Praying our way to San Jose
Update from the road

St. Louis

Host churches and pastors:

The Rev. Liz Lindsey, Rock Presbyterian Church (Imperial, Missouri)
The Rev. Jemimah Ngatia, United African Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Christian Boyd

Liz picked me up at the hotel and we made our way to the United African Presbyterian Church. We made one stop to pick up Faye Chu who is the business manager/accountant for Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery. I formed an instant friendship with these two women; as we exchanged stories of our call to ministry. Another instant friendship was forged when I walked into the church and met Jemimah. We hugged like family members who’d reunited after a long absence. But of course each of these friendships began some months ago through phone calls and emails and shared plans for the worship service we were about to hold.

Jemimah was excited that the United African Presbyterian Church could host our first stop on the Praying Our Way to San Jose circuit and we felt honored to be their guests. There was good representation from the whole presbytery and our prayers for the upcoming Assembly included specific prayers for their presbytery’s commissioners.

Members of the congregation took part in the service too. Elder Benson read the Scripture in Swahili and the cadence and timbre of his voice made it sounded to me like pure poetry; Dr. Mike who is the church’s stated clerk assisted with communion; The Rev. Christian Boyd, who pastors a new church development, preached on the practice of prayer. I was intrigued to learn that he is a Benedictine oblate as well as a graduate of Louisville Seminary. I did not know, until I heard his sermon, that John Calvin was a student of Bernard of Clairveaux — a Benedictine monk who sought to reform the Order. So not only is the Presbyterian world a “small world” but there are infinitesimal degrees of separation in all of Christendom! After the service we had time for refreshments and fellowship and it was the sweetest of its kind. People from many different churches brought together for a common purpose: praying for the PC(USA)! Thank you to all (named and unnamed) who are supporting us in praying our way to San Jose.

To see photographs visit my album on Facebook.

— Tammy Wiens-Sorge