Fifteen Delegation Members from Denver, Wyoming & Heartland Presbytery visit The Border

Fifteen delegation members from the Denver, Wyoming & Heartland Presbytery have just returned from a trip to the towns of Agua Prieta, Sonora & Douglas, AZ. under the leadership of Frontera de Cristo, a PC(USA) Mexican- US border ministry. This border ministry is a partnership of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico & the PC(USA). Our purpose was to learn the realities of life in the borderlands among migrants, asylum seekers & communities. We walked & prayed along the U.S. side of the border wall as sun set behind the mountains. We experienced the very welcoming hospitality & worship with our host, the Lirio de los Valles Presbyteriana Church in Agua Prieta. We met with the staff and clients of the ministries of Frontera de Cristo & its partners serving asylum- seeking families- Douglas/Prieta Trabaja (a self sufficiency model for families living in poor neighborhood of Agua Prieta), CRREDA-a drug rehab center of addicts helping addicts and CAME- a hospitality center for migrants where we heard their stories. We walked in the desert where migrants have travelled encountering the waterless terrain, as well as had time with the US Border Patrol. We participated in Agua Prieta festivities & ended our time with Robert Uribe, the mayor of Douglas talking about the joys & challenges of life on the border. This PC(USA) border ministry encourages compassionate giving, receiving, learning, growing & spiritual illumination. We encourage you to experience it for yourself!

2020 Minister Minimum Compensation and Pulpit Supply Increases

At the October 22, 2019 Assembly, Committee on Ministry proposed an increase in the minimum salary for ministers in Denver Presbytery. It was approved by Presbytery.

The changes are as follows:

  1. The 2020 base minimum salary and housing in Denver Presbytery shall be$51,078 (3% increase of $1488/yr.) NOTE: These are revised each year.

  2. When a manse is furnished for the pastor’s use, the annual minimum for 2020 shall be $37,188 (3% increase of $1083/yr.)

  3. The "study leave" period minimum shall be two weeks, including 2 Sundays, maybe cumulative for 3 years.

  4. The "continuing education" minimum shall be $1000 per year (increased 2019).

  5. The annual vacation minimum shall be 4 weeks, including 5 Sundays.

  6. Churches shall be instructed on the importance of meeting pastor ministry and mileage expenses through an accountable reimbursement program.

  7. Churches in the Presbytery whose ministry location puts them in the area of extreme housing costs, are encouraged to find ways to face this burden. Such approaches may include "equity share" investments to reduce the cost of a monthly mortgage payment, purchase of a manse or other creative financing approaches.

  8. The funding of Board of Pension dues for plan participants should be determined by each congregation working with plan participants who elect optional coverage.Financial tools such as IRS Part 125 plans (healthcare reimbursement accounts,Health Flexible Spending Account, Health Reimbursement Arrangement, etc.) or other tools discussed in IRS Publication 969 may be useful to both parties as well as contacting the Board of Pensions.

  9. The Presbytery strongly recommends that each Session and installed pastor plan for a Clergy Renewal. If there is no plan for a Clergy Renewal, there are resources available to assist that conversation, and if the congregation has a Clergy Renewal (Sabbatical) Plan, it should be reviewed each year to be sure session, congregation and Minister are “on track”.

Approved: October 22, 2019

PULPIT SUPPLY INCREASE
During a recent Committee on Ministry meeting, changes to the guidelines for supply preaching were amended to recommend $175 to conduct of one worship service a Sunday and $225 for conducting two worship services on Sunday.

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!

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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!

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