Each Saturday during March, people gathered at each of Mid-Kentucky Presbytery’s four African American congregations to hear the stories of each congregation, including its heritage and ministry.
A few Sundays ago, the Rev. Brad Sheppard, pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, received an email from the church’s accompanist, Diana Chubak, a doctoral student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Earlier that day, Sheppard had asked Chubak to suggest organizations to support in the wake of the Russian invasion of her native Ukraine.
Experiencing prayer with Ukrainian immigrants in Spokane, Washington, was so powerful recently for the Rev. Sheryl Kinder-Pyle that she felt compelled to share her experience with others.
Given the state of the world, particularly in Ukraine, encouraging preachers to stretch into prophetic preaching seems timely, even during this season of repenting and walking with Jesus to the cross.
Like its name implies, the Alter program was established for predominantly Black churches to help them better minister to their members and friends living with dementia — and for their caregivers, family members and friends as well.
Certain stories are unforgettable.
Like this one, which was first told by the Rev. Mary Kay Collins at First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia, in 2018. Before baptizing the sextuplets of Adeboye and Ajibola Taiwo, she spoke of the couple’s longing to have children. Introducing their story, she asked, “Is anything too wonderful, too great, too difficult or too tough for God?”
Never has a lectionary passage been more providentially timed.
Just four hours after worship ended on Sunday, Jan. 2, a major fire erupted in the sanctuary of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Spokane, Washington, the result of what fire officials determined was an “overloaded circuit.”
What can you do with a photo of paper clips and a Zoom chat box?
Quite a lot — and it might be just the thing to open up a discussion on innovation and empowering servant leaders.
When Theology, Formation & Evangelism ministries realized they had some underspent funds in their budget this year, the Rev. Carlton Johnson, coordinator for Vital Congregations, had an idea: Why not use the funds to support historically underserved African American churches in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)?
