reyes-chow :: MODERATOR

Thanks: A Final Moderatorial Posting*

13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." - Genesis 18:13-14 (TNIV)

It is hard to believe how quickly the past two years have flown by.  Looking back on 250 blog posts, thousands of status updates and 24 months of service I am both humbled and inspired by the faithfulness, passion and vigor with which our denomination is seeking to be faithful to God’s call on our collective lives.  As this journey began, both Byron and I understood that we would have a unique vantage point from which we would experience the church, but until one travels this journey it is hard to imagine.

With close to 175 events attended between Byron and myself over these past two years there are too many amazing communities to mention them all.  Still, here is a sampling of the breadth and depth of the communities that inspired me as I attended events and gatherings:

• Groups of Presbyterians who gather around common passions: Covenant Network of Presbyterians, Presbyterians For Renewal, More Light Presbyterians, Presbyterian Global Fellowship, That All My Freely Serve and The Presbyterian Coalition.
• All engaged in the ministry with and for college-aged and young adults: Stillman College, Montreat Collegiate Conference, Atlanta Area Campus ministries, Warren Wilson College, Young Adult Ministries Jam, National Network of Presbyterian College Women, and numerous campus pastors, chaplains, camps and conferences.
• For congregations striving to be church faithfully in their communities: The Phoenix Project, Cleveland, OH; Steele Creek PC, Charlotte, NC; First PC, Mt. Pleasant, IA; Pullman PC, Chicago, IL; Calvary PC, Wilmington, CA; and First PC, Fenton, MI.
• For mission Co-workers, Young Adult Volunteers, Military Chaplains, Church Educators, Seminary Students, Commission Lay Pastors, General Assembly Mission Council Staff and those working with immigrant communities.
• For brothers and sisters around the world especially those who showed such hospitality to the Moderator's Office: The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, Ecumenical Council in Hong Kong, United Church of Christ in the Philippines and the Episcopal Church of Haiti.
• For those who have engaged with the Office of Moderator through such social media platforms at Twitter, Facebook, Skype and more.  It is a new day indeed.

From this brief sampling it is not difficult to see that God is poking and prodding us to trust that there is something new being birthed in the world.  It is my hope that we will embrace that calling no matter how frightening and unbelievable it may be, after all, this is where we may best discover who God intends us to be.

As I end my term let me also thank the many people who have supported the Moderator’s office these past two years in more ways that can be measured and acknowledged especially the Office of the General Assembly staff, the Moderator’s assistants and the countless Presbytery and Synod folks who helped arrange and support our travel.

And finally thanks to my family and communities of support especially my wife, Robin, and three daughters: Evelyn, Abby and Analise (all of us with a hand on the Moderator's Cross above); the church I serve, Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco and the extended communites in my life: school, family and online.  Words cannot express my gratitude for your patience, grace support that have helped to make this journey pretty amazing.

What's next . . .

• Please feel free to connect with the new Moderatorial Team: Moderator, Cindy Bolbach and Vice-Moderator, Landon Whitsitt.  They are still getting settled in, but you can find them on their Facebook Page as well as on Twitter at @cbolbach and @landonw. For invitations and other moderatorial business, you can eMail the Moderator's Assistant, Joyce Evans.
• As for me, if you would like to keep up with my future adventures feel free to connect with me on my blog, www.reyes-chow.com; on Facebook, BRC Page; or on Twitter, @breyeschow.  You can also find Byron on twitter, @bawade.
• Lastly, one of my final moderatrial duties will be to appoint folks to a few committees, the first of which will be the Middle Governing Body Commission.  There will be more out later as Cindy and I work out our process, but until then any interested folks should visit the OGA Website and fill out the application [HERE].  The Application DEADLINE is SEPTEMBER 1, 1020 2010.  Please feel free to pass this along to any and all who you think would be good for this group.

This has been a wonderful journey, thank for the privilege to serve as your moderator and my the peace of Christ be with you all.

Peace - Bruce

*As of this post, this blog will no longer be maintained, so if you would like to get in touch with me, please do so via any of the above contacts for me. 

GA Opening Worship Offering to go to: Fighting Human Trafficking, Launching Collegiate Ministries and Supporting Camps

 It is hard to believe that we are only a few weeks away from the start of General Assembly in Minneapolis.  For those of you who have attended General Assembly before, you know that one of the privileges of the of outgoing Moderator is to choose to whom the offering from the opening worship goes. this year I have chosen three three area/recipients for the offering representing international, national and local ministries of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

INTERNATIONAL: Human Trafficking //  Learn more at www.pcusa.org/humantrafficking. 

