Elona Street-Stewart and Gregory J. Bentley
candidates for Co-Moderators of the 224th General Assembly
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Our Sense of Call
For Presbyterians, the call of God to serve is confirmed by God’s people in community. Leadership is not just an individual call, but a gift conferred and cultivated by the community.
That has truly been the case, for Elona and Gregory, as we celebrate our roots in the collective spiritual fortitude of our communities of origin – Native American and African American.
Neither of us considered the possibility of running for the office of Moderator of General Assembly prior to the insistence of colleagues and mentors across the PCUSA. The community brought us together, as it should be: two persons of color in such a time as this, who, through extended conversation with one another, felt the Spirit moving and saw the immediate connections in our theology, cultural heritage, and church experiences.
Only after prayerful discernment listening for the whisper of that still small voice of God could we step forward to be considered for such a remarkable honor.
Together we understand this call and shared candidacy as an opportunity to bring our personal experiences and the collective experience and wisdom of our people to the task of helping the PCUSA become the best version of itself. We sincerely believe we can help to facilitate a path to a preferred future, in part through the perspective and resilience forged by our collective past. We believe God has shaped us for such a time as this to faithfully respond to and navigate the cataclysmic times in which we live: to use the best of our past as a guidepost rather than a hitching post, to guide us through this pandemic and to build solidarity with those whom Jesus called “the least of these.”
We know what we’ve been through to get here and made it by grace, persistence, curiosity, and hope. Like the Sankofa bird of our logo, we look back beyond this time of uncertainty and fear to learn from those who have gone before, even as we look forward to a faithful and fruitful future. We stand here together today to bring gifts of our people to bear upon the PCUSA being and becoming all that God has called it to be.
The ministry of the church is more important now than imagined even just two months ago. The dangers of COVID-19 are obvious, but we also believe this pandemic presents an opportunity for us to be the body of Christ in such a way as to be a compelling witness of the exhibition of the kingdom of God to the world.
We are resolute in our response to this call to serve as co-moderators to those present in the church today and for those whose participation is just beginning to unfold. As elected commissioners from the presbyteries of North Alabama and Twin Cities Area to the 224th General Assembly, we humbly seek the yet broader voice of confirmation of a shared call as co-moderators, to serve our Risen Christ and our beloved denomination.
Faithfully yours,
Elona Street-Stewart and Gregory Bentley
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Follow us
Web site
, FaceBook: fb.me/ElonaAndGregory, Instagram: @elonaandgregory,
Twitter: @ElonaAndGregory
Election of Moderator will take place on Friday, June 19. See below for livestreaming information.
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For the first time in the history of the denomination General Assembly will be held online.
Regarding your own participation: remember that there is no general public registration for the 224
th
General Assembly. We hope that most of you are planning to watch the live streamed sessions on June 19, 26 and 27. No advance registration is required.
Thank you for your support of your Commissioners and Advisory Delegate(s) as they prepare for this General Assembly, and of course for your support of your congregations and members.
GA Meeting Service.
Election of Moderator happens on Friday, June 19,
at this date it is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. (EDT)
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Synod School 2020 cancelled in response to COVID-19
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Synod School Committee came to the difficult decision to cancel Synod School for 2020 as we know it due to the pandemic. This is not something we wanted to do but because of our care for each other, our deep desire not to be a source of illness for anyone, and the inability to truly be together as we ordinarily are – singing heartily, laughing together, sharing meals in close proximity, and more – we feel as if this was what we have to do.
Recognizing that we cannot replicate the Synod School experience online, we are not going to try to do so. BUT we are working to put together some special opportunities for a simpler Synod School online for the week of July 27. We are looking at opportunities for worship, learning, fellowship and fun and will have a better sense of what this looks like by early June. At that point we will post on the website how to participate in the pieces that stir your interest. We certainly won’t have you or your children in front of a screen for 12 hours/day!! Stay tuned for more information.
In the meantime, Deb DeMeester is working on refunding any fees people have paid for Synod School. What we offer virtually will be at no cost to the participants. If you would like to make a donation to the Synod School endowment please contact
Deb DeMeester
. Refund checks will be sent out in the next couple of weeks. Credit card refunds will be processed in about a week.
Thank you for understanding! Mark your calendars for July 25-30, 2021! We will be graced with the presence of Jill Duffield, editor of Presbyterian Outlook, as our convocation speaker and Samuel Son, manager of diversity and reconciliation at the Presbyterian Mission Agency, as our evening worship leader. Bryce Wiebe will return as the youth convocation speaker.
Forms to submit class or teaching proposals for all ages will be on the synod website:
www.lakesandprairies.org
They are due by September 1, 2020.
Sincerely,
The Synod School Committee – Mac Stanfield, Dean; Dan Voigt, Associate Dean; Pam Prouty, Paul Penn, Meredith Sauer, Marian Hart, Jim Bonewald, Dan Davis, Raymond Meester, and Deb DeMeester, Staff
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Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resource Center
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COVID-19: HOW TO NAVIGATE YOUR NEW REALITY
by Church Mutual Insurance
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By now, you are acutely aware that the world in which you and your congregation are living looks very different these days. The global pandemic known as the coronavirus (COVID-19) is now a local crisis – everywhere. And it has upended every aspect of how you lead your organization.
Since we don’t know when life will fully return to “normal," we know you may need some help navigating the issues that are challenging you most. That’s why we created a
free toolkit
stocked with resources for this difficult time. You’ll find fresh ideas for keeping your people connected, tips to effectively manage cash flow and a checklist that ensures your facility is safe both now and when it reopens. Plus, our handy infographic can help you identify (and prevent) cyberscams that present dangers while working virtually or remotely.
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Empathy in times of pandemic
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Engaging Differences During Hardship
- video series of conversations with state legislators, faith leaders and average
Americans
about the importance of engaging differences during the pandemic.
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Pentecost Sunday Resources
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The Ministry Lab has
three liturgical pieces
for online worship this Pentecost Sunday: a multi-language, "online chorus" reading of Acts 2:1-21; a music video for the Joel Preus song I Will Pour out Water; and a
Visual Word
that will function as both a sermon and/or a contemplative prayer moment. Links will be available via The Ministry Lab's website by May 29!
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Presbyterian Women in the Synod
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Presbyterian Association of Musicians
We want our online conference to be available to everyone, no matter where they are – and as you’ll read – we’ve truly got something for everyone!
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Author, Marcia A. Murphy, Director of the Mental Health Ministry (MHI) of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (Iowa City), has a new book released from Wipf & Stock Publishers, Resource Publications March (2020),
The Collected Writings of Marcia A. Murphy,
Christus Magnus Medicus Sanat (Christ, the great physician, heals).
This work addresses the importance of faith in healing, and as an advocate for those with mental illness, Murphy promotes inclusion for those often ignored or ostracized in our communities.
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To subscribe email: office@lakesandprairies.org
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