’s served as general presbyter of the Presbytery of the Pacific for more than 30 years, and the Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, the presbytery’s mission catalyst. The presbytery voted last year to accept the Matthew 25 invitation. “We said we will follow our churches and share our stories about the work we’re engaged in,” Culbertson said. 

Worthen Gamble told the story of how a small number of Presbyterians working on housing issues in Los Angeles County worked hard to convince the California State Assembly to pass a law last year creating funding mechanisms to help build affordable housing in one of the nation’s most expensive markets. 

“I did not expect my folks [on the presbytery’s Homeless & Housing Task Force] to get on it like they did,” Worthen Gamble said. “They said, ‘We’ve got this. The Lord will do this,’ and I could reassure the coalition these are praying Presbyterians, and we are going to keep on keeping on.” 

SB 679 passed the California State Assembly without a vote to spare. 

“That would not have happened without Presbyterians,” Worthen Gamble said. “This affordable housing solutions agency [created by the law] has the potential to be a game-changer. But that’s another story for another day.” 

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Matthew 25 stories shared at the Polity, Benefits and Mission Conference

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Shelvis, and Nancy Smith-Mather, Mission co-workers serving in South Sudan, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Rebecca Snipp, Administrative Project Manager, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Dear Father, thank you for the opportunities you have given us to spread your word. Help us to serve you in all our words and actions and to show your love to the entire world. Thank you. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Presbyterians hear ideas about how to innovate around their properties to better serve their communities

‘Now is the time to dream big, trust God, tear down our barns and put our grain to work’ says pastor and author Mark Elsdon

December 8, 2023

The Rev. Mark Elsdon, a Presbyterian pastor who wrote “We 

Aren’t Broke: Uncovering Hidden Resources for Mission and 

Ministry,” appeared via Zoom to mid council leaders and others 

attending the Polity, Benefits and Mission Conference in St. 

Louis. Photo by Randy Hobson.

Joining the recent Polity, Benefits and Mission Conference via Zoom, the Rev. Mark Elsdon delivered on the message of his 2021 book of the same name: We aren’t broke.

Elsdon, a Presbyterian pastor who’s executive director of Pres House Campus Ministry and the Pres House Apartments at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and co-founded RootedGood, told the nearly 300 people in attendance he’s “well aware of the narrative of scarcity” commonly heard in churches struggling with shrining membership and budgets.

“The pandemic accelerated all those trends, leaving us feeling broke, exhausted and powerless to do anything,” he said. “We continue to try to do more with less, but I believe there is hope and a future.”

Elsdon traced the 116-year history of campus ministry on the University of Wisconsin’s flagship campus. By the time he and his wife, the Rev. Erica Liu, arrived 19 years ago, “it was a beautiful building in need of an update.”

The ministry borrowed $17 million to construct a new apartment building and renovate the chapel. After two years of planning and a year of construction, they opened the Pres House Apartments in 2007 for 250 residents.

The Synod of Lakes and Prairies “has been one of our most important partners,” Elsdon said. Twelve years ago, with Pres House Apartments debt that required refinancing, the synod joined a regional bank as a partner in investment. “We reframed our scarcity, and found out again we are not broke,” Elsdon said. With that “impact investment,” the ministry secured favorable financing terms and paid back the synod. Last summer, “we refinanced all our remaining debt,” using the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program and others. “The synod was a key catalyst and partner at a key time,” Elsdon said. “We pay a return and they in turn use it to loan to other entities. The money is going back to the church,” he said. “It stays with the family.”

“Donor funds are still essential,” he said. “But earned income has changed our calculus. Success in mission leads to success in finance, and the reverse is true as well.”

Elsdon’s next book, “Gone for Good?” is set for publication in January 2024. One contributor to the book predicts 100,000 church properties will be sold by 2030, nearly 30% of the nation’s churches. “After the wave of selling and repurposing, what will be left? What will neighborhoods look like? What will be lost and gained? What will we have done to encourage good when churches are gone?” Elsdon asked.

“The reality is, it’s not our fault. It’s not anyone’s fault,” he said, likening the situation to what video chains including Blockbuster went through about 20 years ago when people changed the way they accessed the movies they watched at home.

“People still want to be involved in causes that mean something, but fewer and fewer want to explore that in a Sunday morning worship service,” Elsdon said. Too many churches have too many buildings with too much space, “and the spaces we  have aren’t useful anymore,” he said. “It’s like telling the Blockbuster manager to try harder or telling Blockbuster to hire a younger, hipper manager. Nothing can be done to keep that Blockbuster store working.”

