In Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries, we engage the Church in its mission to become more diverse and inclusive of racial, ethnic, cultural and language groups, and we equip women for leadership in all ministries of the Church. We are blessed to see a vision of Pentecost every day. There are Presbyterian Mission Agency offices supporting, African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino-a, Korean, Middle Eastern and Native American emerging ministries. The people of color and new immigrant worshiping communities that we support regularly gather together, constructing a people of color identity that stems from a common history, heritage and language. We work closely with people of color and new immigrant worshiping communities through mid councils, caucus groups, and networks, engaging in the mission to grow, transform, empower, lead and develop communities. We create an awareness of institutional racism in the church and an environment where people of color, new immigrants, and women can serve fully in ministry and leadership.
In our ministries we work to achieve gender and racial justice and equip people of color and young adults for leadership. We assist college-age and young women of color in their faith journeys and foster networks of support for them.
As we discover how to share the gospel in an increasingly diverse culture, we have a greater chance of living out the Biblical vision of a world where the humanity of everyone is valued and where God’s love is spread to every race, class, culture and people.
2018 Theme: Clergywomen Who Challenge Racism and Injustice
Basis for the Theme: Many of us are blessed to know clergywomen who have been advocates for racial and intercultural justice, with a respectful awareness and appreciation for each other’s different races, ethnicities, cultures and languages. At the Women of Faith breakfast, we will show gratitude and recognize clergywomen who are “woke” and who challenge systemic racism and oppression.
Purpose of award: This award recognizes clergywomen who challenge racism and injustice.
Access the Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries Church Directories
DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE — JULY 2018
Celebrating Hispanic/Latino-a Ministries in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
. . . For all of you are one in Christ Jesus
— Galatians 3:28d
I am excited about the faithful Hispanic/Latino-a leaders, congregations, new worshiping communities and mid-council leaders who serve with excellence and with whom I have been privileged to work with in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in recent years and throughout my whole life. At the 223rd General Assembly (2018), two Latinas stood for co-moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). And, while Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson has laid out a vision for service at General Assemblies, so that Presbyterians are seen as becoming the “Hands and Feet” of Christ, while in the cities occupied during the time Presbyterians are at assemblies, the National Presbyterian Hispanic/Latinx Caucus (NPH/LC) first decided to engage in service while at assemblies by forgoing their biennial dinner at the 222nd General Assembly and instead inviting its members to serve dinner to others and participate in a community service project in Portland, OR. NPH/LC did this again this year in June, in partnership with Mujeres Presbiterianas, Hombres Presbiterianos, and “Churches on the Streets,” an outreach ministry in St. Louis, MO.
This July issue of the Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries E-newsletter focuses on Hispanic/Latino-a congregations and new worshiping communities in the PC(USA), whom staff in Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries are privileged to serve. Rev. Rosa Blanca Miranda is the Associate for Hispanic/Latino-a Intercultural Congregational Support. Following are some of her reflections:
“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:19 NRSV
We live in a time in which the realities of many Hispanic/Latino-a families and faith communities are drastically changing. For instance, recently they have been challenged by natural disasters, an increasingly divisive political climate, financial insecurity, the realities of racial and cultural discrimination and the inhumane ways in which Immigration laws have been enforced.
Congregations and leaders are living in uncertainty because of families being uprooted, causing profound suffering and mourning. In spite of these difficulties, they have responded with love, solidarity and hospitality birthed from their faithfulness and commitment to following Jesus. We know this to be true from the stories that our siblings from Puerto Rico are sharing about the challenge to be church within their neighborhoods. In addition, congregations are sharing stories and journeying with families that have been separated in the blink of an eye because of deportation.
In response to these dire circumstances, the Spirit invites us to go to Scripture and respond to God´s call to be a church that goes out and encounters its neighbors, that shares God´s reconciling and transforming grace to help forge new realities. This becomes self-evident when our Portuguese language siblings share their stories of what God is doing among their faith communities, and when presbyteries share stories of how Hispanic / Latino-a ministries are making an impact in their collective call to be church in the 21st Century.
Our challenge is to prepare new generations of leaders and congregations who intentionally respond to these new realities. We need to listen to the call of the Spirit and accept the risk of uncertainty as we explore and open sacred spaces in which new models of being church are possible.
Celebramos los ministerios hispanos/latinos en la Iglesia Presbiteriana (EE. UU.)
. . . Si están unidos a Jesucristo, todos son iguales.
