A 15 Year Milestone

This year Denver Presbytery Celebrates the 15 Year Anniversary of our partnership with the Presbytery of Zimbabwe! If not for the pandemic, we would be welcoming delegates from Zimbabwe this month, and preparing to send delegates there. We would be having grand celebrations with excellent food and dancing! We would be sharing the work of our churches and welcoming delegates to preach in our pulpits.

Our connection with Zimbabwe can be confusing, especially if you are new to the Presbytery. One reason for this is that there are numerous Mission Partnerships connected to Zimbabwe. That is, several churches that have banded together around a specific mission in Zimbabwe such as: Zimbabwe Kidz providing clean water to schools, the Zimbabwe Mission Partnership supporting an Orphan Care Center, The Lomagundi Clinic Partnership providing healthcare through a local clinic, and the Nakai Task Force focusing on women’s health.

The one that we are ALL a part of is the Partnership between our Presbyteries! This partnership was formed 15 years ago with the primary emphasis being on building relationships between our Presbyteries. How amazing it is to be in relationship with brothers and sisters thousands of miles away and to learn from and support each other’s ministries!

A successful outgrowth of our partnership is the Central Fund which helps to fund business projects in Zimbabwe that support the mission of the Presbytery of Zimbabwe and provide supplemental stipends to the pastors. Some of the businesses run by their Presbytery include Vimridge farm and greenhouses, egg production, a cattle herd, and a fuel depot.

A huge way we stay connected is through sending delegates to Zim every year, and hosting delegates from Zim. In 2020, this was not possible due to the pandemic. We also have opportunities for short term service, where pastors and elders can serve alongside a Zimbabwean congregation for up to a month.

In lieu of sending delegates in person this year, we’d like to send a collection of video greetings! If you would like to record a short greeting to send please contact Barb Lyons at barb@covenantdtc.org

The Joy of Giving | Legacy gift addresses poverty, particularly for women and children

Rarely in my vocational journey have I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow Christian traveler for whom giving provided such profound joy. The Rev. Jane Hays was such a pilgrim. She gave from the heart. During her life, Jane’s generosity touched countless lives and left a legacy of love.

I met Jane in 2012, about a year after the death of her second husband, Bill Hays. Visiting with her in her modest Denver home always promised unexpected delights. Because Jane had the gift of hospitality, she usually served lunch in the garden room at the back of her house, as we spoke about our mutual passion for justice, particularly, for Jane, advocacy for women and children.

On one visit, we were joined by colleagues from Presbyterian World Mission. Jane was interested in World Mission’s work of eradicating systemic poverty globally, particularly for women and children. Jane’s late husband, Bill, had given her shares of Colgate Palmolive stock she wished to sell, with the intention of giving half to Presbyterian World Mission and splitting the remainder between two of her other passions in Colorado, the Lakewood Youth Center and Highlands Presbyterian Camp & Retreat Center. Since she intended for her gift to be at least $500,000, she said, if necessary, she would supplement the stock sale with a cash gift. The sale ultimately resulted in a gift to Presbyterian World Mission for just over $503,000.

When we expressed our deep gratitude for her generosity, she smiled. The wealth was not really hers, she said, “I am merely the agent, and I receive such joy from giving.” After Jane died in 2017, her estate provided funds to Highlands that made it possible for the camp to retire its mortgage.

When I reflect on Jane’s life, I recall her love of God, Christ’s church, family, community and neighbors.

From her involvement in Christian Endeavor as a young woman, where she met her first husband, Jim Huff, Jane developed an interest in working with young people. After miscarrying twice, she and Jim adopted three children. Their call to serve God led Jim to Louisville Seminary at age 40. Following his graduation, they accepted a call to serve the Presbyterian Church in Princeton, Kentucky, where Jim was pastor for only 3½ years before the chronic and debilitating consequences of diabetes forced his early retirement. Jane, Jim and their three children relocated to Winter Park, Florida. Soon after their move, Jim died following a long and painful illness, leaving Jane to raise their children alone. It was this experience that deepened Jane’s devotion to addressing the needs of women and children.

Five years after Jim’s death, Jane met and married Bill Hays, who had proposed to her as they both placed lilies on the cross during Easter worship at the Presbyterian Church in Winter Park. They moved to Colorado, where Jane entered Iliff Theological Seminary at age 55, later becoming one of the first women pastors ordained in the Presbytery of Denver. She once told me there were at least two before her. Her first call was as parish associate at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Lakewood, where she served until her retirement in 1995.

