rev. dr. laurie kraus Archives

Lesvos Solidarity provides hope for thousands of refugees

Posted November 7th, 2019

In the shadow of what many consider the worst refugee camp in Europe is a beacon of hope, operated mostly by volunteers, a group called Lesvos Solidarity.

PDA ‘Flint’ documentary premieres in city still enduring its water crisis

Posted September 13th, 2019

Mere moments after the final credits of “Flint: The Poisoning of an American City” rolled, Harold Woodson was on stage of the Capitol Theatre Thursday giving the documentary an endorsement that affirmed it had accomplished some of its major goals.

Mississippi Presbyterian church, PDA help neighbors affected by ICE raid

Posted August 19th, 2019

The morning of Aug. 7, the Rev. Steven Bryant of First Presbyterian Church in Canton, Mississippi was leading a Bible study on the book of Exodus, noting God’s preference for helping the widow, the poor, the stranger, the person in a foreign land. “We didn’t know that outside, these horrible events were transpiring,” Bryant said.

Cyclone recovery in Southern Africa will be a long-term effort

Posted April 4th, 2019

It has been three weeks since the Southern African countries of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe were slammed by Cyclone Idai, packing winds of more than 120 miles per hour and torrential rains that produced catastrophic flooding.

A prayer in the aftermath of the 49 Muslim worshipers murdered in Christchurch

Posted March 15th, 2019

God of our weary years and our silent tears,We are shattered by the deaths of 49 Muslim neighbors in New Zealand, cut down in the midst of Friday prayers.We are horrified, angry, despairingWe struggle with a knowledge that our prayers alone are not enough our silence in the face of intolerance and fear is complicity a fear that we do not know a way forward that will help an emptiness: we have been here before, too many times,and we know we will walk this bloodied path again.