Advocacy 101: What you missed
This year’s Annual Leadership Retreat was Advocacy 101 presented by Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, Executive Director for the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness. It was held November 8—9, 2019 at Highlands Presbyterian Camp and Retreat Center.
“Reformed theology teaches that because a sovereign God is at work in all the world, the church and Christian citizens should be concerned about public policy”, says Rev. Hawkins.
Friday evening Rev. Hawkins introduced the theological and biblical foundation for why Christians are called to be advocates for the voiceless. Saturday morning he reviewed both local and national issues that Office of Public Witness and the local presbyteries are actively working on. The last session was an in depth look at the issue of immigration justice and how the local congregations & presbyteries can become involved in the issue.
In addition to the 3 keynote sessions we also had a vespers service Friday night and a closing worship service with communion Saturday afternoon.
There were 27 in attendance, but here is what attendees said about their experience:
“Jimmie’s info about the Office of Public Witness and his rationale for why we need to do advocacy as Christians was very good.” “Excellent weekend—such an important issue.”
“Wonderful program and the food was particularly delicious!
“Jimmie did a great job of jazzing us up. My hope is that the momentum will continue and we will begin as a presbytery and as congregations to do more advocacy.”
Thank you to Nancy Dixon, Diane Ritzdorf, Denise Shannon and Maria Shupe from the Leadership Workgroup for their work to bring this amazing opportunity to Denver Presbytery. THANK YOU!!!
Presbyteries of Zimbabwe & Denver Partnership: Traveling Together
Denver Presbytery hosted 4 delegates from the Presbytery of Zimbabwe from October 9 thru October 24: Rev. Lydia Neshangwe, Rev. Tafadzwa Kasere, Rev. Simba Agushito and his wife, Doreen. The Agushitos were the recipients of the 2019 “long leave” (rest and renewal) grant of the PZDP prior to joining the delegation (September 24 – October 8).
Our partners preached in the following host congregations: Bethel, Green Mountain, Calvary, Peoples, Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, First Englewood and Wellshire. They met our Presbytery staff members, learned about the Enneagram in a workshop taught by Rev. Dr. Holly Heuer, participated in the Fall Gathering of Presbyterian Women at PCOC, toured Central Visitation and New Genesis, met with our Mission & Ministry Work Group and Mission Partners focused on Zimbabwe, immersed in the history and current day life of Denver’s African American community, spent long hours in conversation with their home hosts about real life and real ministry where we each live, work and worship.
We also participated in a conference in Austin, TX, hosted by the Zambia, Zimbabwe & Mozambique Partnership (“ZZM”), which is part of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. There were about 40 people there. We met representatives from congregations with connections to the church in those 3 countries, as well as representatives from Zambia. PCUSA’s World Mission leadership was there, as well as our Mission Co-Workers in Eastern Africa, Paula Cooper, and Southern Africa, Doug Tilton. The conference presented 4 themes for education and discussion: Theological Education, Communication, Sustainable Livelihoods, and HIV and AIDS. To have voices from the US as well as Zambia and Zimbabwe made for a rich exchange.
We were the only Presbytery Partnership present – the others were from individual congregations primarily from Grace Presbytery and Mission Presbytery. Our model was of great interest – and received requests for phone calls to talk about it further. I want you to know, Presbytery leadership, that being part of the outward looking church is life giving. With the structures of church as we’ve known for our lifetime are shifting, stretching, breaking sometimes, mending, it’s easy to hunker down and close the circle. Denver’s commitment to stay open and in partnership not only across our Presbytery, but beyond, was affirmed as a real message of hope. Thank you!
During the October 22, 2019 Assembly, the delegation presented Denver Presbytery with a statue representing:
Two heads…two separate partners from different contexts and different environments
Joined arms…the unity of purpose that joins us and keeps us together in partnership
Same color…we have so much in common
Common base…in God we live and move and have our being
Knicks & scratches…our imperfections and the challenges that come along the journey of partnership
Mountain View United Church Received Force for Good Award
Mountain View United Church, Aurora, Colorado received the Force For Good Award from the Interfaith Alliance (TIA) of Colorado on Monday, October 28, 2019. “2019 honorees have taken measurable action for radical love and justice in the past year,” announced TIA.
