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August 13, 2024
What does it mean to be a “friend” to colleagues in ministry when harm has been done? How can reparations pave the way to a more just future? A catchy thematic worship song starts out every Sunday at Third Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. “Come on and get your praise on, you know… Read more »
June 17, 2024
‘Reconciling to what?’ That was one of the first questions I had from a member of the newly formed Repair and Reconciliation Alliance of the Pittsburgh Presbytery. Rev. Jeff Eddings, chair of this alliance reflects on the origins and goals of repair for historic harms and reconciliation in the context of Pittsburgh Presbytery.
“The alliance had been formed with the mandate to do two things:
(1) to engage in a thorough review of the experience of our Black Presbyterian churches through history.
(2) to offer recommendations on actions of repair and reconciliation.
The hopeful outcome of this work is that “the Pittsburgh Presbytery may become a more harmonious, joyful, and just community within the Body of Christ,” says Eddings. Read more »
June 6, 2024
“The journey for queer Christians can include healing. When we thunderously proclaim acceptance, healing is possible for our LGBTQIA+ siblings. With imagination and creative ministries, healing is happening for our LGBTQIA+ siblings,” writes Rev Bethany Peerbolte, leader of the digital ministry, Our Tapestry (a 1001 New Worshiping Community supported by the Denver Presbytery). Read more »
May 27, 2024
“Healing through evangelism requires leading a lifestyle of hope and “early intervention,” writes Rev. Carlton Johnson, associate director of Theology, Formation and Evangelism for the Presbyterian Church (USA). Johnson is an organizer of the 2024 Evangelism Conference, “A Lifestyle that Exudes Justice” in Louisville, KY from October 3-5, 2024. Read more »
May 20, 2024
“For the past 12 years I have been a pastor who offers support and presence to women who have been sex-trafficked,” writes Rev. Katie Kinnison. “It started when Presbyterian Women from a church I was serving took me to Human Trafficking Awareness Day at our statehouse.” For Presbyterians Today’s focus on “healing and repair,” Kinnison writes about her work with survivors of trafficking and her new worshiping community called Gathering. Read more »
May 13, 2024
“The immigrant community is a community in need of healing and reparation. Immigrants have played a crucial role in the building and flourishing of this nation through their hard labor, resiliency, and dedication,” writes Arelis Figueroa, leader of a La Iglesia del Pueblo, a new worshiping community in New York City. From May to June 2024, Presbyterians Today features leaders reflecting on “repair” and healing” in their contexts. Read more »
April 30, 2024
I grew up in the traditional Black churches that taught that LGBTQ+ people will burn in hell …I wished I could find love and acceptance at church. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Rev. Dionne Boyice describes how she heals and is healed through her new worshiping community, WHOSOEVER: Community Of FAITH. Read more »
April 19, 2024
Religious trauma is becoming quite a buzzword. Faith communities (like Harbor, the online community I help lead) have formed to help people heal from it. The church can’t afford to become irritated, blasé or condescending about church trauma. As the phrase indicates, this phenomenon is the result of harms perpetrated in and by the church. We need to take religious trauma very, very seriously. Read more »
March 28, 2024
“Do we heal?” asks theologian, Dr. Wendy Farley. In the religious & legal attacks on our trans siblings, we experience a communal wounding — an indulgence in hatred and contempt no one can evade. Read more »
March 26, 2024
This piece is part of an ongoing series focused on the themes of “connection” and “community.” Follow the blog or check our Facebook page to see the other posts in the series as they’re published. The 51st International conference on Dialogue between Jews, Christians, and Muslims (JCM) on ‘What is Home’ was held in Kigali, Rwanda from 5th February… Read more »