Buenos Aires, Argentina
August 3, 2006

Dear Friends,

In John’s Gospel, Jesus commands his disciples to love one another so the world will know that they are his disciples (John 13:34-35). It can be quite difficult to think about loving Jesus’ disciples who live in a far away part of the world, who speak a different language, who have a different style of worship, and many other cultural differences. Nevertheless, we are commanded to love one another so that those who do not know the love of God will know that we are a part of a worldwide community whose basic premise is love. This love is an active effort to engage with others, sharing in needs, blessings, and mutual respect in the midst of tremendous differences. This love is a learning to see others as Children and Friends of a loving, merciful, wise and just God.

This past April, the Worldwide Ministries Division (WMD) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was forced to reduce its personnel due to budget shortfalls. This meant that 12 middle and upper level support staff in the Louisville offices had their positions cut overnight. Forty mission co-workers who were retiring from the mission field for various reasons could not be replaced, leaving ecumenical, international partners in mission without the valuable help of highly trained personnel from the PC(USA). The General Assembly Council also recommended that 15 other long-term mission co-workers be called off the field. Fortunately, this last recommendation has been delayed by two years, since an unexpected bequest of somewhat more than two million dollars entered the accounts of the General Assembly Council with no strings attached. It was decided that this money would be used to pay the salaries of 15 mission personnel for the next two years.

Mission personnel around the world have been bombarded with news about budget shortfalls, personnel cuts, and the threat of job instability. We received this news at a time when I was going through a difficult stage in my second pregnancy—which, God willing, will terminate well with a C-Section this next September 1. My husband was preoccupied with a difficult health situation that his father was going through and which required him to spend various nights at the hospital. The news from Louisville was extremely stressful.

In our case, my family depends on my salary. My husband, as an Argentine pastor, receives a small monthly, unofficial love offering from his congregation. He is finishing his degree in psychology at the University of Buenos Aires, which for now does not generate income, but hopefully will when we return to Argentina after my next Interpretation Assignment.

There are many reasons why cutting mission personnel around the world is bad news. The United States and the majority of its citizens continue to be amongst the most economically and educationally privileged people in the world. We have gifts to share with other communities around the world that no one else can share. And we have lessons to learn from active participation in Christian communities around the world that we cannot otherwise learn if we isolate ourselves from Jesus’ command to love one another.

I serve the PC(USA) as a professor of church history at one of the most highly respected institutes of Protestant theology in Spanish speaking America, the Instituto Superior Evangélico de Estudios Teológicos. Incidentally, I also happen to be the wife of an Argentine Pentecostal pastor, whose ministry is carried out in two communities—one is a very poor community and the other is a lower, and lowering, middle-class community. These two roles intersect in very important ways.

Many seminary students and pastors in the United States often make jokes about seminary being the “cemetery” of one’s faith and calling. This is a definite challenge to me as a professor, and it is a challenge that I incorporate purposefully into my classes.

Recently I shared with my students the story of a young 15-year-old girl who sometimes participates in the youth group that my husband leads. Romina had to repeat 7th grade. Her mother does not give her time to study at home, but has her doing housework, handiwork for sale, and now that the mother and step-father have had a baby, Romina is in charge of childcare. Argentine law indicates that education up to 9th grade is mandatory, yet Romina’s mother has pulled her out of school in order to take care of the new baby in the family.

I am not a social worker and cannot do much in individual cases such as Romina’s. Yet I can challenge my students to investigate how the church has worked with similar situations throughout history. In some cases, the church’s response to the needs of young women has been abysmal. In other cases, God has gifted the church with women and men of tremendous commitment, conviction, passion and imagination to make the reign of God real to young girls in extremely difficult situations.

You can also make a difference to millions of lives around the world. If every member of the PC(USA) gave $5.00 (five dollars) more a year, designated to the WMD, there would be no more worries about budget shortfalls. For some Presbyterians, an additional $5.00 a year is difficult. For others, $50.00 (fifty dollars) is next to nothing. There are many highly gifted members of the PC(USA) who are not being deployed to the mission field because funds are not available. Please do not rob the church of Jesus Christ around the world of the gifts the PC(USA) has to offer. And do not shut yourself out of participating in Christ’s love and compassion for our broken world.

I also encourage you to look at the Mission Connections Web site to learn more about how the PC(USA) is making a difference in our world.

God be with you and guide you.

Kathleen Griffin and family

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 40

Below are ways in which you, personally, or as a congregation, can give financially to the ministries of the WMD.

Second Mile Missionary Support
E132192

Contributions from individuals may be sent to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Individual Remittance Processing, PO Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700 .

Contributions from churches should be sent to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Church Remittance Processing, PO Box 643678, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3678.

Write the title (Second Mile Missionary Support) and the ECO number on the subject line (E132192) of the check.

Individuals may also give on-line.

Directed Mission Support (DMS)

Giving to DMS helps the General Assembly Council meet its budget. Your gift or pledge to DMS account “D500115” is a choice to give to where the need is greatest for Mission Personnel salaries and benefits support. It is also possible to direct giving for the support of specific mission workers who have their own account numbers.

DMS account for Kathleen Griffin, Buenos Aires, Argentina: D506384

Permanent funds
These gifts generate lasting resources and you can restrict the gift’s future uses to PCUSA international mission workers. The PC(USA) Foundation can assist you.

Joining Hearts and Hands
Gifts to the General Assembly’s campaign to renew the church for mission are for new mission worker positions, but some persons supported by the campaign have started their service while the campaign is still raising their support. The campaign wants to hear from new supporters for those mission workers.