THURSDAY
August 29, 2024
August 29, 2024
In this edition . . .
Announcements
August Birthdays
Video Message from the General Presbyter, Rev. John Molina-Moore - September Presbytery Meeting and Discussion around Overtures
From the Desk of Rev. David Baer, Stated Clerk – More about the Discussion around Overtures
From the Desk of Rev. Tara Spuhler McCabe, Director Congregational Development & Mission –Modeling the Results of the Landscape
From the Desk of Heather Deacon, Director of Business Affairs – Hospitality at In-person Meetings
Ally Training
September 10-11 – via Zoom
Understanding Gaza: Political Context and Theological Challenges w/ Rev. Mitri Raheb
September 10 – New York Avenue Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Women Fall Gathering: Mental Health of Youth
September 14 – Saint Mark Presbyterian Church
Missional Incubator Events
September 19 – Who – Ridgetop Coffee and Tea, Sterling VA
October 21 – Why - Ridgetop Coffee and Tea, Sterling VA
November 16 – What - Ridgetop Coffee and Tea, Sterling VA
January 29-31 – Missional Entrepreneurship Immersion – Riverside Presbyterian Church / Ridgetop Coffee and Tea, Sterling VA
Stewardship Kaleidoscope – Real Tools for Real Ministry
September 23-25 –Portland, OR
Affordable Senior LGBTQ+ Affirming Housing Panel Discussion
September 25 – Clarendon Presbyterian Church
Global Mission Network Partnership Grants Proposal Deadline
September 30
Healthy Boundaries Training
October 9 – National Presbyterian Church
Celebrate Dr. Laddie Bell’s 30 Years of Music Ministry
October 13 – Northeastern Presbyterian Church
Next TM Deadline – Monday, September 9
Upcoming Presbytery Meeting – September 24, 2024
• IN-PERSON meeting at National Presbyterian Church, Washington DC with stream option
• Schedule:
o 3:00 PM (doors open at 2:30 PM) – Discussion regarding GA Amendments
o 5:00 PM – Business Meeting begins (see NCP staff messages in this TM regarding the meeting)
• Registration will open one week prior to the meeting on September 17.
• Packet will be posted no later than Friday, September 20.
• Check the Presbytery Meeting page for updates – (may be found in the “green” box from the front page of the NCP website)
You are invited to the Presbytery-wide Installation Service AND State of the Denomination (Panel with OGA’s Stated Clerk, Rev. Jihyuh Oh) – October 19 - See Flyer Invitation
From the Committee on Ministry (COM):
• The 2025 Pastor Compensation Policy has been posted on the NCP website under Documents > Committee on Ministry (COM) Documents > Compensation. In response to the Board of Pensions approval of a new medical dues structure which will take effect in 2025, NCP updated their policy. Within the policy document, look for "Appendix 1: Medical Benefits." This same appendix is also posted separately and titled, "Theological and Practical Guidance for Benefits Decision-Making."
To help with this transition, NCP’s Committee on Ministry and NCP staff have scheduled Q&A Zoom sessions with the last one on Thursday, September 12, 5:00 p.m.
The Zoom link: https://thepresbytery.zoom.us/j/88615438133?pwd=sUlJtyS3hynhwJ7DhQK8JbPJl1Wg6r.1
Meeting ID: 886 1543 8133
Passcode: 869584
For questions, please contact COM's administrative assistant, Rebekah Givens at comadmin@thepresbytery.org
• ATTENTION NCP Minister Members (NEW and SEASONED)! Teaching Elders of NCP are required to take two trainings: Ally Training and Healthy Boundaries Training (for HB - renewed every three years). REGISTER TODAY for both!
Ally Training: The Dismantling Racism Team of NCP invites Teaching Elders and members of NCP congregations, communities and friends for Ally Training on Tuesday, September 10 & Wednesday, September 11 from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM (VIRTUAL on Zoom). Click HERE to register.
