Thousands of people from around the globe, including a contingent from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), are headed to New York City for the 67th Commission on the Status of Women, a gender equality gathering that will be celebrated by the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), both Co-Moderators of the 225th General Assembly, and the president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
While serving as the synod representative on the Board of Directors for Presbyterian Women, I suggested that the synod begin a Justice & Peace Book Discussion Group that would not interfere with the Native American Book Discussion Group already in process. Thus, the first year of the Justice & Peace National Book Discussion Group was born.
The three recipients of this year’s Women of Faith Awards were honored Thursday in a virtual ceremony hosted by Racial Equity and Women’s Intercultural Ministries and Presbyterian Women. Watch the 44-minute ceremony here.
World Community Day began in 1943 as a day for church women to study peace. After World War II, church leaders felt that they should set aside a day for prayer and ecumenical study. The leaders thought that while believers were performing peace and justice work by themselves, a day when they could study across denominations would be beneficial to all. The theme for this year’s World Community Day is “A Call to Prayer.”
In addition to approving the Women of Faith awards for 2022 (see that story here) the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board concluded its three-day meeting at Stony Point Center Friday by hearing reports by corresponding members, approving reports from its three newly formed teams and, as it always does, worshiping the God who guides the work.
Since 1986, the office of Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries along with Presbyterian Women has been awarding church and community leaders with the Women of Faith Award. This year, awardees have been selected by a committee for their faithful witness, service and leadership.
At its recent meeting, the Presbytery of Boise invited congregations and denominational partners to display their mission activities in a presbytery-wide mission fair. To add some fun and competition, meeting participants were given a scavenger hunt list to track down answers that could be found only on the tables or by asking the mission fair participants.
When bestselling author Debbie Macomber famously observed, “I love the way knitting brings people together,” she might just as well have been writing about the Presbyterian Women (PW) of First Presbyterian Church, Batavia, New York.
Genuine relationships and a long-term commitment are key. That message was clearly stated during a conversation about community partnerships between Black community leaders in Louisville and leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) agencies and entities held on July 28.
Although there won’t be a Women of Faith Breakfast during the 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the tradition of giving out awards to extraordinary women continues in a different way, culminating with a virtual celebration this fall.
