Responsibilities and Planning for Congregations:
H1N1-Swine Flu

Disaster Response and Readiness Committee: Baltimore Presbytery: Kristine Holmes, RN

The human swine flu outbreak continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Federal agencies have initiated emergency operations and are providing regular updates and recommendations. Should this outbreak escalate to a pandemic level, directives may be issued to avoid or stop mass gathering to lessen the spread of the virus. Schools, business, recreational facilities, and places of worship are some of the places that would feel the impact. Learn more.

An Important Letter to the Churches and Pastors in the Presbytery of Baltimore Concerning the Upcoming Pandemic Flu

Experts feel an influenza pandemic is likely and we need to prepare ourselves and our congregations. It might be as serious as the 1918 “Spanish flu.” As with any natural or human disaster, our churches and Presbytery will need to respond to our own needs, the needs of our most vulnerable members, and the many needs of those around us. The Health Ministries website of PC(USA) states: “Often, it is what we do not understand that frightens us most. Keeping Presbyterians up-to-date with reliable information and passing along the preparedness recommendations can help keep members from feeling as though they have no control.” Learn more.

Update on swine flu from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA)

PDA is closely monitoring the Swine Influenza A (H1N1) situation and has posted information to help Presbyterian congregations to be aware of steps they can take to help prevent the spread of this virus along with a downloadable resource “Guidance for Congregations in response to H1N1 virus (swine flu) outbreak.”

Middle Governing Body/General Assembly Council gathering

Thank you for your recent prayers on behalf of the General Assembly Council. As you have probably read by now, we have taken action to revise our budgets to be in line with updated revenue projections for 2009. In September, we will revise the 2010 budget approved by the General Assembly. 

We have been fortunate to have already been engaging in strategic discussions, both among the GAC, and with many of you, so that our decisions have not been dictated solely by financial necessity, but rather by careful assessments of where God is leading us to focus our ministry in the days ahead. We know that many of you face similar decisions. You are in our prayers. [Read more]

Materials from the Moderators Conference

The moderators’ conference has come to be known as a wonderful and significant opportunity for moderators of synods and presbyteries to get to know one another, to get to know General Assembly staff, to hear about and learn about best practices and to be trained in the important ministry of moderating our middle governing bodies.

View and download the materials.

Read a report on Mission Challenge ’07

Mission Challenge ’07 was a bold initiative aimed at connecting Presbyterians with their mission personnel serving the church around the world. The primary goal was to build stronger relationships between congregations and mission co-workers. It was also a new model and experiment aimed at addressing our members’ changing giving patterns and upgrading our own capacity to serve those changing needs.

By many standards, Mission Challenge ’07 was an overwhelming success. At the same time, we learned much from this endeavor that continues to inform any future plans in the area of interpretation and funds development. Learn more — read the report for Middle Governing Body Executives on Mission Challenge ’07.

The Travail of the Presbytery

Joseph D. Small

Contemporary presbyteries in North America’s Presbyterian churches are the product of influences coming from Calvin’s Geneva, by way of Knox’s Scotland, through the colonial American experience and the westward migration, to the twentieth century institutionalization of the church. Time and interaction with American individualism, free enterprise, and the managerial spirit have weakened the originating influences, although their language and forms remain. So it is worth reminding ourselves of earlier terminology and structures, not as an exercise in nostalgia, but as possible resources for the re-formation of the church.

Read Joseph Small's article "The Travail Of The Presbytery."

Discernment in decision making

The Peacemaking program and the Office of the General Assembly are partnering in the production of resources for governing bodies who wish to use discernment as part of their decision making. Those resources are not available in their final form yet. However you may find other resources about discernment on the Peace, Unity, and Purity Web site.

Presbytery and Synod offices: Share Middle Governing Body changes and updates

Do you have a new Executive or Stated Clerk? Has your office moved or changed phone numbers? If you have had any of these changes or have a new e-mail, fax or phone please share that with the Communications Development and Technology Department (OGA Records) office.

This office keeps the official Stated Clerk and Executive listing and needs updates from Presbytery and Synod offices as soon as they are available. Many people use this listing and your help in keeping it up to date is appreciated.

Please forward any changes for your office to Janie Burton.

The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord

Prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship, General Assembly Council

The New Wineskins Association of Churches has raised significant questions about the faith and mission of the church that every Presbyterian should take seriously. NWAC has presented its case in "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven: Report of the Strategy Team of the New Wineskins Association of Churches." Unfortunately, in advancing their case New Wineskins has presented the positions of the PC(USA) inaccurately. As they consider the analysis of NWAC, all Presbyterians deserve to know the defined positions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). [Read more]

Important questions have been raised in response to "The Church's One Foundation" regarding the exercise of church discipline. As a first response, we offer "Ordinary and Extraordinary Discipline," a publication that has proven to be thought-provoking on the exercise of church discipline in the PC(USA).