June 2007

The peace of God which passes all human understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:7

Dear Friends,

We have been serving Bethesda Presbyterian Church as co-pastors for six and a half years. Members and friends of this congregation rolled up their sleeves and devoted their talents and energy to proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ through love, faith, prayer, and service in the Sandhills of North Carolina.

Our daughter, Mary, 16, with Jim Smith, commission lay pastor of Ashpole and Rowland Churches in the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina. Ashpole is the "mother" of 11 other congregations in the presbytery.

In the midst of this loving church family, we heard God calling in a new direction and are returning to serve the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as mission co-workers. Our first mission assignment was in Seoul, Korea, where we worked at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Graduate Program for Third World Church Leaders (1983 – 1988). In our second assignment, we served as mission specialists in Lahore, Pakistan (1995 – 1998).

This time around we are moving our “home” to New Delhi, India, where we will serve as regional liaisons for South Asia, linking congregations in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with the vital work of our partner churches in South Asia. We thank God that congregations in the presbyteries where we have served in the United States are joining hands with us by pledging prayers and financial support for our new ministry.

We have been traveling from New York to Florida speaking in churches and attending presbytery meetings. Recently we were invited  by Jim Smith, an energetic commissioned lay pastor, who is also a regional director of Kerr Pharmacies. Jim is serving the Ashpole and Rowland Churches in the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina, where David preached on Homecoming Sunday last month.

In New Delhi, Sue will serve as our anchor, building relationships with the Church of North India. The CNI blends the richness of six uniting churches, which merged in 1970, with a ministry that spans two-thirds of the Indian subcontinent. Sue has been invited to work at Queen Mary’s School, affiliated with the CNI, in New Delhi.

David will travel throughout the region supporting partner churches in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, in their evanglistic, educational, medical, and justice  ministries.

Our partner churches in South Aisa often live their Christian faith on the cutting edge:  doing evangelism where the threat of religious persecution is real, promoting education where basic literacy is not the norm, improving public health where resources are limited, and empowering local people to experience God’s grace in new dimensions, where caste and gender roles are deeply engrained.

Since Presbyterians have a long and rich history in this region, we are excited to be your eyes and ears in South Asia! We look forward to re-connecting with colleagues and sharing how we see God at work in the lives of  people and churches there.

Please pray for our family as we make this transition. Rebekah, our oldest daughter just graduated from Queens University of Charlotte with a degree in political science and a pre-law concentration. Rachel begins her sophomore year at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. Mary is traveling to India with us and will complete high school there. This time of separation will offer some real challenges for all of us!

We thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support as we venture forth!

Shalom!