Jacob said to Esau, “No, please; if I find favor with you, then accept my present from my hand, for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me with such favor.”

Genesis 33:10

I have not announced that Karen Sapio, pastor and head of staff for Claremont Presbyterian Church for 18 ½ years, has received a call as Executive Presbyter for North Central California Presbytery, which is the merger of Stockton and Sacramento presbyteries. Karen has been such a faithful leader for her church and her presbytery, I have wanted to share the news, but it all happened so fast, I couldn’t find the right time to announce the change.

So I apologize that you might miss her, because yesterday was her last Sunday with Claremont, and she starts her new call in November. If you want to reach her in the future, I fully expect that North Central California (or NCCP) will soon list her on their staff page at https://nccpresby.org/about- us/staff-specialists/.

In the worship service and at the farewell lunch, folks expressed appreciation for many of Karen’s pastoral gifts—her creativity, love of music, preaching, dependability, care, etc. But many people mentioned how their lives were changed thanks to Karen’s leadership and the ministry of the Claremont church.

Later that afternoon, I went to Interwoven to hear a member give the message—the first time he did so, at least at Interwoven. He referenced the story of Esau forgiving Jacob as he spoke of the way his family experienced a schism, and what it took for them to reconcile. His willingness to share so openly about a struggle that nearly all of us have experienced was healing and inspiring to everyone. One woman said after worship that she had almost given up on her family until hearing this message.

In both these churches I was struck with the impact of one faithful person, especially in the presence of other willing hearts. Since today is Indigenous People’s Day, it is timely to give thanks for Mona Morales Recalde, who tirelessly volunteers to speak her words of truth, faith, and mercy in educating folks about the first peoples of this land. With Mona and others, I have noticed how amazing things can happen through a string of one-to-one communications, often starting with just one person’s willing heart. I could see how God put seemingly random people in position to further God’s will in marvelous ways, but each individual had to take action for God’s plan to work. Some of the folks did extraordinary things, but most simply shared what they heard with others—and God’s plan moved forward. They just had to say “yes.” (Actually, God being God, even when we have to say “no,” that can open an opportunity for someone to step up—that’s what happened at Interwoven, as Harlan was called away and needed someone to preach.)

I’m sure we’ve all experienced those moments when we wonder if we should step forward in faith, or speak out a word of hope, or compassion, or justice. There are also moments when the problems of the world seem so huge, we dare not hope for a change, or we think no one will listen. Well, I’m here to say that amazing things can happen, if only all of God’s people practice bold obedience in allowing God to work through us. And may we be surrounded with other willing hearts, that we can all take our parts in God’s plan. Thanks be to God!

With thanks for your faithfulness,

Wendy

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

As I write this column we are coming up on World Communion Sunday, though when you read this we will have just celebrated it. World Communion Sunday is a good reminder that we are connected through our faith to people all around the world. In September I was reminded of this connection through visits and visitors. We both brought and received good news and good tidings and heard how peace and justice are being promoted throughout God’s beloved community.

During the second week of September Via International hosted a small group from our water purification system team during a day trip to Tijuana. We met at Casa de Luz migrant shelter where we discussed and envisioned a water system that would provide clean drinking water for the many international migrants who find temporary shelter in this place and for the Migrant Kitchen run out of Casa de Luz which provides meals every Sunday for people at Border Church on the Tijuana side of the wall. We had a chance to work on the plan collaboratively with Manuel, the water system distributor; Irving, the director of Casa de Luz; and Aida, a Via International staff member. The input from each of these partners continued to improve the plan as we talked things through, so that by the time the visit was over we had a good, practical design.

Upon leaving Casa de Luz we went with Aida to another location where Via International has been given use of an existing building where they will be opening their own migrant shelter for women and children. We toured the soon-to-be shelter and walked through the large grounds and adjoining 6-story building that houses an orphanage, a chapel, and rooms for lodging Via International work/study groups. Via International has invited our Presbytery to partner with them in their new endeavor as is appropriate, so we are in discussions as to what that might look like.

During a month each fall the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program welcomes International Peacemakers from all regions of the globe to share their stories with Presbyterians around the U.S. These International Peacemakers visit churches in hosting presbyteries and those of us who attend their presentations come away more knowledgeable as to current realities and often challenged to figure out how we can engage in the broader struggle they and their communities are facing. We were fortunate to have two International Peacemakers in our region this year.

