On the premier edition of season two of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) online show “Just Talk Live,” Presbyterian women who participated in new video series from Theoacademy on Expanding the Narrative: Women and the Reformation” described why this project is so important to them.
As the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for work and life became clear, it was obvious they would fundamentally change the way the Compassion, Peace & Justice (CPJ) ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency operated.
John Calvin and Martin Luther come to mind for many Presbyterians as heroes of the Reformation. But women also played significant roles, and thanks to a new six-part series from Theocademy, their stories have become more accessible.
Three alumni and now staff members of the Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries (RE&WIM) helped individuals understand the critical role of the Conference for Seminarians of Color and the Leadership Development & Recruitment for Leaders of Color in the development of leaders of color for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
According to UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, it’s estimated that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner (not including sexual harassment) at some point in their lives. Some national studies show that up to 70% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.
So many things are “different” in 2020, and different can be a wonderful opportunity for transformation — which is something we heard quite a bit about during day one of Gender Summit 3, coordinated by ISAAC (Innovative Space for Asian American Christianity) and held virtually.
The Conference for Seminarians Color was the first Presbyterian Young Women’s Leadership Development event Ekama Eni ever attended. Turns out the conference held each year at the Children Defense Fund’s Alex Haley Farm in Clinton, Tennessee was just the experience she’d been looking for.
Honoring the lives of Ahmaud Arbery, Brionna Taylor, and George Floyd, the Racial Equity Advocacy Committee and the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns issue a call to immediate action, reminding the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) we are accountable to the commitments we have made.
The Rev. Dr. Neichelle Guidry’s alma mater is Clark Atlanta University, where the motto — attributed to the ancient general Hannibal, who was once asked about the wisdom of crossing a mountain pass on elephants — is, “I shall find a way or make one.”
