Reclamation
From a Pentecost sermon by Mark Achtemeier: "In times such as these, we need the witness of the church to show our country that it is possible to reach our hands across these deep divides of race and ideology and religion, that a peaceful and united human community is possible, that even deep- seated differences can be overcome by the power of self-giving love."
Communion of the Different
Covenant Network's Co-Moderator and Pastor of House of Hope in St. Paul, MN, David Van Dyde, shares a message about Pentecost.
Welcome to First Presbyterian, Wooster, OH
A fifth congregation recently affirmed the Call to Covenant Community in time to be featured in the summer edition of the Covenant Connection, along with the four most recent Covenant Congregations we welcomed in May.
25 Former G.A. Moderators Issue Letter to the Church
“Some of us have worked and prayed for this change to happen, and some of us have worked and prayed that the current wording in the Book of Order would hold firm. But all of us fervently hope that the church will move forward as a unified and missional expression of the Body of Christ.”
PCUSA Leaders Address the Church on the Approval of Amendment 10-A
"It is Jesus Christ who calls individuals to ordained ministries, and all those who are called to ordained office continue to acknowledge Jesus as Lord of all and Head of the church. It is this same Jesus Christ who is the foundation of our faith and to whom we cling."
Gratitude for the Passage of Amendment 10-A
As of May 10, 2011, the amendment to G-6.0106b proposed by the 219th General Assembly (2010) has received the affirmative votes of a majority of the presbyteries. The Covenant Network Board of Directors has issued a statement.
Nancy Enderle Named as Covenant Network’s Interim Executive Director
The Rev. Nancy Hutchison Enderle has been named Interim Executive Director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. She will begin her service in June, following the retirement of Founding Executive Director Pam Byers.
Tearing Down the Walls: More Than Tolerance
"Jesus showed us that you can bring who you are, all that makes you different, distinct, and unique, … all of your 'particularity,' bring it all into the household of God." (from this sermon by the Rev. Dr. Kenneth E. Kovacs, Catonsville Presbyterian Church.)
"Baptism is every Christian's ordination."
Rev. Dr. Dean K. Thompson, recently retired President of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, spoke in support of Amendment 10-A at the March 1, 2011 meeting of the Presbytery of West Virginia.
Once the Scales Fell, a Conference Sermon
"Our healing is wrapped up in one another. Apparently, that's the way God designed it." The Rev. Katie Morrison talks about the hard work of circling back, in her sermon preached at the 2010 Covenant Conference in Houston.
Reformation is never easy, unanimous, or noncontroversial
David Colby has provided some historical perspective on the difficulty of change in the church, in an article for The Presbyterian Outlook, "Reformation is never easy, unanimous, or noncontroversial."
A Letter of Support for 10-A
Across the church people are working together to spread the word about the merits of Amendment 10-A. In Coastal Carolina Presbytery a letter in support of 10-A was drafted and sent out prior to the March 26th presbytery meeting. Thanks to all who signed the letter and who persevere in hope.
SPJC Upholds Spahr Conviction for Performing Legal Same-Gender Marriages
The Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of the Pacific (SPJC) has upheld the conviction of the Rev. Jane Adams Spahr for performing marriages of same-gender couples during the period of 2008 when such marriages were legal in California.
Appeal of Jane Spahr Conviction Will Be Heard This Week
The Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of the Pacific (SPJC) will hear the Rev. Jane Spahr’s appeal of her conviction for performing 16 same-sex marriages in California during the period in 2008 when such marriages were legal, and “representing that [these] same sex ceremonies . . . were marriages of persons of the same sex.” The hearing will be held in Oakland, CA, on March 24.
2011 Covenant Conference!
RECONCILING: VOICES, VISIONS, VOCATIONSLearning to live out the ministry of reconciliation entrusted to us- in our church, our communities, and our world.Join us November 3-5, at First Presbyterian, Durham, NC
Covenant Congregation in the News
First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, one of only five Covenant congregations in Tennessee, was recently featured in the Johnson City Press as a leader in environmental awareness and advocacy.
Bible (Mis)used as a Weapon Then & Now
People have selectively used the Bible to prove their arguments throughout history, argues Henry Brinton, pastor of a Covenant congregation, in recent USA Today column. In the Civil War, it was used both to justify and oppose slavery. May we be making the same mistake today?