April Assembly Highlights
Faithful Friction: Turning Tension Into Faithful Witness
We continue in our 2026 theme: Faithful Friction: Turning Tension into Faithful Witness | Eradicating Systemic Poverty.
Our April Assembly focused on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) – The PC(USA)’s ministry of socially responsible, faith-based investing through corporate engagement. MRTI reflects the church’s commitment to aligning its financial resources with its mission, advocating for practices that honor God’s justice in the world.
Our special guest, Simon Doong, taught us about MRTI during the Sermon and Generative time. Simon Doong serves as the Associate for Corporate, Community and Church Engagement for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Faith-Based Investing and Shareholder Engagement.
Translation Services
Denver Presbytery has partnered with the Community Language Cooperative of Denver as part of our commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and language justice. We are grateful for the opportunity to help ensure that all participants can engage more fully in our shared discernment and decision-making by providing interpretation services at Presbytery Assembly.
Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
The Rev. Loye Troxler welcomed the presbytery to First Presbyterian Church in Englewood and introduced Mary Canzona to bring the Land Acknowledgement.
We are grateful for such a powerful Land Acknowledgement from Mary, an Apache woman who has served First Presbyterian Church of Englewood as the Office Manager for 23 years.
New Presbytery Assembly Commissioners
The Assembly also celebrated the presence of several new ruling elder commissioners representing congregations across the Presbytery, including Montview Boulevard, Wellshire, First Presbyterian Church of Brighton, and Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Churches. Their participation reflected the shared leadership and connectional nature of the Presbyterian Church, as elders from diverse congregations gathered to worship, discern, and engage in the work of the Presbytery together.
New Pastoral Leaders
Rev. David Hogue, Moderator of the Ministry Relations Committee, welcomed and introduced four new ministry leaders to the Presbytery of Denver during the Assembly. The Presbytery celebrated the addition of Eric Snyder of First Avenue Presbyterian Church, James DeMent, Interim Pastor at St. Paul Presbyterian Church, Joseph (Joe) Chu, newly serving as Stated Clerk for Denver Presbytery, and Josphat Ombacho, Commissioned Pastor for Neema New Worshipping Community. Members warmly welcomed these leaders and gave thanks for the gifts, experience, and ministries they bring to congregations and communities across the Presbytery.
Thank you Worship Leaders for a wonderful Assembly Worship!
Denise Moore, Jordan Shive, Chris Wineman, Pat Queen, Nancy EdmundsOUR SPEAKERA huge thank you to Simon Doong for delivering a sermon that was both challenging and deeply insightful. Simon bridged the gap between our faith and our finances, educating us on the importance of mission responsibility through our investments. His message on 'faithful friction' reminded us that following Christ isn't always about avoiding conflict, but about leaning into the difficult spaces where our faith meets the world's realities. It was an empowering reminder that even our investments can be a form of ministry.
Lead Presbyter Report | Dee Cooper
We have experienced Holy Week, natural disasters, war in the world, and heard from our astronauts about their experiences in space. From space, it is evident how interconnected we are and how much we need each other. This serves as a reminder of how it felt when we were released from being locked down during COVID and how much we cherished being together again.
As the Presbytery transitions to a mobile office, we will continue to prioritize intentional in-person events. The staff will be even more visible through a variety of well-planned gatherings.
Anne Bond was invited forward and honored for her service as the Stated Clerk pro tem.
Clayton Thomas | Presbyterian Investment and Loan ProgramThank you to Clayton Thomas of the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program (PILP) for sharing an encouraging report on the ministry and impact of PILP across the denomination and within the Presbytery of Denver. The presentation highlighted how PILP partners with congregations to support ministry growth, property development, and financial stewardship through lending and investment programs that strengthen the church’s mission and future.
A special moment of celebration came as four congregations within the Denver Presbytery were recognized for achieving “full rebate” status — an acknowledgment of congregations whose participation and investment with PILP have generated the maximum available rebate benefit for their churches. The recognition celebrated faithful stewardship, strong partnership, and the ways congregations are helping support ministry not only in their own communities, but across the wider church as well.
Blessing of General Assembly Commissioners
The Assembly took time to bless and pray for the Presbytery of Denver’s General Assembly commissioners and staff who will travel to Milwaukee this summer for the 227th General Assembly of the PC(USA). Commissioners include Beth Carlisle, Raafat Girgis, Grace Blackstock, Cleve Dixon, and Kiersten Hill. Raafat Girgis was unable to attend due to a New Worshiping Communities gathering, and Grace Blackstock was absent because of finals week at CU Boulder.Staff members Dee Cooper, Joe Chu, and Fernando Rodriguez were also recognized and prayed over as they prepare to support the work of the wider church. The assembly offered prayers for wisdom, discernment, safe travel, and faithful leadership in the days ahead.
Servant Leadership Development Committee (Committee on Representation)
Thank you, Bill Davis and Nancy Dixon, for their report. The Presbytery is currently seeking nominations for a female ruling elder to serve as the next Vice Moderator (clickhere to learn more and apply), as well as members for the Relations and Connections Team. Pastors are encouraged to nominate gifted leaders from their congregations for these important roles. Learn more about these roleshere.
Generative Time
Thanks as well to Simon Doong for leading the MRTI Generative Time, assisted by volunteers Chris Wineman, Sheri Fry, and Nancy Edmunds, who helped facilitate the live Q&A and interactive exercises. Participants were introduced to the work of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) and explored how faith-based shareholder advocacy can be used as a tool for justice, accountability, and corporate change.
The session moved beyond lecture into hands-on learning. Through case studies involving companies like Meta, ExxonMobil, and Hershey, participants worked through real-world scenarios using MRTI’s corporate engagement strategies — including letters, dialogue, shareholder resolutions, and long-term relationship building with corporations. The generative format encouraged young adults to think critically, collaborate in small groups, and wrestle with the tensions between faith, finance, environmental responsibility, labor justice, and ethical technology.
Especially meaningful was the opportunity for participants to engage directly with experienced advocates during the live Q&A, asking questions about how faith communities can influence corporate behavior and public policy. The conversation highlighted MRTI’s commitment to using investment as an expression of Christian witness and social responsibility, helping participants imagine practical ways the church can pursue justice in the economic sphere.
Fiduciary Stewardship Committee
Thank you to co-moderators Sharon Blackstock and Mike Norris for their report on Presbytery investments and the ongoing work of faithful stewardship. As part of their report, Mike shared an overview of the Presbytery of Denver’s investment portfolio, which currently totals more than $7 million in managed and reserve funds that support the presbytery’s ministries, grants, congregational support, and future planning.
A key guiding principle highlighted in the report was the Presbytery’s commitment to socially responsible investing and its recognition of the work of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI). Since adopting its investment policy in 2019, the Finance & Property Committee (thanks to the direction and work of Pat Queen, former moderator of FSC) has maintained a policy of avoiding direct investments in organizations included on the church’s divestment list, while acknowledging the complexities of broader fund holdings such as index funds.
The report also connected financial stewardship with the church’s larger witness and mission, emphasizing that investments are not only financial tools, but also opportunities to reflect Presbyterian values around justice, accountability, and responsible corporate engagement.
Acknowledgements
A special thank you to Rev. Loye Troxler, Mary Canzona (Land Acknowledgement), Denise Moore (organist), Barry Mayhew (tech and A/V), and the entire team at First Presbyterian Church in Englewood. We are so grateful for your warm hospitality and for providing such a welcoming space for our community to gather.