The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) is an alliance of over 100 organizations from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas working to address human trafficking from a human rights basis.  Members are direct service providers, human rights organizations, and groups of migrant workers, domestic workers, sex workers and trafficking survivors.  GAATW, whose efforts are supported by Christian groups and human rights foundations, researches and reports on human trafficking patterns and on the impact of anti-trafficking measures as well as advocates for the protection of the rights of trafficked and migrant persons through its members and its special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ESOSOC) of the United Nations. [www.gaatw.org]

Human Trafficking Roundtable. Human Trafficking is a complex, global and all too pervasive brutal violation of human rights. As US Ambassador Lou CdeBaca of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. State Department reminds us, “people are enslaved in every country.”  The PC(USA) General Assembly Roundtable on Human Trafficking provides resources, human trafficking awareness trainings and connections for presbyteries and local congregations as we witness to the fullness of life Jesus Christ intends for all.  To donate to the work of the roundtable, visit www.pcusa.org/give  and reference ECO Account # E- 052101 – “Human Trafficking Roundtable.” .

NATIONAL: Collegiate and Campus Ministry // The Office of Collegiate Ministries of the General Assembly Mission Council is launching two new ventures in 2010:

Presbyterian Student Advocacy Leadership Team (PSALT) is a team of college students and adults that will advocate for college ministry (www.pcusacollege.org) with two main intentions:

Help Presbyterian young people transition from high school to college by connecting them to, and encouraging them to become active in, local Presbyterian congregations or ministries in their college community.

Assist PC(USA) congregations to become attractive and available to college students in their community as well as their members who are away pursuing a college education.

To donate to PSALT, visit www.pcusa.org/give and reference ECO Account E-052104.

Presbyterian Student Fellowship (PSF) will be the first national identity for all PC(USA) college students. PSF will be for Presbyterian college students at any stage of their education and at any type of educational institution, whether or not they are a part of a Presbyterian campus ministry. Presbyterian Student Fellowship will exist to offer any PC(USA) student opportunities to be a part of the larger church by engaging in ministry with other PCUSA students, such as PSF sponsored spring break mission trips, a vocational call retreat, PSF regional events, etc.  PSF - Connecting to Christ and the Church by building bonds with each other. To donate to PSF, visit www.pcusa.org/give and reference ECO Account E- E052105.

LOCAL: Camp // Presbyterian Clearwater Forest – at Moderator Reyes-Chow’s invitation, the Committee on Local Arrangements recommended this camp and conference center located in Deerwood, MN as the local project. 

Presbyterian Clearwater Forest is a joint ministry of the host presbyteries of The Twin Cities Area, Northern Waters, and Minnesota Valleys, and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. This outdoor ministry site provides summer camp experiences for hundreds of youth each summer and thousands of adults throughout the year.  In recent years, Presbyterian Clearwater Forest has created spaces for prayerful and contemplative experiences for guests.  A Hermitage cabin and prayer labyrinth have been added to this already serene setting on 1,000+ acres of pristine Minnesota wilderness.  A Peace Garden is to be created adjacent to the historic stone mansion, Eagle Lodge, providing an accessible space for prayer and contemplation for guests.  Learn more about Presbyterian Clearwater Forest at www.clearwaterforest.org.

A pastoral letter to those affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster

This is a letter from Stated Clerk, Gradye Parsons, General Assembly Mission Council Executive Director, Linda Valentine and myself.  Lord here our prayer . . .

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. (A Brief Statement of Faith)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Grace to you and peace. We thank God in Jesus Christ for all of you. We are praying with you as the tragedy of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill unfolds. We grieve with you as we witness the destruction of life, livelihood, and environmental integrity in the Gulf of Mexico.

We are especially mindful of the families of the eleven oil workers who died when the rig exploded, and we continue in prayer for those who are impacted directly by this unfolding tragedy — those who live and work on the seas, service industry personnel, and countless others whose lives have been altered so severely. We also remember the many communities whose local economies have been, and will be, damaged. We are deeply saddened as we begin to grasp the extensive impact of this disaster on you and on God’s creation.