The good news is while church budgets may be shrinking, “God is not,” Elsdon said. “We still have enormous resources. We know how to build community and do community organizing. We’re still rich with wonderful, committed people, and we still have wonderful, varied assets.”

If all those churches are indeed sold over the next seven years, “there will be grief and sadness” as so many churches close, Elsdon said. “At the same time, it’s an incredible opportunity to reimagine how church properties can be used for innovation and transformation.”

Shifting properties from Sunday services to, say, co-working spaces “is not failure. It’s innovation. It’s rebirth,” Elsdon said. “We may grieve the changes and we should definitely celebrate the past, but we should look forward to what God is doing next.”

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: Author Mark Elsdon guest speaker at the Polity, Benefits and Mission Conference

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Natalie Smith, Product Manager, General Reader Books, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Stephen Smith, Security Trading & Assistant Portfolio Manager, Trust Services, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray

Awesome God, we thank you for giving each of us a place to belong in community with one another. Help us to learn and grow from others within our communities so that we may bless others in return. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - PC(USA) delegation rights a historic wrong in Juneau, Alaska

An apology and reparations occur more than half a century after the fact

December 7, 2023

The Rev. Bronwen Boswell, third from left, the Acting Stated Clerk of 

the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was among 

those to unveil a plaque outside a firehouse in Juneau, Alaska, at the 

former site of Memorial Presbyterian Church. (Photo by Rich Copley)

In March 2011, when a pastor called a long-serving community member right before his death, only God knew that conversation would be the beginning of a journey and a living example of restorative justice.

The Rev. Dr. Walter Soboleff spent more than 70 years serving God, the community of Southeast Alaska and the Presbyterian Church. One of the first native Alaskans to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church, Soboleff shared a story from his journey that would change the trajectory of a faith community and become a model of how Presbyterians strive to heal from harm and right the wrongs that some have come to benefit from today.

The Rev. Dr. Phil Campbell, the former pastor of Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church, was the recipient of that story, and began to help piece together the story that’s layered with institutional racism and was perpetuated out of greed and imperialism. It’s only one such story that the church — and not just the PC(USA) — is now reckoning with.

The worship service was greatly enhanced by the worship attire. 

(Photo by Rich Copley)

A PC(USA) contingent comprised of both national and mid council officials has been in Juneau for the past few days following last summer’s action by the 225th General Assembly to “issue apologies and reparations for the racist closure of Memorial Presbyterian Church” in 1963. Commissioners to that most recent assembly also urged presbyteries and congregations of the PC(USA) to “donate in the name of Memorial Presbyterian Church or present or past churches of other Native Americans and other people of color important to them.”

The Rev. Bronwen Boswell, the Acting Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), stated, “We, the church, will continue to uncover the pain and harm done in the name of the church. We need to continue to ask for forgiveness and seek repair and hope for new possibilities for our work together.”

The Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam (Photo by Rich

Copley)

The director of the Center for the Repair of Historic Harms, the Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, said he hopes that this is just the beginning of what a congregation, a presbytery and the PC(USA) as a whole can do moving forward. Reparations on a grander scale is a United States government problem, Ross-Allam said, and the church must work to help government officials recognize that this is as much their issue as it is the church’s.

The weekend’s events began with the unveiling of a memorial plaque at the site of the where Memorial Presbyterian Church did ministry in the community for 25 years. Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church added “Ḵunéix̱ Hídi” to its name, which means “a house of healing.” The name reflects the transformative nature of God’s love and Jesus’s teachings, and our commitment to healing the wounds caused to our neighbors and siblings in Christ by racism and injustice.

Sunday worship service began with the Rev. Dr. Diane Givens Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, setting the tone of why the community had gathered by using the poem “The Creation” by James Weldon Johnson.

Three public apologies were offered. Boswell offered the apology from the PC(USA). The Rev. Laura Terasaki, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of Northwest Coast, provided the apology from the presbytery level. James Alter, moderator of Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church, gave the apology on behalf of the church.

In a sanctuary filled by many descendants of those who attended Memorial Church, eyes swelled with emotion during the 13-minute roll call of the 343 names of former members. One attendee named Mariah said, “This was powerful. I have never heard of an apology that did not mince words. Racist closure. That was powerful.” Jane Ginter, a member of the Native Ministries Committee of Ḵunéix̱ Hídi Northern Light United Church, was filled with  emotion and gratitude that the apology was accepted by the President of Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Chalyee Eesh Richard J. Peterson. Elder Ginter affirmed that whether or not the apology was accepted, their work and efforts would continue.

Moffett presented the check to the president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, Dr. Rosita Worl. The $200,000 will go to language revitalization efforts in Southeast Alaska for the Tlingit and Haidi tribes.