In my role in Mission Engagement and Support, I still have much to learn from Jane’s work and witness. She has inspired me to give more generously, and to never shy away from asking others about their passion for giving. This is how we are each called to live our lives. And, as Jane once told me, “The answer is always no if you don’t ask.”

René Myers is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s mission engagement advisor for the West region, Synods of the Rocky Mountains, Alaska-Northwest, Pacific, Southern California and Hawaii. Contact her at rene.myers@pcusa.org or 951-214-2679.

Transitions | A Letter from Our Assembly Moderator

October 12, 2020

Dear Denver Presbytery Members,

On behalf of your Presbytery Council, I am informing you that last week we voted to not renew or extend our Presbytery’s contract with Rev. Dana Hughes as our Transitional Presbytery Pastor.  Therefore, this contract will conclude as of October 31, 2020.  Council determined that the evolution of Rev. Hughes ministry and vision had grown incongruent with the overall needs of our Presbytery.  The Presbytery Council lacked confidence in her plan to conclude the visioning and transitional efforts in a unified and timely manner.  We have released her from all contractual duties and are providing her with three months of severance compensation.
 
We are grateful for Rev. Hughes’ two years with us and the ministry she provided to our staff, pastors, and congregations.  She provided us with leadership through our staff transitions, global pandemic, and civil distress while structuring our transitional and visioning activities.  Rev. Hughes served Denver Presbytery beginning at the end of October 2018 with an initial 12-month contract which was renewed for a second 12-months in 2019.  She will continue to be a member of Denver Presbytery in good standing. 
 
The Presbytery Council also voted this past week to seek an outside consultant to walk alongside us as we complete the outstanding efforts to define a vision for our future, evaluate our staffing and organizational structure, and provide recommendations for our future vitality.  We believe such a consultant will effectively guide our efforts and help us design an effective Ministry Information Profile to propel our Presbytery into a thriving future.
 
During this interim period, our Stated Clerk, Rev. Olivia Hudson Smith, will serve as the Interim Head of Staff.  Rev. Joel Adams, who serves as our Presbytery Associate for Congregations, will continue picking up more of the pastoral duties for our Presbytery. Our newest staff member, Rev. Fernando Rodríguez will continue to work closely with our New Worshipping Communities and other Mission and Ministry duties.  Until the end of my term as Moderator in January 2021, I will continue to moderate our Assemblies and the Presbytery Council.  Beth Carlisle, Chuck Sparks, and Sue Pilcher will continue in their roles and responsibilities as well.  Our Presbytery Pastoral Care Team will continue to provide pastoral care for pastors across the Presbytery. 
 
At our October 27th Assembly, we will continue to communicate with you regarding the roles each group within the Presbytery will take to assist in this transition, as well as our goals and objectives.  The Council met multiple times over the past week and will continue to do so to ensure that we address concerns in a timely fashion that arise from you and all members of this Presbytery.  We ask for your prayers for wisdom and discernment as we make decisions in the days and weeks ahead.
 
We know that we have a talented staff and gifted members in our workgroups and committees who we can rely upon to continue our shared ministry. Your Presbytery Council is confident that these adjustments will provide our Denver Presbytery, congregations, and Teaching and Ruling Elders with the best way forward for a successful transition.
 
With Grace and Peace,

Rev. Justin Spurlock
Assembly Moderator

PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE

Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash

As Presbyterians we value families and we know the importance of good social policy that supports families when extra care is needed to nurture a new child or attend to the needs of a family member who is ill. 

The Paid Family and Medical Leave Ballot Measure (Proposition 118) on the upcoming Colorado November ballot would establish an insurance program for Colorado workers allowing them up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for an ill family member or to bond with a new child.

Currently 80% of Colorado workers must choose between caring for a family member or loosing income. 

The Relations & Communications Workgroup, through Council, is encouraging friends and members of Denver Presbytery to give thoughtful consideration to this information when you mark your ballots in November. How can we, as Christians, support families by creating a state program in which workers can both take time to care for family members and continue supporting their family economically.  LEARN MORE→

Council Endorses Support of Ballot Initiative for Paid Family and Medical Leave

As Presbyterians we have affirmed the importance of supporting families. We can put this value into action in Colorado’s November Election.  The Paid Family and Medical Leave Ballot Measure would establish an insurance program for Colorado workers allowing them up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child.  Please take advantage of learning more about this ballot measure and consider voting for this measure when you vote your ballot.