Healthy Boundaries Training: The Ministry Relations Team (MRT) of the Committee on Ministry (COM) has scheduled the next training (IN-PERSON) for Wednesday, October 9, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at National Presbyterian Church (4101 Nebraska Ave NW, Washington, DC). Teaching Elders are required to take a healthy boundaries training AND renew every three years. Click HERE to register.
From the CDC and MCC:
Save the Date! NCP will be hosting a Presbytery-wide Youth Gathering on Sunday, October 27, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Open to 8th – 12th graders with NCP staff, Rev. John Molina-Moore and Rev. Tara Spuhler McCabe Let our youth see one another and play an epic Scavenger Hunt. Engage as a presbytery in Rise Against Hunger. Share some sacred time on being faithcentered youth. AND enjoy pizza together! Register HERE so that we may get an accurate headcount for food.
Welcome to National Capital Presbytery!
Rev. Amanda Kemery is a second career pastor, becoming an ordained minister in the PCUSA after a career teaching Special Education in both public and private schools. Prior to ordination, her call to ministry led her to serve in several roles and capacities including as a pastoral assistant, children's and youth director, and chaplain intern at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Most recently, she has served for the last 5 years as an Associate Pastor at Morningside Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA focusing on community engagement and family ministries.
Amanda is an Atlanta native and grew up attending Shallowford Presbyterian Church. After attending the College of Charleston for undergrad and living and working in SC for about 10 years, she returned to Atlanta to attend Candler School of Theology at Emory University where she received her MDiv in 2016. She is excited to join the National Capital Presbytery and serve as the Pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Purcellville, VA beginning September 10. 2024. Amanda made the move with her husband TJ and 3-year-old daughter, Emmie. While she is a self-proclaimed "city girl," Amanda is eager to enjoy the beauty of northern VA and all of the outdoor activities the area has to offer. She is minimally skilled but exceptionally enthusiastic about hiking, paddleboarding, and biking around the area with her family.
From the National Office
The General Assembly in Brief is available for download for use. The following is available to include in church correspondence as a bulletin insert or in newsletters.
For printed bulletins (booklet-style) - 0538-COM-GA Wrap-up.indd (pcusa.org) For online - ga226_inbrief_lettersized_08092024.pdf (pcusa.org)
The National Office sends a newsletter every so often called, “Mid-Council Relations.” There’s a helpful article, “Caution! The Danger of Borrowing from the Internet” - PC(USA) General Counsel Mike Kirk has provided advice about posting images copied from the Internet in your own publications. (The bottom line: be very careful, or don’t!) Be sure to read to the end for a related warning against identifying minors in photos that you have taken yourself. To subscribe to the newsletter , click HERE.
From Camp Hanover
Come to the Waters Women's Retreat October 4-5
Step out of your usual routine and gather near Camp Hanover’s lake this fall. Reflect on the gift and responsibility of water in connection to the places in our lives where we feel parched and distressed, and the places we find nourishment and refreshment. We’ll find time to rest and recreate, connect and be quiet, pray and play.
This weekend of faith and fellowship in the beautiful setting of Camp Hanover helps women get away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. We take care of the details, so you can relax and enjoy time away. Come alone, or with friends!
https://www.camphanover.org/womens-retreat/
www.camphanover.org/about/mvp
MVP Internship Program
Apply now to become a Camp Hanover MVP! MVP stands for mission, vocation, and practice. MVPs are paid interns who live and work at Camp Hanover for nine to twelve months while developing skills to help in their futures. Applications are being accepted now for the 2024-2025 year.
Clerk’s Corner
August 29, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
At this year’s meeting of the General Assembly, commissioners approved a number of amendments to the Book of Order for consideration by the presbyteries of the PCUSA. Each of these amendments requires the affirmative votes of a majority of the presbyteries, and so the work of discerning the will of Christ for the PCUSA continues, as NCP and other presbyteries take up the proposed amendments.
