BALTIMORE (OGA) The final plenary at the Mid Council Leaders Gathering in Baltimore focused on some frank conversation around per capita, the primary funding source for the Office of the General Assembly (OGA). In a presentation to the group, OGA leaders outlined the financial constraints facing the agency now and the need to increase per capita as the demand for services grows. “What once were strictly questions that stayed at the presbytery or synod level are now being pushed up to the national level on a regular basis. We spend a good bit of time resourcing congregations directly, not just presbyteries and synods,” said the Reverend Jihyun Oh, OGA’s Director of Mid Council Ministries. “While membership in the denomination has been decreasing, the amount of support which OGA provides directly, has increased—in part due to the shrinking of mid councils’ capacity to resource congregations.” In the past, OGA has been reluctant to increase per capita apportionment rates to … [Read more...]
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Outlook Features 12 hours ago
Women in ministry through the lens of former co-moderators (who are women in ministry)
As we were leaving our roles as the first co-moderators of the General Assembly (2016-2018), our roles also changed in terms of our ministry contexts. Denise shifted from serving as pastor of Unity Presbyterian Church in Temple Hills, Maryland, to serving the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) as coordinator for racial and intercultural justice. Jan shifted from serving as associate executive presbyter of Chicago Presbytery to general presbyter of Charlotte Presbytery in North Carolina. It’s not unusual for former moderators to move to a new call after their term ends with… continue reading... -
Book Reviews 1 day ago
One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
Ann Voskamp Zondervan, 240 pages I was gifted the book “One Thousand Gifts,” which made its way into my vacation reading this summer. A thought-provoking read, it invites the reader to experience a life of joy. The book offers a unique perspective on gratitude as Ann Voskamp presents a practical guide to living a life of joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama and daily duties in poetic form. The book invites its readers to awaken to God’s everyday blessings as well as God’s “all-pervasive grace.” Voskamp writes from… continue reading... -
Editor's viewpoints 1 day ago
Meet the treasurer of the Presbyterian Outlook board: Martha Nommay
Martha has served as the director of finance and operations at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis since 2006. She received her certified public accountant license from the state of Indiana in 1989 and currently maintains an active license. She was appointed to the Indiana State Board of Accountancy in 1997 by Governor Frank O’Bannon. She served on the Board for six years, including two terms as chair. Martha is a member of the Indiana CPA Society where she is currently serving as a member of the Government Relations Advisory Council… continue reading...
Parties in Stamford case had tried to expedite process in order to get a ruling on the merits of the case January 1, 1995 Uncategorized106 views The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission -- in sidestepping the question of exactly how deeply a session should be required to probe into the private life of a gay elder who has acknowledged being in a committed, life-long relationship but has declined to say whether he is sexually active -- has put the question off but has not put it to rest.- Ministering with the Earth January 1, 1998 Book Reviews122 views By Mary Elizabeth MooreChalice. 1998. 226 pp. Pb. $19.99. ISBN 0-8272-2323-4 Ministering with the Earth is a quiltwork, both the on-the-ground activity and Moore's book about so ministering. Moore, professor of theology and Christian education at Claremont School of Theology, is fond of the metaphor, suitably pastoral and feminist.
- Remembered Voice: Reclaiming the Legacy of 'Neo-Orthodoxy' January 1, 1998 Book Reviews101 views By Douglas John HallWJKP. 1998. 145 pp. Pb. $18. ISBN 0-664-25772-0 It was in this order. I first read Tillich's Dynamics of Faith. Riveting. Next came The Courage to Be. Gripping. Then I went back and read the first volume of the Systematic Theology. Things began to make sense. Next came Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. Positive.
Women in ministry — October 7, 2019 October 3, 2019 Digital Issues2 comments Jesus called women to share in his ministry when he walked the earth and he still does today. Nonetheless, the role of women in the church has been debated and contested — and continues to evolve. This issue of the Outlook offers a snapshot of women in Presbyterian ministry past and present.
Click here to read the issue in the Uberflip reader.
The rise of women in the pulpit Margaret Towner was ordained in 1956 — 36 years after the fir...
What might replace per capita? PC(USA) stated clerk urges consideration of new funding system October 2, 2019 Outlook Reporting2 comments J. Herbert Nelson, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is stressing the urgency of coming up with a new funding system for the denomination that ensures that the Office of the General Assembly has enough money to do the ecclesiastical work of the church.
There also is a call emerging to quickly pull together some sort of high level work group – either a per capita table of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, or some less formal configuration – to consider possible structural changes in the PC(USA), to work through financial issues and to ...