While the full impact of the disaster is not yet clear, know that you continue in our hearts and prayers. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) stands with you. In particular, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Environmental Ministries, Presbyterian Hunger Program, the Washington Office, and other ministries of the General Assembly Mission Council are assessing the situation and conferring with presbyteries and congregations in the affected areas to plan and prepare appropriate responses to this disaster. We call on Presbyterians to hold you in prayer and to support you in your rebuilding efforts.

May you experience afresh the love of God strengthening you, the hope and peace of Christ accompanying you, and the power of the Holy Spirit sustaining you this day and in all the difficult days ahead.

Bruce Reyes-Chow Moderator, 218th General Assembly (2008)	Gradye Parsons Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Linda Bryant Valentine,  Executive Director, General Assembly Mission Council  [Letter on OGA Website]

Offering prayers for those who lost their jobs this week

As many of you have heard, this past week 49 positions were eliminated from the staffing of the General Assembly Mission Council's nation staff this past week.  While there will be plenty of time to step-back and reflect on larger issues of the church as well as the complexities around this particular decision,  I think those who have lost their jobs deserve a time to be held in prayer by our community.

For those who lost their jobs this past week: friends, colleagues and faith servant all, Lord hear our prayer.

Please feel free to leave your prayers here.

For more information and details of the staffing changes, you can read the official press release or watch a brief video from Linda Valentine and Carol Adcock HERE.

Lord hear our prayer . . .

UPDATE 05.04.10 - PNS Update on Nashville Flooding.

There are just some days where the world's pain and destruction seems overwhelming.  We read the papers, watch the news or sit with people to talk about life, we know that there is so much that we simply need to offer to God in prayer and trust that God's reality is unfolding even in the midst of it all.

One of the reasons that I embrace being part of a denomination is that I do not have to personally know every single issue, disaster, etc. that is taking place in the world, but can do my part and trust that someone in our church is doing the same in other areas of the world and life.  

A great many things weigh on a great many people's hearts this day so if you would like to leave a prayer here - for healing or of blessings - for others to see and lift up along side of you please do.

Lord here our prayer . . .

• For all of those in TN that have been impacted by this week's floods, in particular Harpeth Presbyterian Church (pictured)
• For your creation and the recent Guld Coast oil spill.
• For churches and pastors in transitions of call.
• For those celebrating new life in relationships, children, employment and faith.
• For all who are suffering in mind and body this day especially a friend of mine who will be having a "radical bilateral mastectomy" this week.
• For folks serving in rural and small churches and the particular gifts and struggles that impact their ministries.
• For . . .

Please leave any and all prayers here if you feel so called and may the peace of our Lord, Jesus the Christ, be with you. - Bruce

Presbyterians Issue Statement on AZ Immigration Law

As many of you know, there has been a great deal of conversations about immigration and immigration reform within our church communities as well as at the national level.  Understanding that there is a great deal of passion and conviction about many aspects of our current immigration system and how best to engage in comprehensive immigration reform, the church must at times take a stand in the midst of the political discourse.  With the recent passage of immigration laws in Arizona, many Presbyterians have been seeking a response from your leadership.  Over the past weeks we have been discerning how best to respond in a way that holds to the mandates of General Assembly policy.

Below is a joint statement from myself; General Assembly Stated Clerk, Gradye Parsons and General Assembly Mission Council Executive Director, Linda Valentine.  Again, we understand that our approach to immigration must be multi-faceted and deliberate, but we wanted to respond with this first statement on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

On a personal note, I do know that many folks will disagree with our statement, but I believe this is consistent with our historic policies as set by General Assembly.  I also choose to be part of such engagement understanding that passionate people will disagree passionately, but also do so convicted by Christ that this is where we are called to stand at this time in the unfolding of God's reality.

For more information on PC(USA) Immigration Work, please visit http://www.pcusa.org/immigration/

April 29, 2010

Dear Members of Congress,

We write to express our conviction that you must enact comprehensive immigration reform this year. As people of faith and the leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we are keenly aware of the devastating effects our broken immigration system has on the lives of individuals, immigrant and non-immigrant families, and our communities. The bigotry, trauma, and fear that will result from the recent new law enacted in Arizona, SB 1070, which criminalizes those who are found “with” undocumented persons and requires law enforcement officers to identify and detain such persons, serves to underscore the necessity of action at the federal level.

