Partnering: Courageously Conspiring Together
Moderator Ruth McCollum Huff welcomed folx* to our Assembly Gathering at St. James Presbyterian Church. Vice-Moderator Chris Wineman shared our theme for this meeting: Conspiring…to create courageous relationships by moving from certainly to curiosity.
Welcome Rev. Dr. Laurie Ferguson
Denver Presbytery welcomed the Rev. Dr. Laurie Ferguson, our preacher and teacher for Assembly. Laurie Ferguson is an Executive and Leadership Coach who brings over twenty years of pastoral experience and a Ph.D. in psychology to her work. She specializes in helping individuals and organizations build resilience and reach their goals, drawing on her expertise in clinical, Jungian, and transpersonal psychology, as well as organizational development. A licensed clinical psychologist and Professional Certified Coach, Dr. Ferguson lives in the Hudson River Valley of New York.
Worship
Ruth McCollum Huff led our Land Acknowledgement.
Rev. Dr. Laurie Ferguson preached a sermon entitled Curious Yearning based on Luke 19:1-6. Laurie shared that in a time of disruption and disorder, fear can cause people to pull back, but curiosity offers a transformative alternative to overcoming challenges by breaking down barriers and creating meaningful connections. Laurie preached on the biblical story of Zacchaeus and Jesus to illustrate how genuine curiosity can help us move beyond mental shortcuts and truly understand one another. She recommended two key practices: slowing down to listen and sharing meals together. By practicing curiosity, we can build vital communities, bridge divides, and respond to uncertainty with grace and openness, ultimately creating authentic spaces for dialogue and understanding.
Jordan Shive led the Assembly in an interactive time of prayer using Aha slides which engaged folks on zoom and in person.
Thank you Worship Leaders for a wonderful Assembly Worship!
Laurie Ferguson (preacher), Jordan Shive, Blair Buckley, Liz Kuykendall-Kunz (Pianist), Rachel Stokowski (vocalist), Dee Cooper, gretchen Sausville, Ruth McCollum Huff, Chris Wineman, Judy Viccellio (Guitarist), Ann Butcher (liturgical arts).
Lead Presbyter Report | Dee Cooper
Dee explored vital congregations and the concept of creating courageous relationships within faith communities, using a powerful metaphor of elephants during an earthquake to illustrate how community members can protect and support each other, especially the most vulnerable (see youtube video here). She emphasized that survival is not about individual self-preservation, but about coming together, centering those in need, and resisting the isolationist tendencies of western culture and white supremacy. Dee invited faith communities to build connections that embody the Matthew 25 call to transformative love, mutual care, and collective strength in the face of fear and uncertainty.
Welcome New Minister Members!
Katie Palmer is Honorably Retired and transferring from Santa Fe Presbytery
Ann Hartman is a Member at Large transferring from Presbytery of Inland Northwest. Ann is a chaplain at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center & Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children-Denver.
Triennium Commissioning
Bethany Peerbolte and Kiersten Hill introduced the theme for Triennium 2025 As If We Were Dreaming, and then introduced and welcomed many adults and youth who will be traveling to Louisville, KY July 28-31, 2025 for Triennium. The Moderator and Vice Moderator led the Assembly in a liturgy of commissioning. Click here for complete list of delegation.
General Assembly Proposed Amendments & Ecumenical Agreement
The Denver Presbytery ratified the 12 Amendments to the Book of Order and the Episcopal/Presbyterian Ecumenical Agreement. For Reference, they are known as 24-A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M. All of these have been ratified by a majority of presbyteries, which was needed to make changes to the Book of Order.
Special Report of the Stated Clerk and Lead Presbyter| gretchen Sausville, Dee Cooper
The Stated Clerk and Lead Presbyter shared reports from their respective roles on a disciplinary process that took over the last 13 months. The reports will be included in the minutes of this meeting.
Generative Time Expressed through Communion
In Denver Presbytery we are committed to generative time in all our assemblies. At this meeting, we felt we could experience the generative- movement, connectional and bringing forth new connections within communion itself.
Time of Sharing | Terrariums
At the April 1, 2025 Assembly, The generative time invited the Presbytery to co-create, imagine, and actively participate in the ongoing transformation of our congregations and communities by working together to plant “terrariums”.
Terrariums were then taken home by an individual to care for them, and arrangements were made to return them to the May 20, 2025 Assembly.
Dee Cooper invited those who had returned with Terrariums to share about their experiences. Several members shared their experiences with caring for their terrariums, drawing parallels to their own spiritual journeys and the resilience of faith.
Celebrations
Congratulations to David Hogue, newly elected member of the Ministry Relations Committee Core Team as Vice-Moderator for the remainder of 2025, and as Moderator beginning in 2026.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Rev. Wayne Darbonne, the staff and many volunteers at St. James Presbyterian Church for your space, hospitality, and making room for all of us.
