Worship at Assembly - Led by Christopher Lee, Executive Presbyter for Grace Presbytery, the Spring Assembly gathered in contemplative worship as a part of the meeting.

Synod of the Sun Newsletter

2024 March

At the 2024 Synod of the Sun Spring Assembly, the Commissioners unanimously voted to take the recommendation of the Synod Leader/Stated Clerk Search Committee and selected Rev. Michell Miller as the new Synod Leader/Stated Clerk. Mitch has previously served the Synod as Moderator in 2020 and Coordinating Team Chair in 2021 and 2022.

Mitch was born in Norman, OK, but grew up on a dairy farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Growing up in the church, his earliest memories revolve around the church leading to his role as Donegal Presbytery Youth Observer to Synod of the Trinity’s annual meeting in 1984 and YAD to the PCUSA General Assembly in 1985.

At this time, Mitch became involved in Presbytery and Synod committee work. He earned his BS in Education/History from Millersville University in 1987, and His MDiv from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia in 1995. Ordained as a Ruling Elder for Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church, Quarryville, PA in 1987, he later served as the Youth Director of First PC, Strasburg, PA. Ordained as Minister of Word and Sacrament in June, 1995, Mitch served as pastor to Falling Waters PC, Hedgesville, WV and Fallston PC, Fallston, MD before answering his latest call to Santa Fe PC in Edmond, OK in 2009.

Mitch has served on a number of synod and presbytery committees since his ordination in 1987, including areas of Christian Education, Youth Ministry, New Church Development, Congregational Support, and most recently, COM. He has served on both the Synod of the Sun Presbyterian Foundation and the Indian Nations Presbytery Foundation boards. In addition to serving as Synod Moderator and CT Chair, Mitch served as the INP Commissioner to the Synod of the Sun (2017-2022).

Mitch is an experienced small group, workshop, worship, and retreat leader, and is a certified Spiritual Director. Mitch and his wife Leigh have been married since 1995 and have two grown children, Nathan and Emma. He enjoys history, story-telling, folklore, whittling, balloon twisting and the majesty of the great outdoors.

Giving thanks to God for the work of the Search Team and for calling Mitch to this ministry, the Synod of the Sun looks forward to new and continuing ministry and mission.

by Steve Shive, Bridge Interim Synod Leader/Stated Clerk

Right before the Synod Assembly, I returned from one of the most fascinating and challenging weeks of my life. I joined 33 other primarily PCUSA participants with a few ecumenical colleagues on journey to be in Solidarity with the Suffering. On the way back to the U.S. from Ammon, Jordan on the plane, I read the following by Amos Disasa, Pastor of First Presbyterian Dallas:

“There are experiences through which we must go, crying all the way… St. Francis of Assisi, in his youth, found it impossible to control his deep physical and emotional revulsion against leprosy. So acute was his reaction that he could not ever run the risk of looking at a leper. Shortly after he had made his first commitment to his Lord, he was riding down the road, when suddenly there appeared a leper. Instinctively, he turned his horse around and went galloping off in the opposite direction, his whole body bathed in nervous sweat. Then he realized what he was doing.”

You must go through some things, crying all the way.” In Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, people are crying all the way.

by Kathy Lee-Cornell, Director

Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery

As we are currently witnessing Texas battling the largest wildfire in their state’s history, do you ever wonder how the gifts of your dollars and cents placed in offering plates or donated through an online submission form actually makes a difference in the lives of people and communities impacted by disasters?

In less than a week after fires began to blaze across parts of Texas and Oklahoma, destroying homes, livestock, and livelihoods, each of the impacted counties have reported being overwhelmed by the influx of donated goods – pallets of water bottles, trailers full of clothing and household items – intended to support survivors and first responders. 

I hope this month’s SPDR blog and corresponding Disaster Partnership Conversation Podcast episodes highlight the connectional and healing power of being Presbyterian and provide more insight into how your gifts through denominational offerings, such as the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS), and special appeals like the collection for Palo Duro Presbytery’s response to the ongoing wildfires, actually bolsters our local congregations and the relationships shared between members and neighbors, churches and ministry partners, who are sifting through the aftermath of devastating events.

Do you subscribe to Sunspots, the podcast of Synod of the Sun? We bring content from the Synod, SPDR, Liminal Conversations and more! With two new episodes this week and recent content posted, we hope to inspire and inform you. Follow Sunspots wherever you get podcast content or find us at https://www.synodsun.org/sunspots

Coming March 14th - Disaster Partnership Conversations: Transforming Donations to Disaster Recovery & Resiliency, part 2 with Jim Kirk and Michelle Muñiz, hosted by Kathy Lee-Cornell

March 7th - Disaster Partnership Conversations: Transforming Donations to Disaster Recovery & Resiliency, part 1 with Jim Kirk and Michelle Muñiz, hosted by Kathy Lee-Cornell.

February 29th - Liminal Space Conversations with Nikki Collins, hosted by Steve Shive.

February 22nd - White Privilege Conference Conversation - part 2 with Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., hosted by Natarsha Sanders, Kristy Rodgers, and Molly Casteel.

February 15th - White Privilege Conference Conversation - part 1 with Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., hosted by Natarsha Sanders, Kristy Rodgers, and Molly Casteel.

PCHAS recognized as TBRI Ambassador Organization

Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS) is proud to announce that the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development (KPICD) of Texas Christian University (TCU) has inducted the organization as a TBRI Ambassador Organization.

In January, PCHAS was initiated as a TBRI Ambassador Organization with four other agencies committed to making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families.

According to the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development, TBRI Ambassador Organizations are identified as key partners who have long-term relationships with the Purvis Institute and are furthering its mission systematically using TBRI or Trust-Based Relational Intervention.

Oklahoma Presbyteries "Diapers to Depends" Drive

Four New Opportunities in 2024 for Boundaries Training Offered by Synod of the Sun and Leaderwise

May 7-8, 2024

1:00-4:00pm CT

August 27-28, 2024

9:00am-Noon CT

November 18-19, 2024

5:00pm-8:00pm

It’s our experience that pastors, church staff, and other leaders who transgress boundaries by-and-large are not predators. In fact, not even close. Most people in ministry who violate boundaries are individuals who know and follow the rules most of the time but whose judgment may be impaired due to an unusually stressful time in their lives.

With that in mind, Not-Your-Average Boundaries Training, offered by Synod of the Sun and Leaderwise, is tailored to focus on strategies to foster mental health, emotional resiliency, and well-being. While this training still covers the requirements—“Don’t sleep with a parishioner unless you’re married to them” and the like —the best prevention is to encourage clergy to take steps to manage their stress in order to maintain balance and perspective when temptation arises. The program teaches a 3-step strategy to help stop the participant in their tracks before they commit a boundary violation; and participants leave with their own personal prevention plan.

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This training is lively and interactive, full of reflection and conversation—and even laughter. Attendees have given us feedback that our boundaries training was a great experience, AND caused them to re-evaluate some of their own practices.

Participants MUST take part in ALL six hours of training in order to receive the certificate of completion.