Churches are on the front lines of caring for families being ripped apart by our broken immigration system. Traumatized citizen children left behind when parents are deported are but one example of the ways the current system destroys the fabric of community life, the integrity of healthy families, and the safety of individual persons. Church workers are also at the forefront of offering relief and services to immigrants, regardless of documentation status. Arizona’s new law will put at risk those workers and others who are called simply to offer the most basic of humanitarian assistance. As Christians, we cannot stand by idly while our brothers and sisters die on our borders from exposure and thirst or languish in poorly equipped detention facilities, nor should we be required to do so by any law.

The new Arizona law also puts in jeopardy the public safety of immigrant communities, already wary of law enforcement for fear of deportation. Instead of new laws that induce fear and distrust, immigrants should be encouraged to participate with law enforcement, reporting crimes when they are victims and offering testimony when they are witnesses. Such trust and participation is impossible if local law enforcement is tasked with enforcement of federal immigration laws. SB 1070 will only foster more fear among immigrant communities, regardless of documentation status. Comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level is essential to override and counteract the damage done in Arizona by this new law.

In the Scriptures of Christians and Jews, we are commanded, “When an immigrant resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the immigrant. The immigrant who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the immigrant as yourself for you were immigrants in the land of Egypt” (Lev. 19:33-34). The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) therefore supports congressional action in 2010 on comprehensive immigration reform that creates a process for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to earn their legal status; reduces waiting periods and upholds family unity; protects workers from exploitation; and provides efficient channels of entry for new migrant workers.

Sincerely,

Bruce Reyes-Chow
Moderator, 218th General Assembly (2008)

Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

Linda Bryant Valentine 
Executive Director, General Assembly Mission Council

219th PC(USA) General Assembly Committee Leadership

 A few weeks ago, I met with various General Assembly Staff in order to select the committee leadership for the 219th General Assembly.  This is a daunting task as I firmly believe that the committee leadership are vital in setting the tone for the committee work at General Assembly.

Not only did I take into consideration your input and my own personal interactions with folks, I also leaned heavily on the recommendations of Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly staff.  I am grateful for the fullness of our denomination and how we can lean on one another to do the work of the greater church.

The process itself is really interesting.  Not only do I have to follow the standing rules regarding representation of men/women, elders/ministers, Presbyteries, Synods and racial ethnicity, I also have to discern leadership based on the less obvious and more subjective traits of theological perspective, personality, etc all in the hopes to choosing moderators and vice-moderators that will be able to graceful lead a diverse group of people through the adventuresome waters of general assembly business.

So after about three hours of conversations, rule checking, prayer and my moving names between committees newsprint sheets, I finally came to leadership slate that I could live with. So it is with deep gratitude that I offer these names up for you to lift in prayer as they accept this call to lead the people of God in discerning the mind of Christ and the will of God at the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Bills and Overtures:

Moderator, Heath Rada (elder, Western North Carolina Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Aleida Jernigan (minister, Cascades Presbytery) 

General Assembly Procedures:

Moderator, Patricia Valentine (elder, Presbytery of the James)

Vice-Moderator, Olanda Carr, Jr. (elder, Charlotte Presbytery) 

Middle Governing Body Issues:

Moderator, Cliff Lyda (minister, Chicago Presbytery) as moderator

Vice-Moderator, James Belle (minister, Philadelphia Presbytery) 

Church Polity:

Moderator, Anne Epling (minister, Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Marcia Rich (elder, North Central Iowa) 

Church Orders and Ministry:

Moderator, Theresa Denton (elder, Middle Tennessee Presbytery)

K.O. Noonoo (minister, John Calvin Presbytery) 

Form of Government Revision:

Moderator, Tim Beal (minister, San Diego Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Jose Capella-Pratts (minister, San Juan Presbytery) 

Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations:

Moderator, Michael Livingston (minister, New Brunswick Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Zitta Chapman (elder, Palisades Presbytery) 

Mission Coordination:

Moderator, Julia Henderson (elder, Denver Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Robert Baker (elder, Western Reserve Presbytery) 

Social Justice Issues, Promotion of Social Righteousness:

Moderator, Theresa Cho (minister, San Francisco Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, John Arbuckle (elder, West Virginia Presbytery) 

Social Justice Issues, Exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the World:

Moderator, James Bender, Jr. (elder, Coastal Carolina Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Kristen Gerling (elder, Donegal Presbytery) 

Civil Union and Marriage Issues:

Moderator, Rick Nutt (minister, Muskingum Valley Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Karla Conditt Daniels (minister, Northeast Georgia Presbytery) 

Peacemaking and International Issues:

