Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010) of the PC(USA).

Hands of Christ

There's a lot of discussion across the denomination about new ways of "doing presbytery."

This past weekend, I saw a terrific way of doing presbytery -- the Hands of Christ ministry in Charleston, SC. More than 20 congregations in Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery participate in this program, which distributes clothing and school supplies to needy children. In 2010, more than 4,000 kids each received one new pair of pants, one slightly used pair, two new shirts, two pairs of underwear and socks, and needed school supplies.

When Tammy Gregory Brown, the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charleston, where the program began, and I pulled up at the Aimwell Presbyterian Church on Saturday morning around 8:30, a line of people had already formed, even though the doors wouldn't open and the distribution  wouldn't start until 9:30.

The volunteers that morning came not just from Aimwell and from Westminster, but from congregations all across the presbytery. What I heard again and again from the volunteers there on Saturday was how effective the Hands of Christ has been, not just in carrying out its intended mission, but also in bringing together Presbyterians of different races, different perspectives, different worship styles -- bringing them together while doing ministry together. Every distribution, which is held at participating churches across the presbytery, ends with a meal together.

Hands of Christ fills two needs: first, getting the basics that so many of us take for granted into the hands of kids who would otherwise do without; and, second, engaging Presbyterians in mission and ministry that doesn't involve debating or voting.

The most fascinating part of Saturday was watching the volunteers set-up and operate a "conveyor belt" by which clothes and supplies left over were loaded onto a trailer, ready to be taken to the next distribution site. Here's a photo -- but you can see an actual video clip at the Hands of Christ Facebook page.

 

 

 

Women Ruling Elders -- They Rock!

When I was in law school, I occasionally was asked, “So – you want to be a lady lawyer?”

I never really knew how to answer that question.  I wanted to say, “I wasn’t aware that a sex change was necessary in order to be a lawyer.”

But in fact I encountered very little discrimination as I in fact became an attorney,  perhaps aided by the fact that I was lucky enough to get a job right out of law school with BNA, Inc. – still my employer – which is a remarkably diverse and inclusive place to work.

And I haven’t encountered much discrimination in my work within the PC (USA). I think in part that’s because I’m a ruling elder, not a teaching elder.  Women teaching elders still, in my opinion,  have a higher bar than male teaching elders in seeking out and obtaining calls.  How many tall steeple congregations have a woman teaching elder as head of staff?

All of that is to say that I was humbled last week to meet with five women ruling elders in the Presbyterian Church in Guatemala. These women have had to struggle and fight every step of the way to be accepted within the church. One told of persons refusing to accept the bread and wine from her when she was helping to serve the Lord’s Supper. Another talked of her continuing effort to encourage the use of inclusive language. Each of them still faces the reality of being ignored by the male leadership within the church.

I met with them at a remarkable place in Guatemala City – the Centro Evangelico de Estudios Pastorales en Centro America – known to one and all simply as CEDEPCA. In its modest yet functional offices (thanks to the Presbytery of the Peaks for helping to make that happen), CEDEPCA, which is an independent, ecumenical ministry and a validated mission partner of the PC (USA),  seeks to encourage and inspire women’s leadership in the church, as well as to provide men and women in Central America with a flexible, inexpensive approach to theological training. In addition, it designs and hosts mission and work teams, bringing together people from different cultural backgrounds to focus on issues such as health, education, free trade agreements, and the situation of women in church and society.

I am uplifted by what these five women ruling elders have accomplished.