First Presbyterian Church in Huntington, NY, on Long Island. "It was an elegant, traditional, formal worship service, in an entire, 100-percent Caucasian congregation," she said. "But it was World Communion Sunday. There was not any acknowledgement of any other cultures. All the music was European 19th century, all of which I loved - but I was stunned" that there was no recognition of other world cultures.

She said the situation was very different that afternoon, when the Rev. Arabella Meadows-Rogers was installed as executive of the Presbytery of New York City.

"What a celebration!" Andrews said. "Six hundred of us gathered at Brick Presbyterian Church" (which, she said, surely had never seen such a celebration).

"Less than 20 percent of that gathering was Caucasian," she said. "The service went for two and a half hours, full of joyful, rich, multicultural music, with maracas and tambourines from Latin-America, and African-American dance, Ghanaian dance, Korean scripture, European organ music that was stunning, and at one point a choir showed up that had not been invited to participate, and 12 African-American young men sang and all of us began to clap and sway. The 'frozen chosen' finally melted.

"That worship service continues to be, for me, the image of the reign of God as we move forward in the Presbyterian Church to include all God's children from around the world who are in the United States."

After recounting several other multicultural experiences, she told her listeners: "This is the pure work of the Holy Spirit, not the planning of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Who's in charge of the church? God!"

One of the challenges church officials face, she said, is to share this vision with the people and congregations in the denomination that have not experienced it.

Andrews was introduced by the Rev. Raafat Girgis, the PC(USA)'s associate for evangelism and racial and cultural diversity, who also presented information about the Presbyterian Multicultural Network, which was created earlier this year as a vehicle for lifting up multicultural ministry in the denomination.