Moderator, George Lynch (elder, Pacific Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Sue Trei-Conrad (minister, Indian Nations) 

Middle East Peacemaking Issues:

Moderator, Karen Dimon (minister, Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Laurie Anderson (elder, Heartland Presbytery) 

Church Growth, Christian Education, and Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program:

Moderator, Mindy Douglas Adams (minister, Salem Presbytery)

Tom Letts (minister, Yukon Presbytery) 

Theological Issues and Institutions:

Moderator, Sharon Stanley (minister, San Joaquin Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Irene Pak (minister, San Jose Presbytery) 

Review of GA Permanent Committees:

Moderator, Kenneth Godshall (elder, Hudson River Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Leon Lovell-Martin (minister, Tropical Florida Presbytery) 

Board of Pensions, Foundation, and Publishing Corporation:

Moderator, Effie Bynum (elder, New York City Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Donna Misterly (elder, Riverside Presbytery) 

Health Issues:

Moderator, Ann Kelson (elder, Great Rivers Presbytery)

Vice-Moderator, Bonnie Brown (elder, Missouri River Valley Presbytery) 

Here are also a few more links of interesting.

• Leadership Press Release
• 219th Geneal Assembly Website
• My Unofficial 219th GA Twitter List (let me know if you will be there and I'll add you to the list)
• Top 5 reasons I am looking forward to GA

How to follow the Presbyterian Church (USA) delegation to Haiti

It is hard to believe that we are just a day away from starting our trip to Haiti.  Life is pretty hectic here at home as I try finish up some local church duties, spend time with the family and make sure my luggage is packed.  

I have just found out that I should be able to blog and tweet my way through our time,not sure how often, so it is my hope to keep folks engaged as much as possible in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Delegation's trip. The easiest thing for me to do is to blog on my general blog, www.reyes-chow.com, which connects to some other communication platforms.  You can also sign up to read it through EMAIL or add the RSS to your daily reader.  Also if you want more frequent pics and updates, I'll be twittering from @breyeschow.

There really is no way to know how often I will get to update you all, but I will do so as much as possible.

You can read a very brief first post, Haiti 2010: The Day Before.

Moderator Minute for Mission: What drives the Immigration Issue?

Throughout my travels as I have been attending conferences and visiting ministries, I have invited folks to send me short write-ups on their ministries and, with the understanding that, as I was able, I would post them on this blog.  My hope in doing this is by no means to touch upon all ministries with a Presbyterian connection, but only to gives glimpses of the breadth and depth in which we engage in ministry around the world.

One of the locations that I will not able to attend because of my trip to Haiti is the Synod of the Southwest's Crossing Borders Event [PDF Flyer].  In the course of the discourse about my withdrawal from this event, I made contact with many folks who have been active in both local and national immigration advocacy and action. One person is Presbyterian Pastor Rev. Trina Zelle from the Interfaith Alliance for Worker Justice in Arizona.

Here are some of Trina's thoughts on immigration . . .

Three years ago this month, I went to Altar, Sonora, Mexico, with a church group. Altar is a small community 60 miles south of the US/ Mexico border where people gather before beginning the long walk through the southern Arizona desert to el Norte and hoped-for jobs. During our stay, we visited a huéspederia, a place where people stay for a night or two as they prepare for their journey.  I was struck by the large number of young faces I saw there and stricken by thoughts of what lay in store for them. We spoke together through our translator for awhile and then we joined each other in prayer:  for their safety; for the well being of their families; for an end to this ongoing crisis.  

On the drive back from the border to Phoenix, as huge, white prison buses passed me on the road, it occurred to me that a lot of people were making money off of these, and other migrants. From the coyote networks that recruit and transport – and often abandon them in the desert, to our bulked up border security apparatus; to politicians and TV personalities who build careers by fanning fear and hatred, to the private prisons that hold them, to the transportation companies that deport them, to the employers who underpay them if they pay them at all.

Three years later, immigrant misery is still a growth industry for my state and this nation as a whole. If anything, the hatred and fear has gained an even stronger foothold.  I believe that as persons of faith, we tolerate this situation at our own souls peril.  We also need to be as wise as Jesus told his disciples to be.  A lot of people are making a lot of money keeping things the way they are.  Any discussion about immigration needs to recognize this fact.  It is not simply a matter of debunking myths and setting aside misconceptions and prejudices (important as these things are) but confronting the economic interests that have succeeded in making a difficult  situation even worse and guaranteeing its continuation.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has been engaged in immigration issues for decades and in the current discourse on immigration and c we are continue to be a prophetic and thoughtful voice in a sea of unhelpful rhetoric.  From working with immigrant communities on our borders and around the country to working on comprehensive immigration reform, Presbyterians have been involved for a very long time.