Right in the middle of September SGP had International Peacemaker Rev. Hiheon Kim from South Korea in our midst. He shared some of the history of Korea, including its division and questioned why foreigners had been given the right to divide his country. His message ultimately called for a peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula, and we are asked to join in praying for this.

In the second half of Sept. Frances Namoumou, the International Peacemaker from Fiji, was with us. Her focus was the climate crisis, environmental stewardship, and climate migration management from the perspective of a resident of an island nation. We learned how strong the connection is for indigenous islanders to the land and sea where they live and their ancestors have lived, and why this is the case. We learned that for islanders the sea rise is not seen as vertical, but as horizontal because horizontal distances of land are disappearing. Frances told us stories of communities that have already had to leave their ancestral homes and the challenges they face. Her work with the Pacific Council of Churches has her traveling to communities throughout the Pacific doing the best she can to help communities that are losing their homes contemplate what’s next. We were encouraged to do what we can to reduce climate change at all levels.

On September 30 Joseph Russ, the PC(USA) Coordinator for Migration Issues, Advocacy, and Mission in the Northern Triangle of Central America spent the evening at Claremont Presbyterian Church. Joseph was a vital player in coordinating the launch of the Mesoamerican Migration and Mission Network, which I and several other members of the Presbytery attended in March. He remains engaged with the Network Leadership Team and works on education and advocacy opportunities along with partners throughout Mesoamerica.

What a rich world community we are fortunate enough to interact and partner with. Have a good, blessed week!

In peace,

Wendy

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, Jesus said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 3:33-34

Sometimes, when Christians talk about compassion ministries, they seem to reserve their compassion only for their own. I’ve heard of churches (not Presbyterian ones) that have food pantries, but only serve their own church members. Within our Presbyterian circle, folks will often point out that some Palestinians are Christian, and therefore should not be killed. While I’m sure they aren’t consciously thinking it, they seem to imply that with the Palestinians who are not Christian, it would be okay that they are being killed.

There are Christian traditions that tend to exclude non-Christians, or even anyone who is not part of their sect. I have never understood that to be a practice for Presbyterians. I was raised to believe that no Christian tradition is able to fully reflect the Gospel, so we respect that our ecumenical partners can do God’s will and reach out to different folks in ways we cannot. Some churches will connect with people of other faiths and even people of no faith in order to do God’s will; crises often have a way of tearing down barriers of theology or ideology.

This last week I have seen ways we are connecting with people outside our Presbyterian family to do greater things than we can do alone, especially in our efforts to be good stewards of Creation:

• Indigenous people are sharing their wisdom about care for the environment; many are not Christian after witnessing too much evil done to them in the name of Christ, while we in San Gabriel Presbytery have long enjoyed a relationship with the Gabrieleno-Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, some of whom practice Native traditions and their Presbyterian faith.

• Frances Namoumou, the International Peacemaker from Fiji who visited us this last week,spoke of the Pacific Islander view of the “three-legged stool” that leads their society: culture, faith, and government. Her work is with the Pacific Conference of Churches, and they work with secular public officials and acknowledge pre-Christian beliefs in order to support and organize people impacted by climate change. She joked that though she is Methodist, she is thankful to be able to work with Presbyterians as well, as reversing the growing crisis ofclimate-related disasters requires the help of all people.

• Veronica Ota, who recently graduated from Princeton Seminary and is under care of ourCommission on Preparation for Ministry, has received a significant grant that is enabling her to visit countries on multiple continents to learn how they are practicing creation care through their own cultures, religions, and traditions. As she learns the ways culture and religion inform attitudes towards the environment, she will be better equipped to connect with people and faith communities of different backgrounds in her future creation care ministry here in the US.
• The Justice, Peacemaking, and Mission Committee (JPM) has been working with a youngwoman and two environmental attorneys to confront a company that is illegally dumping solid waste in outlying areas around Southern California. Though the young woman used to attend Menlo Park Presbyterian Church as a youth, she is not connected with the church now. Theattorneys are secular, though the lead attorney shared with me that as a Catholic he has beenvery impressed that the Presbyterian Church is not afraid to challenge injustice and abuse in the world, which he sees as living out our faith.