Two related amendments touch on how we describe the diversity of the church’s membership, and how we examine candidates for church office ministers, ruling elders, and deacons. (These proposed amendments are adapted from an overture originating in Olympia Presbytery, and if you came across any discussion of them before General Assembly, you may have heard them referred to as the “Olympia Overture.”)
At an NCP gathering to be held at National Presbyterian Church at 3:00 PM on September 24, before the Stated Meeting, there will be an opportunity to discuss these proposals. The presbytery will not be voting on these amendments in September. The purpose of this gathering is to offer a time for discernment in community well in advance of any action by the Presbytery. All members of the Presbytery community are welcome to participate.
In this Clerk’s Corner, I thought I would provide an introduction to the content of the proposed amendments, as well as how NCP would implement their provisions, should they be adopted and incorporated into the Book of Order.
The Proposed Amendments
The first amendment adds to the text of F-1.0403, “Unity in Diversity” (additions marked below in bold italics):
The unity of believers in Christ is reflected in the rich diversity of the Church’s membership. In Christ, by the power of the Spirit, God unites persons through baptism, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, geography, or theological conviction. There is therefore no place in the life of the Church for discrimination against any person. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall guarantee full participation and representation in its worship, governance, and emerging life to all persons or groups within its membership. No member shall be denied participation or representation for any reason other than those stated in this Constitution.
The first thing to note about F-1.0403 as it currently stands, and as it will remain, is that when it speaks of the “Church” (with a capital C), it makes a claim not just about the PCUSA, but about the universal Church of Jesus Christ. To be sure, these claims are put forward by Presbyterians! But they seek to capture what we understand about the nature of the whole Church, and not only our relatively small corner of it.
Within a larger section addressing the church’s openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, F1.0403 points to the diversity of the Church’s membership as a sign of the unity in Christ brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit and lists a number of conditions and aspects of individual identity, in order to illustrate this diversity. The proposed amendment would add gender identity and sexual orientation to this list. The existing language of F-1.0403 goes on to state that there is no place for discrimination in the Church, and that within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), participation and representation may be denied only in accordance with the express provisions of the Constitution.
The second amendment adds to the text of G -2.0104b:
Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (F-1.02). The council responsible for ordination and/or installation (G-2.0402; G-2.0607; G-3.0306) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of ordered ministry. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.0404), the Historic Principles of Church Order (F-3.01), and in the principles of participation and representation found in F-1.0403. Councils shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.
When persons are chosen to serve in ordained positions, they are to be examined. In the case of elders and deacons, the session conducts the examination. In the case of ministers, the presbytery does this.
As G-2.0104b currently stands, the minimum standard for such an examination is that it address the requirements for ordained service as expressed in the constitutional questions that are asked in the service of ordination or installation. The examination may also address the candidate’s qualifications in other ways.
The proposed amendment would add two new requirements to this standard. In addition to the ordination questions, the examination would need to cover F-1.0403, discussed above, and also the Historic Principles of Church Order expressed in F-3.01.
How would NCP implement these amendments?
NCP has entrusted to the Commission on Ministry (COM) the responsibility of conducting and (with some exceptions) approving the examination of persons for ordination to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament or for enrollment as minister members of the Presbytery. The examination process is spelled out in a policy document approved by COM, and includes five free-response questions for which candidates are asked to give written answers. These answers are reviewed by the COM’s Examinations Team, which then conducts a live interview of the candidate. All candidates are asked the same free-response questions, so that it is clear in advance what subjects will be covered, and so that the process of examination is uniform and consistent.
If the proposed amendments are adopted and incorporated into the Book of Order, the COM will need to revise its Examinations Policy to address the two new mandatory subjects to be covered. I
expect that these subjects would be covered by the free-response questions in a way that is consistent for all candidates for ordination or membership, and that we would continue to make these questions publicly available as part of the policy document on our website.
