'Fellowship' Within the Body of Christ
* A Word from our Co-Moderators *Several members of the Covenant Network Board and staff participated in the gathering in Minneapolis, August 25-26, of the Fellowship of Presbyterians.The tone established at the outset was one of warmth, kindness, and respect, and the articulated values included an appreciation for PC(USA) denominational staff, avoidance of stone-throwing, and a commitment not to speak or act out of anger.
Dr. Mary McClintock Fulkerson preaching at November conference!
We are delighted to welcome Mary McClintock Fulkerson to the leadership team for this year's conference.
Second Presbyterian, Richmond, VA, becomes a Covenant Congregation!
We welcome Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond, VA, whose Session recently signed the "Call to Covenant Community" and look forward to partnering with this congregation as we all live into the new reality of G-2.0104b.
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.