An excellent opportunity to learn more about this measure will be at Together Colorado’s Civic Engagement forum (a Zoom event) on Thursday, September 10 (6-8 pm). There will both a presentation about the ballot measure and time for discussion and questions.

Information is also available on the Colorado Families First website. 

News from Neema African Presbyterian Fellowship

By: Rev. Joel Adams, Temporary Associate Presbyter for Church Development with Denver Presbytery

Someone asked me recently, “what do you love about your new job with Denver Presbytery?”  My response was easy, “oh seeing God at work in our new worshiping communities and congregations.”  I am encouraged by the many ways I have seen the Spirit at work both in the work of new communities, seeding and growing and in our established congregations.  This leads me to another part of my job I love.  I get to share with you how I see this happening.  So to start it off, I want to share with you some good news about Neema African Presbyterian Fellowship!

Early in 2015, the Reverend Jemimah Ngatia, the first female African ordained in the PCUSA, with a strong faith and hope in God, started her community with seven people!  In coordination with Rev. Joe Mares, then the pastor of First Aurora. They began a small gathering, hoping to reach the African and immigrant population arriving and growing in Aurora and Denver.  A year later, as this community grew they applied for a Seed Grant with the 1001 New Worshiping Communities initiative with the PCUSA.  They rejoiced when awarded this grant, which was then matched by Denver Presbytery!

If you know Jemimah, then it is no surprise she put that grant to work immediately and began to wonder with God what would be next.  In the coming years, the Spirit continued to bring African refugees and immigrants into this community.  Jemimah laughs when she tells you she “[I] can smell Africans arriving before they land!” and “I can tell people are African by the way they walk!”  Jemimah makes connections with folks in all sorts of ways and her heart for African immigrants and refugees is strong.  She loves to meet women in the grocery store and easily introduces herself!  Thanks to Jemimah’s leadership, the Spirit has grown this church into a vibrant, powerful new worshiping community!  

So when the community applied for the next grant with 1001 New Worship Communities, they were awarded $25,000 to support and encourage this wonderful ministry!  Denver Presbytery, through the Cultivation & Innovation Workgroup of Council, has matched this grant.  Additionally, Cultivation & Innovation is applying to the Hays Bequest for an additional $25,000 to support this community and its leadership.  The Hays Bequest was received from the Trust of Jane Hayes, a former member of Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church for the purpose of starting new churches and communities like Neema. 

The New Worshiping Community Lead Team which is a team within Cultivation and Innovation Workgroup, recently met with Jemimah.  The community continues to grow.  Jemimah has done a fabulous job of equipping and empowering leaders to share in the ministry of the church both in worship and outreach.  The community recently elected a leadership team which will carry out the ministries of the church and is the precursor of their session!  Eduard, is a pastor who fled the Congo to Rwanda and came to the United States to give his ten children an opportunity for education and a new life.   Eduard is a vital part of this shepherding ministry and as he continues to learn English will apply to the Dubuque Seminary Christian Lay Pastor/Ruling Elder program.  In the meantime, the Chairman Josphat has already begun his online studies in preparation to be commissioned as a Lay Pastor.  This means that Jemimah is actively developing leaders to carry this ministry into the future. 

The Neema Fellowship continues to find ways to reach out to the African community, through sports, music and building relationships.  They have a budding and strong youth group who is now in the process of purchasing instruments to start a youth worship band.  When you go to worship with Neema, you will find a Spirit filled, vibrant worship service, with great preaching.  Gabriel their treasurer is a teacher, and translates French and Swahili and other dialects with ease for all to be included in the service.  As always, Josphat and his wife prepare a feast fit for kings of wonderful African food for all to gather around the table. 

This pandemic has not slowed this community down for a second.  They have continued to work with their 1001 coach Rev. Bobby Musengwa. They quickly learned Zoom and have taken this as an opportunity to train their leaders in being Presbyterian, in stewardship and evangelism.  The women and men meet separately on Zoom for prayer and worship.  The youth meet on Zoom and of course they gratefully worship every Sunday afternoon.  Just this past Sunday, they experimented with an outdoor worship service held in a local park.  I am so grateful to tell their story, and to have this amazing, faithful community as part of our life and mission as Denver Presbytery! 

Want to learn more about Neem, Denver Presbytery New Worshiping Communities, you can reach Joel at joel@denpres.org.