So, what about you . . .

• How is your congregation, presbytery, synod or individually, how you all are - or are not - engaged with immigration issues in your communities: working with families, government involvement, advocacy, etc.?  
• Are there issues that you think folks should be aware of that are part of the immigration dialog?
• Are there other groups, links and resources you would suggest for those seeking more information?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and remember to check out the Presbyterian Church (USA) immigration site for resources, liturgies and other advocacy resources.

219th General Assembly Committee Leadership Selection

As you know, one of the privileges the the Office of Moderator holds is to select committee leadership for the following General Assembly.  With commissioner lists being finalized, it is that time of the year and in a few weeks, I will gather with Office of the General Assembly staff and we will fill out the very complicated matrix that is General Assembly Committee Leadership.

For those that have been to General Assemblies in the past, you know that the committee moderators and vice-moderators are both extremely important in their role AND extremely complicated in their constitution.  Committee leadership is important because these folks moderate and guide the work of the committee.  Things can always change and shift as the committees begin to work together, but like anyone who runs any meeting, they play a pivotal role in setting a good tone for the work ahead.  And when it comes to making sure that we are balanced and representative around he many ways that we exist: gender, race, age . . . you can imaging the chart that exists.  I am grateful for the staff who will help me in tracking and making good choices.

So this is where you come in. I need your help in lifting up people that you think might be strong committee leadership.  First, please keep in mind that there is a formal recommendation process which takes place through your Presbyteries, so please contact your Stated Clerk for more information.  While I will also receive input from General Assembly, Synod and Presbytery staff, what I am looking for from you all is to get more information and suggestions to add to the pot.  What I need from you is to send me the following information about any commissioner that you believe would be an effective moderator:

• How do you know the commissioner?
• Why you think that this commissioner would be an effective moderator?
• Does this commissioner have any known affiliation/s with any Presbyterian-related advocacy group/s?
• Any other information that might be helpful to know.

Please email all information to me BY APRIL 4, 2010: breyeschow+ga219@gmail.com.

Presbyterian Delegation to Haiti: April 12-19, 2009

This April 12-19, a small group of folks will be traveling to Haiti on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (USA). We will be meeting with some of our local mission co-workers, partner sites and official global church partners.  Needless say that I expect this to be an intense trip.  I am sure we will see things that will shock as well as inspire, but am hopeful that the Spirit will do what the Spirit will do and, on your behalf, we can share the support and solidarity that we have with all impacted by the earthquake.

I will share more over the next few weeks as we prepare for the trip, some of the ways you might continue to get involved as well as some inquires about some of the commitments that I had to back out of after choosing to be part of this delegation. Thanks for joining on this journey.

Here are a few links: Haiti extra-commitment offering options | Post on the Presbyterian Disaster Assisant work in Haiti | Mission Co-Worker Mark Hare's Blog 

ITINERARY

April 11 – Travel day to Florida
April 12 – Meet with Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin, Episcopal Diocese of Haiti (EEH) bishop visit St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children, Port au Prince (PAP)
April 13 – Visit Hopital Sainte Croix / Holy Cross Hospital (EEH), Leogane
April 14 – Travel day to PAP and Papay
April 15 – Visit Fondama Mouvman Peyizan Papay / Papay Farmers Movement and mission co-worker Mark Hare [bio/blog]
April 16 – Visit Vocational Schools (EEH), Cap Haitien
April 17 – Visit St. Barnabas Agricultural School (EEH), Terrier Rouge
April 18 – Sabbath Day, Worship with EEH, Cap Haitian
April 19 – Return home

DELEGATION

• Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator, PC(USA)
• Doug Welch, Mission Partners and Programs, World Mission (WM)
• Bob Ellis, International Health and Development, WM
• Ruth Farrell, Presbyterian Hunger Program, Compassion, Peace and Justice
• Pix Mahler, partnership facilitator for Haiti, WM
• Bill Simmons, Medical Benevolence Foundation
• Maria Arroyo, South America and Caribbean, WM

That's it for now.  There are many questions and issues to address in my own preparations, but if you have any areas or topics that you think would be good to address here, please let me know and, if it makes sense, I'll blog about it.