Presbyterian Mission Agency Church Transformation Archives

Vital Congregations East Coast gathering opens with news of ‘God doing a new thing’

Posted May 14th, 2019

During opening worship at the East Coast Vital Congregations gathering at Atlanta’s First Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Amantha Barbee told nearly 100 mid council and other church leaders that if they want a vital congregation, they should “tell the truth, listen, take risks and above all preach the gospel.”

Strengthening an already solid relationship

Posted May 10th, 2019

Two congregations that worship in the same Louisville, Ky., church are comfortable enough with one another that host church members didn’t even bat an eye recently when the smaller congregation told the larger one that the church has termites.

Healthy congregations: A body of Christ checkup

Posted January 31st, 2019

Parking lot meetings. Wealthy members with outsized influence. Inconsistent practices. Confusion about purpose and vision. There are lots of ways for a congregation’s systems to be unhealthy, and I suspect you could add to this list. Whatever the problem or situation, all do one thing: They undermine a church’s vitality.

The blossoming seeds of resurrection in a vital congregation

Posted August 8th, 2018

Despite being part of the same church family, Hazel Pflugmacher and Jaquette Easterlin never met.

Valley United Presbyterian Church asks, ‘What’s in a name?’

Posted March 26th, 2018

If you overlook the name of a church, sometimes you miss a vital story in the life of their congregation. Such is the case for Valley United Presbyterian Church.

Celebrating the Reformation

Posted September 18th, 2017

In late October 1517, an obscure Augustinian monk teaching at a minor German university offered a set of propositions, inviting an academic debate. Many Presbyterians can picture Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, but we are hard-pressed to say what the theses were about, and why they sparked a movement that both reformed and divided the church.

‘Living, Dying, Rising’ conference leadership spotlight: Jeya and Daniel So

Posted May 2nd, 2017

The Revs. Jeya and Daniel So, lead pastors of the Anchor City Church, a new worshiping community in the Presbytery of San Diego, will lead Tuesday evening worship and give the Wednesday morning plenary address for “Living, Dying, Rising,” the 2017 national gathering for 1001 New Worshiping Communities.

Miranda to join PC(USA) as associate for Hispanic/Latino-a Intercultural Congregational Support

Posted April 28th, 2017

The Rev. Rosa Blanca Miranda will join Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency on May 17 as the associate for Hispanic/Latino-a Intercultural Congregational Support. For the past several years she has served as pastor of El Buen Pastor Presbyterian Church, a 1001 New Worshiping Community, in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Ministerio misional en Puerto Rico

Posted April 19th, 2017

Cuando Puerto Rico se convirtió en un territorio de los Estados Unidos después de la guerra hispano-americana, los misioneros en la isla recibieron áreas misioneras. Al pueblo presbiteriano se les asignó el lado occidental de la isla, que es donde vive la mayoría de las personas presbiterianas.

Missional Ministry in Puerto Rico

Posted April 19th, 2017

When Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory after the Spanish-American war, missionaries on the island were granted mission fields. Presbyterians were assigned the western side of the island—which is where the majority of Presbyterians live.