As we open ourselves to God’s leading and connect with the people God puts in our path, amazing things can happen. Recently Mona Morales Recalde shared that as Cheryl Prentice, former executive director of La Casa de San Gabriel, shared some oral history with the JPM Committee via Zoom, Mona’s headphones stopped working, so she used her computer speakers. Her father heard Cheryl talking about the old days at La Casa, and after the meeting he and Mona spent hours talking about the ways La Casa offered a safe and supportive environment for him, especially when Native Americans were facing active persecution. And when we first met with the young woman and attorneys regarding the illegal dumping, we invited Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, the Mission Catalyst for Pacific Presbytery. Right after that meeting she went to Pacific’s Creation Care Committee meeting and shared what she heard. One of the members of that committee had been working with the leader in responsible waste management for years, and said they had suspected there was illegal dumping but did not have any proof. Through God’s actions—and our willingness to listen and connect and act—we were able to make a crucial connection between victims of environmental injustice in low-rent neighborhoods, attorneys near Washington, DC, and scientists seeking to stop the devastation of toxic fires and contaminated water from illegal dumping in LA County.

Some of us will ask how many of these people will be coming to worship on Sunday. Some of us will say that the church needs to take action outside the walls of the church. And some of us believe that God’s people are led and taught to recognize God’s will through faithful worship and preaching—and we are called to reflect God’s glory by bringing what we’ve discerned into a hurting world.

May we live out our faith in obedience to God, and may we be bold to partner with whoever God brings to us to further God’s will for this earth. Let us follow Christ’s call beyond the familiar, that we may do great things in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In faith,

Wendy

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making God’s appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:18, 20

This idea, of us being ambassadors for Christ, is a favorite of mine. I like to think about how, upon our baptism, we are made citizens of the realm of heaven (sort of like a citizenship ceremony)—no longer bound to this world, but belonging to God’s world. That would make every one of our churches an embassy for the kin-dom of heaven, as we are safe refuge for other citizens of heaven, and an outpost, a representative, of this invisible world we inhabit.

We often begin this ministry with food, at tables shared by everyone—the communion table, the potluck table, the food pantry table. But in our Presbytery meeting on Tuesday, one of our guests, John Williams, spoke about how his organization, the Center for Restorative Justice, the recipient for this last meeting’s offering, is seeking to go “beyond the table,” moving from comfortable places of individual conversation to community mobilization. Through several immersive experiences, cohorts and other approaches, the Center is seeking to be agents of reconciliation for Pasadena, and for all of Southern California. You can learn more and sign up for upcoming experiences at their website, https://www.cfrjustice.org/. And you can give your offering, designated for them, by going to https://sangabpres.org/donate/ and using the dropdown menu to go to “Presbytery Offering.” You may give now through September 30.

As I mentioned last week, at this Presbytery meeting we were able to hear from our new worshiping communities, Interwoven and Live Oak. Both of these groups are connecting with folks of all ages and cultures with fresh approaches to ministry, including joyous worship and engagement with the community. Though many of the folks are new to the Presbyterian Church, they resonate with the ways we connect our faith, our belief as formed through the Bible, our love for each other and the world, and our response to Christ’s call for compassion and justice. We tried to give you a glimpse into their communities through video—I hope most of you were able to hear them (I could not—but it seemed to be a transmission problem on my end). If you want to experience them, you are always welcome to worship with them—Live Oak on Sundays at 11 am in Temple City, and Interwoven on Sundays at 4 pm at Eagle Rock. And the Presbytery voted overwhelmingly to continue funding for

them, and to request funds from the Synod as well. One note: both pastors, Harlan Redmond and Andrew Ritiau, shared how church planting is not for the faint of heart, and both of these very gifted pastors are managing many different issues related to being a new church, as well as doing much of what an established church does. So I ask you to pray for them, and let them know you’re thinking of them. Both of them have their physical church home, but both properties are in need of repair, so for instance at this meeting the Presbytery voted to support Live Oak’s application for a $175,000 PILP loan for a new roof, and Interwoven continues to work with the Eagle Rock Administrative Commission to find the most expedient route towards getting that property in a more workable condition.

In this meeting, the Presbytery also approved the pastor compensation minimums for 2025. The Executive Commission had already approved COM’s recommendation for benefits coverage in light of the changes at the Board of Pensions. I want to be very clear, because it seems like there’s been some confusion: the Presbytery expects the church to pay for coverage for the pastor and family.

