New mission co-worker commissioning

“World Mission new co-workers and long term volunteers appointed in 2009 and 2010 will be acknowledged at a commissioning service that will take place during the General Assembly meeting in Minneapolis on July 8th,” stated Nancy Cavalcante, Mission Services Recruitment Coordinator.

The General Assembly voted to increase the number of mission co-workers in 2008. Total personnel engaged in World Mission currently exceeds 200 serving in approximately 50 countries.

“We estimate that, given adequate funding, we would seek to recruit 70 new mission co-workers in response to the requests of global partners and in fulfillment of our strategic plan,” stated Hunter Farrell, Director of Presbyterian World Mission. “At any given time, we have more than 100 people "in process" applying for mission service. We receive 300-400 information requests a year from Presbyterians about mission service through World Mission.”

If you have an interest in serving internationally see a list of open positions or call (800) 728-7228, x 2530.

Presbyterian Women assists ministry to children in Iraq

The Kindergarten and Childcare Center in Kirkuk, Iraq, will be one of the recipients of Presbyterian Women's 2010 Birthday Offering. The Center, operated under Christian principles of love, peace, tolerance and nonviolence, is a welcome institution in its Middle Eastern context. In its fourth year of operation, it already has requests for enrollment that far exceed its current capacity of 150 students and hopes to expand and add a primary school on a nearby property.

The Birthday Offering grant will help fund the purchase of its present kindergarten building and a neighboring building to house the primary school. The offering is a Presbyterian Women offering collected in the spring of each year to celebrate the blessings in the lives of Presbyterian Women. Watch a video and read more →

Presbytery is raising $2 per member for world mission

Earlier this year Shenandoah Presbytery, a 110-church presbytery in northern Virginia and West Virginia, presented Presbyterian World Mission with a check for $11,000 as a contribution to its Second Mile mission worker support program. This was the first installment in a commitment to raise $2 for each of the presbytery’s 17,000-plus members. The presbytery hopes to raise the final installment of $23,000 by the end of this year. “It’s pretty simple when you think about it,” says Homer Cornish, chairman of the presbytery’s Worldwide Ministries Committee. “What it amounts to is giving up a couple of cups of coffee or a couple of soft drinks. Not every day, but just one time. It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up." Second Mile program gifts are designated to an ECO account, E132192, established in response to the 2008 General Assembly calling for expanding mission personnel. To give or for more information on how your congregation can start its own campaign, contact Bruce Whearty at (800) 728-7228, x5157. Read more →

500 'house churches' scattered throughout North Korea serve Korean Christian Federation

Once home to 14,000 Christian churches—all were destroyed in the Korean War — North Korea now has just three church buildings, two Protestant and one Catholic. But there are 500 “house churches” scattered throughout the country — the lifeblood of the Korean Christian Federation (KCF), which claims about 15,000 members. In April several U.S. Presbyterian guests (Linda Valentine, GAMC executive director; Rev. Insik Kim, retired area coordinator; David Hudson, current area coordinator for Asia and the Pacific; Luke Asikoye, associate for international disaster response for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance; and Jerry Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service coordinator) visited a house church, worshiping with a congregation of 10 in an apartment in the capital city of Pyongyang.

Thankful for the PC(USA)’s longstanding support for the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula — first expressed by the 1986 General Assembly, Dr. Cho said, “The PC(USA) is very well-known to Christian believers in Korea and is well-loved for your support of peaceful reunification. We hope and pray the PC(USA) will continue its efforts.”

Colombia accompaniment program acts as ‘circle of protection’

During Holy Week this spring members from the PC(USA) and the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC) met in Colombia to evaluate the five and a half year-old accompaniment program. Among the findings: the program should definitely continue, and it will do so according to a plan of action that focuses on expansion and increased publicity and promotion of the program.

The program, a ministry of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship was founded with the goal of creating a "circle of protection" for the IPC and its partners through the unarmed accompaniment of members of the PC(USA). For more than 40 years Colombia has been embroiled in a violent civil war that has led to the forced displacement of millions. The U.S. "accompaniers" stand in solidarity with the IPC and act as international eyes.

One major change proposed for the future is to expand the program to other presbyteries in Colombia. Now accompaniers generally work with the Presbytery of the North Coast, based in Barranquilla. But representatives from Central and Urabá, the other two IPC presbyteries in Colombia, have also expressed interest in having accompaniers. In March the accompaniment program trained its 101st accompanier. Mamie Broadhurst and Richard Williams are the PC(USA) co-workers whose ministry is helping to implement this program. Support their work and learn more →

Go deeper into mission with monthly Webinars from Presbyterian World Mission!

June’s Webinar is “Ask and tell! Building mutual accountability into your partnership.” How do we build accountability into our mission relationships, and what does it mean to be mutually accountable? How does culture shape the meaning of mutuality and accountability? This Ask and tell! Webinar will explore the nuances of creating and sustaining mission partnerships with shared responsibilities for communications and projects.The webinars are live conversations with missionaries, church partners and mission initiators. You can participate from your home, office, neighborhood Starbucks or wherever you like to access the Internet. Recordings of past webinars and additional information are also available online. A monthly podcast provides background stories on the same topic.

Mission Briefs

Presbyterians Today features World Mission
The May issue of Presbyterians Today is all about "renewing the vision" for world mission.  Included are an article "We're better together" by Hunter Farrell, an interview with Doug Dicks in the Middle East, a look back at our mission heritage by Michael Parker ("From haystack to heroic"), and more — articles about Forman Christian College in Pakistan, Alice Winters' work in Colombia, and opening doors in Vietnam. An issue to keep — and share. See more.

World Missionary Conference
The World Missionary Conference, Edinburgh 2010, June 2-6, is a commemoration of the centenary of 1910 World Missionary Conference. It will provide new perspectives on mission for the 21st century, with a focus on nine key study themes, including foundations for mission, mission spirituality and authentic discipleship and seven transversal themes.

Mission network meetings and upcoming events

• Brazil Mission Network, June 15–17, Atlanta, Ga., Contact: Maria Arroyo, (800) 728-7228, x5315
• Ghana Mission Network, June 28–30, Kalamazoo, Mich., Contact: Debra Braaksma, (800) 728-7228, x5916
• Malawi Mission Network, August 12-15, South Bend, Indiana, Contact: Debra Braaksma, (800) 728-7228, x5916
• Mission Advocates and Mission Network Leaders Joint Event, September 30–October 2, Louisville.  RSVP online. [You must be a member of Mission Crossroads to access this page]
• Consultation and Encounter: the Presbyterians of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon at the Near East School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut, November 5-19, 2010. Register by August 15 through co-sponsor The Outreach Foundation | Email