Shani McIlwain, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today’s Focus: PC(USA) delegation rights a historic wrong to Memorial Presbyterian Church in Juneau, AK

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Melaina Smith, Design Content Specialist, Presbyterian Foundation
Melody Smith, Digital & Marketing Communications Director, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Gracious and great God, grow our hearts big enough to embrace your mission for your world. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - People of color adorn stained-glass windows at First Presbyterian Church in Kewanee, Illinois

It took fresh eyes to point out just how significant those windows are to members of a rural congregation

December 6, 2023

One of the stained-glass windows at First Presbyterian

Church in Kewanee, Illinois. This one depicts as people 

of color both Jesus and Mary Magdalene. (Photo by 

Annabell William-Blegen)

For 120 years now, First Presbyterian Church of Kewanee, Illinois, has possessed two rare treasures that members and friends often took for granted.

The sanctuary of the church of about 60 members, located an hour southeast of the Quad Cities, is home to two stained-glass windows featuring people of color, including Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

“Our theory is the windows were always in the sanctuary,” which was constructed in 1903, said Annabell Williams-Blegen, whose husband, the Rev. Art Blegen, was called to serve the predominantly white congregation in 2020. “We have long-term people who have recognized these windows have always been part of the life of the church.

Together with church secretary and church member Janie Metscaviz, Blegen and Williams-Blegen sat together in a church pew to meet via Zoom with Presbyterian News Service to discuss the rare and beautiful stained-glass windows, which are on either side of the sanctuary.

Annabell Williams-Blegen

“This sanctuary calls out for unity,” said Williams-Blegen, a certified Christian counselor who often preaches in nearby churches and is working at becoming a commissioned pastor. When she and her husband arrived at First Presbyterian Church three years ago, “I had to draw their attention to the windows. They hadn’t even thought about it.”

“Until Annabell pointed it out, I never really gave it much thought,” said Metscaviz. “I was baptized in this church. My mom and dad were married here, and our ancestors have belonged here for a long time.”

More than a century ago, Metscaviz’s forebears came to Kewanee from Damascus, Syria. “I have a pretty strong connection here,” she said. “But it took Annabell to come in” and point out why the windows are significant, Metscaviz said.

“I have been around the block a time or two,” Williams-Blegen said with a smile. “When you’re a person in a minority, you can see individuals. You can see a person who doesn’t have your best interests at heart. You don’t find that here.”

Janie Metscaviz

Metscaviz has dug through church records, including financial reports, dating back to 1852 to learn more about why biblical characters such as Jesus and Mary Magdalene would be depicted on stained glass as people of color, but found nothing. “There were no Buildings and Grounds Committee reports, just nothing there,” she said. “I did find mention of the windows being repaired [during the 1950s], but the company that did the repairs had no information.”

“If those windows are truly from 1903, that’s not long after [the northern and southern churches] split [over the slavery issue],” Blegen noted. “That they put those windows in is a testament, and they aren’t little,” measuring about 13 feet across and 15 feet tall, he said.

“No one seems to make an issue of it,” said Williams-Blegen. “We try to present Jesus as he was. We are fortunate to have a congregation that asks questions to get good clarity.”

The Rev. Art Blegen

It was a former pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jim Breed, who continues to worship at First Presbyterian Church, who pointed out to Williams-Blegen that the kneeling figure featured in one of the windows is indeed Mary Magdalene. The scene is from John 20:17, where Jesus tells her following his resurrection, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Even if members and friends of First Presbyterian Church aren’t celebrating every week the rare gems that highlight the church’s sanctuary, community members won’t let them forget.

“People in this church may take them for granted,” Blegen said. “But when they talk to people in the community, they’ll say, ‘Go to First Presbyterian Church. It’s the church with the Black Jesus.’”

Williams-Blegen said she loves how prominent the windows are, both in the sanctuary and in the community.

“You don’t have to squint your eyes to see them,” she said, adding that FPC is seeking a grant to offer protection to the windows, which are in “remarkable shape” despite their age.

“They are one of a kind,” she said.

Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: First Presbyterian Church in Kewanee, IL, stained-glass windows

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Adam Slutzky, Directory, Project Delivery, Strategic Planning & Execution, Board of Pensions
Ashley Smalley-Ray, Assistant VP/Trust Officer, Trust Services, Presbyterian Foundation

Let us pray

Dear God, we ask your blessing on all those who work in ministries. Work through these leaders to share your good news and to help us grow in our faith. Open our ears so that we may hear your call to be salt and light, the hands and feet of your church. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.