That is not optional, unless you ask for an exception from COM. What is optional is whether you get the coverage for the dependents from the Board of Pensions. We connected with a licensed insurance broker who can work with churches to find cost-effective ways to provide suitable coverage for the pastors and their families; see the updated resources section for more information on benefits, and the 2025 minimums. And you can contact the following people if you have questions, because the deadline for making any changes is October 4:

• Questions about the Board of Pensions, contact Kristin Leucht at kleucht@pensions.org.

You can also access the calculator to cost out various Board of Pensions scenarios at https://www.pensions.org/decision-guide/

• Questions about the Presbytery’s policy, contact Cyndie Crowell at cwcrowell1001@gmail.com or Wendy Tajima at wendytajima@sangabpres.org
• Inquiries about alternative sources of coverage, contact Martha Gonzales at Martha@chminsurance.com; 626-345-1994 phone; or 562-896-4196 cell.

We have been honored to host two International Peacemakers, Rev. Dr. Hiheon Kim and Ms. Frances Namoumou. Frances is with us now, and Hiheon was with us last week. He gave a very compelling pre-meeting presentation on the recent history of Korea, especially on the causes for the division of the Korean peninsula and the relationship with the United States. I will try to give you access to the recording of his presentation soon. Due to time constraints, he could only share a brief summary of his work for peace in Korea, but it was wonderful to be able to hear him. See the MMU for Frances’ remaining speaking dates; I think it’s Wednesday at 11 am at Shepherd of the Valley and then at 3 pm at Pilgrim Place.

We also heard from our General Assembly Commissioners, RE Melinda Forbes and TE Deidra Goulding. Both of them found their experiences as commissioners to the GA extremely rewarding; Deidra even stated that she hopes to go again, as soon as the next GA, which will be in Milwaukee in 2026. The Office of the General Assembly and “Unified Communications” (one of the first signs of the move towards merging OGA and PMA, the Presbyterian Mission Agency) produced a booklet sharing highlights from this GA.

Finally, for the first time in a long time we were able to have short conversations with other presbyters through breakout rooms. We have some really interesting, committed, faithful, and gifted members in this Presbytery, and I’m always glad and impressed to hear from them!

This Presbytery continues to be a place of faithfulness, relationship, and forward-thinking ministry, and this meeting showed that beautifully! And there continues to be more opportunities to partner with folks with complementary ministries, so stay tuned!

Still with gratitude and wonder,

Wendy

I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Isaiah 43:19a

Tomorrow night we will meet on Zoom as a Presbytery. Please remember to pre-register so you can get the Zoom link. While we are able to hear from International Peacemaker Rev. Dr. Hiheon Kim for just a few minutes during the meeting, there will be a separate Zoom meeting at 5 pm tomorrow, when Rev. Kim can give his full presentation on social justice and peace. You don’t need to pre-register for the 5 pm session, just go to the link below to join in. The meeting will end by 6:30 at the latest, so there’s plenty of time to hear Rev. Kim and then get ready for the Presbytery meeting. Here’s the Zoom link for Rev. Kim’s 5 pm presentation only:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85324614355?pwd=xKfoj8v3JAKe1IEXkc5IGh3hzSgyFz.1

 Meeting ID: 853 2461 4355
Passcode: 251837

And speaking of getting ready for Presbytery, you are invited—urged—to participate more fully in the meeting by having your own version of bread and wine for our online communion, and going to https://sangabpres.org/donate/ to give your offering. You may give now, and through September 30. In the meeting we will hear from John Williams, the Executive Director of the Center for Restorative Justice, the recipient for this meeting’s offering. Be sure to look around their website, https://www.cfrjustice.org/. They have already done some very impactful history tours, and they are planning some great new explorations in 2025.

The Center for Restorative Justice is a relatively new organization, established in its current form in 2016. Two new ministries of San Gabriel Presbytery will also be reviewed tomorrow, as we will hear highlights from this last year of growth and learning at Interwoven, now in Eagle Rock, and Live Oak Community Church, in Temple City. What an amazing blessing for us to support and walk alongside these exciting new ministries!