As someone who recently underwent examination by the Presbytery myself, and who in my role as stated clerk has seen number of examinations of candidates representing the rich diversity of those called to ministry in the PCUSA, I can attest to the value of our examination process. It helps us get to know new colleagues and begin to understand what gifts they bring to our shared work as a presbytery. It encourages us to engage with our sense of call and the confessional tradition of our denomination, and to bring these things into dialogue with our practice of ministry.
I look forward to being an interpreter and guide for you, my colleagues, as you begin a time of dialogue and discernment about these and other proposed amendments.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. David A. Baer, Stated Clerk
Greetings People,
Message
from Rev. Tara Spuhler McCabe, Director of Congregational Development & Mission
August 27, 2024
CLARITY COMMUNICATION CONNECTIONAL
These three concepts are what matter in being a TRANSFORMATIONAL Presbytery system. Your participation in the LANDSCAPE in the Spring has provided our mirror in where we are with energy and satisfaction with these three concepts!
1. There is sense of CLARITY in our shared vision as a Presbytery as we organize through our mission statement and respond to the needs of our pastors and congregations along with our decision-making processes
2. There is a sense of COMMUNICATION among our leaders within the Presbytery from our volunteers on Presbytery committees, Clerks of Session, and Minister Members of National Capital Presbytery, and commissioners when decisions need to be made.
3. There is a sense of CONNECTIONAL(ism) as a Presbytery among leaders of your congregations and pastors as we continue to respond to needs and opportunities for our congregations, so they can grow!
The results from your participation in the Landscape informs Presbytery Staff, Leadership Council, and Presbytery Committees that as a Presbytery, in the past ten years, we have responded to the needs very positively AND we need to keep doing this as a TRANSFORMATIONAL Presbytery.
In fact, we will continue to strengthen our best practices of CLARITY, COMMUNICATION, and being CONNETIONAL in several ways at our September Presbytery Meeting on Tuesday, September 24th Beginning at 3:00 PM, prior to the business meeting, we will model our three Cs in a discernment discussion regarding recent General Assembly overture, POL-0102 (parts 1 and 2). During the meeting, we will hold brief table discussions in response to the positive Landscape report AND follow up from the Dismantling Racism Team survey. WE are CONNECTIONAL!
Look forward to seeing you in September!
Peace and Courage,
Rev. Tara Spuhler McCabe
Message from Heather Deacon Director of Business Affairs
August 29, 2024
Greetings,
Despite what the temperature outside says, fall is coming! Don’t get me wrong, summer is great –but fall, fall is my favorite. Fall ushers in cozy scents, sweatshirts and football. It also welcomes a return to our routines – and that familiar hum of a good routine is music to my ears. I know I can’t be the only one, right?
As the Presbytery gears up for a new program year, there are many new things being tucked into our routines: The first round of Missional Incubator cohorts are starting up, taking up Book of Order amendments, planning for a new presbytery office, new committee structures, and the list keeps going. It’s an exciting time in the life of National Capital Presbytery!
One new thing that we are excited to roll out is the opportunity for churches to host hospitality at our in-person Presbytery meetings. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you, but Presbyterians love to eat and there is never a shortage of comments on the meeting evaluations about the snacks offered when we gather in person! We believe we’ve finally cracked the code, but we’d like your help in making that sustainable!
That sounds great, Heather - What does hosting look like?
Each meeting costs about $500 for fresh refreshments. The hosting congregation would sponsor that cost and would be acknowledged during the meeting and signage on the table. If members of your congregation would like to come and help with set up and replenishment, that would be wonderful as well. Presbytery staff will continue to place the orders and transport the refreshments.
If you are interested in hosting the September meeting, please reach out to me or Dina Bickel.
Blessings on the start to a wonderful program year!
Heather
• Required training for Teaching Elders and those who need itas an ordination requirement.
• Renewed everythreeyears.
• Connectwithcolleagues to form relationships and learnbest practices
