wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Headline News for week of July 22

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8819 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

This is Evan Silverstein of the Presbyterian News Service with Presbyterian
Headline News for the week of July 22. In the news this week: A church task
force releases drafts of a much-anticipated report; a quilt-making pastor
prepares to celebrate the anniversaries of women pioneers in church offices;
and more than 1,100 participants turnout for the first Churchwide
Transformation and Multicultural Connection. And now the news:

On July 19, the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the
Church (TTF) released the outline of its final report and draft texts of
three of its four sections. Notably missing was the fourth and concluding
section - the TTF's recommendations. They will be released during the group's
Aug. 24-25 meeting, when the 20-member group will approve the final version
of its report, which is to be presented to next summer's 217th General
Assembly in Birmingham, AL. The TTF was authorized by the 2001 General
Assembly "to lead the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in spiritual discernment
of our Christian identity in and for the 21st century." Specifically, the
group was instructed to address issues of Christology, Biblical authority and
interpretation, ordination standards and power. 

A patchwork of Presbyterian women's history is being celebrated this year and
next, and one PC(USA) pastor is using her quilting skills to stitch it all
together. The Rev. Susan Barnes, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Baker
City, OR, is making a quilted banner to mark the 2005-2006 PC(USA)
anniversaries of women's first ordinations - as deacons in 1906, as elders in
1930 and as ministers of Word and Sacrament in 1956. Barnes was inspired to
do something to celebrate the 100th, 75th and 50th anniversaries after
attending a conference of the National Association of Presbyterian
Clergywomen. Barnes plans to combine thousands of donated 2-by-2-inch fabric
squares into a banner to take to the General Assembly in summer 2006. She is
asking each PC(USA) church to send her two fabric squares - for their first
woman elder and first woman deacon - and asking every PC(USA) clergywoman to
send a square. The squares should be sent before Dec. 31 to Susan Barnes,
3430 9th Drive, Ba!
 ker City, OR, 97814.

More than 1,100 participants attended last week's first Churchwide
Transformation and Multicultural Connection of the PC(USA). The four-day
symposium at Columbia University in New York City brought together church
members and clergy, representatives of middle governing bodies and others
interested in or engaged in church transformation and multicultural ministry.
All were there to exchange ideas, share experiences, attend workshops, listen
to expert speakers, network with colleagues and come together in worship.
Speakers and workshop leaders addressed such issues as how to get a
transformation under way; how to develop leaders in multicultural ministry;
how to adapt to changing demographics; and how to create transformational
worship. The event combined two popular annual PC(USA) conferences: The
National Multicultural Conference and the Churchwide Transformation
gathering. 

This is Evan Silverstein. Thank you for calling VoiceLine and Presbyterian
Headline News. Goodbye.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to
pcusanews-subscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org or
pcusanews-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org

To contact the owner of the list, please send an email to
pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org