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Unsung Heroes Pt. 2
"Unsung Heroes" was intended to be a depiction of those who work behind-the-scenes to ensure an effective and successful General Assembly -- and I hope to return to that next week. But this week the "unsung heroes" who I want to lift up are those who work for our denomination at the national level, whether at 100 Witherspoon in Louisville or across the country.
The General Assembly Mission Council has adopted a 2013 budget that will mean further job cuts - on top of cuts that have now occurred regularly over the past several years. I don't intend for this post to debate the reasons why financial cutbacks are necessary. And I understand that job losses, reductions in hours worked, cutbacks in 401(k) plans, are, unfortunately, a fact of life for many Presbyterians.
What I do want to do is to lift up those who have discerned God calling them to be national staff for our denomination -- despite perilous job security, despite hearing only when things go wrong rather than when they go right, despite taking hits for things that they don't control. People always ask me, "what good is happening in the P.C. (USA)?" and one of my answers is, "the staff members who give their intelligence, energy, imagination and love without measure."
Some have asserted that the staff, working behind the scenes, controls what the church does. As co-moderator of a denominational task force for four years, and as Moderator for two, I can say such assertions are paranoidal idiocy. The staff simply seeks to carry out what we, the church, decide to do and they do so effectively.
So, today, I want to thank all, from Gradye Parsons and Linda Valentine on down, who work with faith and commitment for the upbuilding of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
May 4, 2012
Where Are the Ruling Elders?
We have five excellent candidates who are standing for the office of Moderator of the 220th General Assembly. They have each selected a Vice Moderator candidate. Each of these ten indivduals reflects different backgrounds, different world views, different areas of...
April 24, 2012
Unsung Heroes Pt. 1
It's hard to believe that the 220th General Assembly is only two months away. And it's even harder to believe, given the enormous amount of work and effort that goes into having a General Assembly, that we used to do...
April 17, 2012
I'm Back
I'm chagrined at how long it's been since I've written a blog post. Clearly, I will never be a social media leader. But a lot has happened since my last post. Mostly what has happened is that I have been...
November 23, 2011
Can We Give Thanks?
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Here’s my question to the PC (USA): can each of us – and I mean EACH of us, every single person who is affiliated with the PC (USA) – remember, as we give thanks tomorrow, our denomination...
November 21, 2011
Moderators
Presbytery and synod moderators gathered together this past weekend at the Moderators' Conference in Louisville. Here is what I told them about the importance of being a moderator in today's PC (USA): We have come together, as current or incoming...
October 25, 2011
One Sunday
One Sunday -- Oct. 23, 2011. Four congregations. The Opequon Presbyterian Church, Winchester, Va., celebrates its 275th anniversary. The New Providence Presbyterian Church, Maryville, Tenn., marks its 225th. The St. James Presbyterian Church, Charleston, SC, rejoices in 145 years of...
October 20, 2011
The PC (USA) Rummage Sale
Change is happening in every nook and cranny of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), from the General Assembly, to presbyteries and synods, to local congregations. We're re-tooling the way we do ministry -- because we're realizing that the styles of doing...
October 14, 2011
Teaching Elders -- You Rule!
I learned, from the encylopedia of knowledge that is Facebook, that today is Clergy Appreciation Day. Of course, in the PC(USA), that means it's Teaching Elder Appreciation Day. I emphasize often how important is our denomination's emphasis on the parity...
September 15, 2011
A Dilemma
One of the things I cherish most about the Presbyterian Church is its insistence that leadership in the church is not solely the domain of those who are paid by the church. Leadership in our church is shared between ruling...