— Galatians 3:28d
Estoy emocionada por el fiel liderazgo, congregaciones, nuevas comunidades de adoración hispanas/latinas y el liderazgo en los concilios medios que sirven con excelencia y con quienes he tenido el privilegio de trabajar en la Iglesia Presbiteriana (EE. UU.) durante los últimos años y a lo largo de mi vida. En la 223ª Asamblea General (2018), dos latinas fueron candidatas para co moderadoras de la Iglesia Presbiteriana (EE. UU.). Y, mientras que el Secretario en jefe J. Herbert Nelson ha presentado una visión para servir en las asambleas generales, para que el pueblo presbiteriano se conviertan en las «Manos y Pies» de Cristo, mientras que la ciudad estuvo ocupada durante el tiempo en que el pueblo Presbiteriano estaba asistiendo a la asamblea, el Caucus Nacional Presbiteriano Hispano/Latino (NPH/LC) decidió primero participar en el servicio mientras que al mismo tiempo renunciaban a su cena bienal en la 222.ª Asamblea General. En cambio, el caucus invitó a su membresía a servir la cena a otras personas y participar en un proyecto de servicio comunitario en Portland. El caucus lo volvió a hacer este año en junio, en asociación con Mujeres Presbiterianas, Hombres Presbiterianos, y «Churches on the Streets», un ministerio de proyección social en St. Louis, MO.
Esta edición del boletín electrónico de los Ministerios Étnico-Raciales y para las Mujeres se enfoca en las congregaciones hispanas/latinas y en sus nuevas comunidades de adoración de la IP (EE. UU.), a quienes el personal de los Ministerios Étnico-Raciales y para las Mujeres tiene el privilegio de prestar sus servicios. La Rvda. Rosa Blanca Miranda es la Asociada para el Apoyo Congregacional Intercultural para el pueblo Hispano/Latino.. Las siguientes son algunas de sus reflexiones:
«Yo voy a hacer algo nuevo, y ya he empezado a hacerlo.
Estoy abriendo un camino en el desierto y haré brotar ríos en la tierra seca».
Isaías 43:19 TLA
Vivimos tiempos en los que las realidades de muchas de nuestras familias y comunidades de fe hispanas/latinas están cambiando drásticamente. Por ejemplo, recientemente estas se han visto desafiadas por los desastres naturales,un creciente ambiente político divisivo, inseguridad financiera,por las realidades de la discriminación racial y culturaly la forma inhumana en que se han estado aplicando las leyes migratorias.
Las congregaciones y el liderazgo están viviendo en incertidumbre, ya que las familias se han visto desarraigadas, causando profundo sufrimiento y duelo. A pesar de estas dificultades, estas personas están respondiendo con amor, solidaridad y hospitalidad nacidas de su fidelidad y compromiso de seguir a Jesucristo. Conocemos sobre esta verdad a través de las historias que nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Puerto Rico comparten ante el desafío de ser iglesia en sus comunidades. Más aun, congregaciones comparten sus historias y su jornada acompañando a las familias que han sido separadas de la noche a la mañana por causa de la deportación.
En respuesta a estas circunstancias nefastas, el Espíritu nos invita a regresar a Las Escrituras, y a responder al llamado de Dios a ser la iglesia que va y encuentra a la gente en sus vecindarios, que comparte la gracia reconciliadora y transformadora de Dios para forjar nuevas realidades. Esto se manifiesta cuando nuestros hermanos y hermanas de habla portuguesa comparten sus historias de lo que Dios está haciendo en sus comunidades de fe, o las historias de algunos presbiterios en donde los ministerios hispanos /latinos están impactando su llamado colectivo a ser iglesia en el siglo XXI.
Nuestro desafío es preparar a nuevas generaciones de líderes que, junto con sus congregaciones, respondan intencionalmente a estas nuevas realidades.Necesitamos escuchar el llamado del Espíritu Santo para aceptar el riesgo y asumir la incertidumbre de experimentar, mientras exploramos, y abrimos espacios en donde los nuevos modelos de ser iglesia sean posibles.
— Rhashell D. Hunter
Read the Racial Equity Torch
In the current issue of the Racial Equity Torch, we lift up the work that Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries, and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as a whole, is doing to shine a light on diversity and reconciliation. Some of the articles featured in this issue include:
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- Stated Clerk’s statement: ‘Are we complicit in the racism of the alt-right?’
- Presbyterian attitudes on race
- Living into the Confession of Belhar
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