What does financial sustainability look like for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)? September 17, 2019 Outlook Reporting1 comment ATLANTA – What’s at the heart of achieving “financial sustainability” for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)?
One possibility on the table – although nothing’s been voted on yet, it’s all still up for discussion – is the idea of restructuring the top levels of the denomination. That may not ring a lot of bells for the average Presbyterian in the pews.
But a work group of the Special Committee on Per Capita Based Funding and National Church Financial Sustainability is giving serious thought t...
Mid Council Leaders Gathering concludes with hard conversation about per capita
Women in ministry through the lens of former co-moderators (who are women in ministry)
As we were leaving our roles as the first co-moderators of the General Assembly (2016-2018), our roles also changed in terms of our ministry contexts. Denise shifted from serving as pastor of Unity Presbyterian Church in Temple Hills, Maryland, to serving the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) as coordinator for racial and intercultural justice. Jan shifted from serving as associate executive presbyter of Chicago Presbytery to general presbyter of Charlotte Presbytery in North Carolina. It’s not unusual for former moderators to move to a new call after their term ends with the General Assembly. In fact, there are very few former moderators who have stayed in the positions they were serving on the day they were elected. We were very visible not only because we were the first co-moderators, but also because it was the first time that the moderator’s microphone at General Assembly was shared by two women. And this was especially notable because 2016 marked the 50th anniversary of … [Read more...]
Princeton Seminary announces plan to repent for ties to slavery
PRINCETON, New Jersey — Last week the Princeton Theological Seminary Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed the implementation of a multi-year action plan to repent for its ties to slavery. The approved series of new initiatives, including increased student financial assistance, curriculum changes and added support for the Center for Black Church Studies, is a direct response to a report the Seminary published in October 2018 after conducting a two-year historical audit. “The report was an act of confession,” said John White, dean of students and vice president of student relations, according to a seminary news release. “These responses are intended as acts of repentance that will lead to lasting impact within our community. This is the beginning of the process of repair that will be ongoing.” White was chair of the historical audit recommendations task force, which included trustees, faculty, administrators, students and alumni. The task force led a deliberative process … [Read more...]
Barbara Brown Taylor: Reformation is a ‘delicious’ wilderness but lonely
DENVER, Colorado (RNS) — When LifeWay, the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, asked American pastors to rank the most influential living Protestant preachers in 2010, only one woman made the list, and only one minister from outside the Baptist fold: in both cases, that was the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest, teacher and author from Northern Georgia. Her renown isn’t restricted to the professionals, either. Her 14 books and her preaching have brought her recognition on TIME magazine’s list of its ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ in 2014. In 2016 she received the President’s Medal at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. For all her prowess in the pulpit, perhaps her best-known book is her memoir “Leaving Church,” in which Brown Taylor recounts the often-painful, if ultimately redemptive, journey away from pastoring. The book, her first memoir, won her an Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association. Her fourth memoir, … [Read more...]
Stated Clerk calls on mid council leaders to follow where God calls them
BALTIMORE (OGA) — Piecing a denomination together after years of losing churches, infighting, and struggle is a challenge, according to the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Nelson preached at the closing worship of the Mid Council Leaders Gathering in Baltimore on Sunday. He told the group God is “tearing us down” in order for the church to see a new reality. “None of us have gone through this. This is a time of creativity, imagination, and the ability to see what is not evident and move in the direction God leads,” said Nelson. “We must take a risk for the Lord, a risk of failing, but not stopping. We must learn from the mistakes and know there is a God that has never failed, never left us alone, and will not leave us alone now.” Nelson’s sermon was based on Second Corinthians and the struggles within the early church. He said the church in that day was beginning to see a new light and learning what … [Read more...]
Co-Moderators announce plans for new conference for commissioned lay pastors/ruling elders
BALTIMORE (OGA) — The Co-Moderators of the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) believe it’s time to take a deep dive into training commissioned pastors. Ruling Elder Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and the Rev. Cindy Kohlmann have announced a new training conference to be held next spring. The “Empowering Commissioned Pastors’ Conference” will be held May 13–16, 2020, in Richardson, Texas, and will be sponsored by the Commissioned Pastors’ Network of the Synod of the Sun. Kohlmann announced the conference during a presentation at the Mid Council Leaders Gathering in Baltimore. “I’m wondering if it’s time or even past time for us to do a deep dive and take a hard look to compare the things we value in the preparation process for ordained ministers against the things that are needed in the 21st century for churches that want to be faithful but aren’t finding the pastors,” she said. “Is it time to bring people together from seminaries, mid councils, and … [Read more...]
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