After a comprehensive national search, Angela Duffy has been selected as President & CEO of New Covenant Trust Co. (NCTC). She succeeds Greg Rousos, who will retire Dec. 31 after 23 years of service. A subsidiary of the Presbyterian Foundation, NCTC is a full-service financial planning, investment management and trust services firm. Its clients include both church institutions and individual members.
In the tradition of beloved writers including Frederick Buechner, the Rev. Dr. Anna Carter Florence has written “A is for Alabaster: 52 Reflections on the Stories of Scriptures,” published earlier this month by Westminster John Knox Press. Carter Florence, the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary, appeared last week alongside the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty of the Presbyterian Foundation on his show, “Leading Theologically.”
Have you heard of an “ethical will?”
If not, you are not alone. Though the practice has been around for millennia, in Christian circles it is still somewhat obscure.
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.
Stewardship has many layers. The Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, the 11th president of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, began a recent talk by acknowledging some visible ones.
If you are a word nerd like Rev. Kendal Land of First Presbyterian Church in Longview, Texas, then you know that “liturgy” comes from the Greek word “leitourgia” meaning “the work of the people.”
Receiving a gift of any size carries with it both spiritual and financial obligations for a church. Solid financial management is an act of faithful stewardship.
Such management requires policies, practices, and procedures for church finances that ensure that gifts are protected, maintained, and used for the purpose intended by the donor.
In 2019, the Rev. Kim Dawsey-Richardson took on the challenge of revitalizing the fading but faithful First Presbyterian Church of El Cajon, California. Important changes began, including closing the preschool and restructuring the staff.
“It’s not about the money — it’s about the mission.” That was the theme of the Rev. Peter Reuss’s session, “You want me to donate? Why? Building blocks for an impactful appeal.”