Mountain View United Church nurtures beloved communities of belonging, inclusion and justice. Nathan Hunt, Director of Economic Justice, TIA, noted that Mountain View United Church, “is a congregation that lives its faith through concrete actions of justice in their community. These are the Christians that I have been searching for since my youth, Christians who feed day laborers, provide overnight hospitality for homeless women at a sister church, partner with refugees, and advocate for immigration reform and safe gun laws. Mountain View United Church is the first congregation to join our Congregational Land Campaign to leverage their 2-acre vacant land for safe, inclusive, community-based, affordable home-ownership in the Metro Denver area. The congregation has joined with Habitat for Humanity to build townhomes for working families and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
Reflecting upon the evening, Roberta Coss, church member remarked, “I am proud of our little church that “does” what we “say” we do! A church of approximately 60 people that is mighty and small, reminds me of the quote from Sister Teresa, “We know only too well that we are doing nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” Bob Jordan, Church Council Chairman, shared, “The Force of Good Award introduced me to all the wonderful people living and acting in radical love in their hearts. It made me more aware of the groups and individuals that I can learn to model.”
The other 2019 Force for Good honorees are Representative Dafna Michaelson Jenet, and 9 to 5 Colorado.
Congratulates Mountain View United and Rev. Dr. Tracy L. Hughes!
October 22, 2019 Stated Assembly Meeting
A special thank you to the volunteers, staff and ministers of Wellshire Presbyterian Church for hosting the October Assembly Meeting. Your hospitality and warm welcome were much appreciated! The music was amazing and we appreciated experiencing your new worship space!
Adrian Miller of the Colorado Council of Churches provider the word and left us all yearning for the mac n cheese recipe with no cook pasta! Do Tell! He left us inspired to to the impossible.
STAND UP | SPEAK OUT | LEAD!
Watch and listen to Adrian Miller, Executive Director of Colorado Council of Churches preaches before our Assembly, based on Ezekiel 37:1-14.
New Faces at Presbytery Office
Sue Pilcher, Treasurer
During the August Assembly at Church of the Eternal Hills in Tabernash, Presbyters voted on the recommendation to elect Susan Pilcher as the Treasurer. Sue, was elected to serve as Treasurer for a three-year term effective August 10, 2019. Elder Pilcher is a member at Grace and has previously served on Presbytery Council. She is the Chief Financial Officer of SafeHouse Denver with responsibility for all finances, accounting, reporting and budgeting functions as well as working with auditors and banking institutions.
Sue can be reached by email: treasurer@denpres.org.
Alan Lane, Accountant
The second new face you will see on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Presbytery Office is our newly hired in-house accountant, Alan Lane. Alan is a graduate of Texas Tech and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1985.
Alan can be reached by email at accounting@denpres.org.
Julia Henderson Named Interim Director of Assembly Operations
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Ruling elder brings experience and energy to new role
Rick Jones | Office of the General Assembly - October 19, 2019
BALTIMORE
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of the General Assembly has announced that Ruling Elder Julia Henderson has been appointed interim director of assembly operations, effective November 4. Henderson is stepping into a vacancy created by Tom Hay’s recent departure. Hay retired last month after 11 years in the position.
“I come to this work with a great love for our denomination. It is a love that has grown deeper through each point of connection I have had to a General Assembly,” Henderson said. “At the conclusion of the most recent General Assembly, I told our Stated Clerk, the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, that I have never felt more proud to be a Presbyterian due to the work that was accomplished in St. Louis. I am incredibly honored to be appointed to this role.”
Henderson will oversee the planning and execution of all logistics connected with the 224th General Assembly meeting in Baltimore next year. Henderson is no stranger to assembly work, having served as a member of the Committee on Local Arrangements for the Denver assembly in 2003. She has also served as moderator of the General Assembly Procedures Committee at the Minneapolis assembly in 2010 and also worked the General Assembly docket desk at the St. Louis assembly in 2018.
“We are excited to have Julia join our team,” said Kerry Rice, OGA’s Deputy Stated Clerk. “We believe she will bring energy and excitement to this role as we look toward the 224th General Assembly.”
Henderson will continue the role through July 2020. Meantime, the search will continue for a permanent replacement with hopes of filling it in time for the gathering.
Click here to read on PCUSA.