While the Bible speaks of God’s new thing, God’s people are reminded of the on-going covenants that God has made with us. We cannot forget all that God has done for us in the past, nor are we to throw out the Bible in search for a new word. We are not to resist God’s new thing, but I believe that we are able to celebrate new things because we know that God has proven to be faithful in the past, and we have seen how God’s wisdom and mercy far exceed our worries. And the fact is, there are treasures in the traditions of the church that can inform and inspire new generations in the faith. The key is to give our new worshiping communities—and all our churches—the freedom to try new things as God guides them, and not constrain them by requiring that they follow the path that has worked for us.

In both new ministries—Live Oak and Interwoven—this is evident. Their leaders are young, but they have great respect for elders and history. Both have many young members and families, but they also have older folks who participate regularly in the ministry. Their worship music sounds fresh, but at times they will sing classic hymns in their styles. Hearing the hymns that formed my faith (and the faith of countless others), but with a new beat, demonstrates this revival of the past in a beautiful way that moves me almost to tears. The new ministries are also connecting with the Presbytery. As an example, Interwoven sent the most people to participate in our June Day of Service of any congregation, and this coming Sunday they will hear from International Peacemaker Frances Namoumou. And Live Oak will host our November Presbytery meeting!

There are some wonderful new things that God is doing in San Gabriel Presbytery. There are, of course, challenges, and even the new things are vulnerable. We are trying to respond to new things like the new Board of Pensions program. And we continue to face new challenges in our congregations and in the life of San Gabriel Presbytery.

So I hope you can join us tomorrow and witness some of the new things God has put in our midst, and give encouragement to those breaking new ground, and join our hearts in prayer for God’s continuing care and guidance for all the ministries we have committed to Christ’s mission in this little corner of the world, at this moment in time.

God is certainly doing a new thing in San Gabriel Presbytery. May we give thanks to God, and continue to be a support to all who are seeking God’s new thing in our Presbytery family. See you tomorrow.

With gratitude and wonder,

Wendy

Then Jesus turned to the host. “The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out . . .”

Luke 14:12-13 (The Message)

Next week is our September Presbytery meeting! The meeting is on Zoom, so please remember to pre-register. I look forward to seeing you all there. We will hear from Rev. Dr. Hiheon Kim, International Peacemaker from Korea, our General Assembly Commissioners, and Interwoven and Live Oak new worshiping communities.

As it happens, I’ve had the opportunity to speak about GA a few times this summer. I’ll be glad to hear from our commissioners, Deidra Goulding and Melinda Forbes, because their experience is much more intense than mine, of course—but also because though it’s only been nine weeks since it ended, it seems like a lifetime ago! 

Like with any report, different audiences respond to different elements of the story. For instance, at a typical congregation, very few people have been to a GA, and only a few more understand or connect with what happens there. For others—Monte Vista Grove, for instance—nearly everyone has been to at least one GA, if not many more! For them, GA is a regular touchstone to reflect on the state of the denomination.

For 2024, the lasting memory of this GA was the joyous celebration of the PC(USA) as a faith community that has become a place of welcome and acceptance for people who have not been welcomed by most Christian churches. One story I often recall came from one queer young person who grew up in the Presbyterian Church and thanks God that they have always been loved and affirmed as they came more fully into their identity. Another came from a pastor who saw someone new who took communion, a transgender woman who might have been homeless. She later shared that this was the first time in 20 years that she felt like she could receive communion, because this was the first church where she felt like she could.  

One data point that I have also mentioned was shared at the very beginning of the GA, that the membership of the PC(USA) will dip below 1,000,000 at some point this year. 

For those who remember the PC(USA) as 5,000,000 strong, this is shocking. But for those who are just happy to find (and be) a church where all are welcome—and one with the resources to continue in relative comfort—this is a good moment in the life of the denomination.

An astute leader in the church asked what this GA said about evangelism. I honestly don’t remember the word being used much, but I suggested that much of what the denomination is trying to do right now—starting new worshiping communities, being more open to people beyond our traditional demographic, and taking action on issues that are most critical for our next generations—is our strategy of evangelism. New people are coming to our churches, but most of them did not grow up Presbyterian, and don’t have the same understandings of how to “do” church.

This is good news, but also gives us cause for concern. I have seen the challenge of trying to be a Presbyterian church when the leaders do not understand the system, or the church cannot afford to cover the budget through their members’ offerings. We are likely losing money as a denomination as we lose members—and money and members, along with the Gospel and the land we own (though taken from Indigenous people whose voices are even more silenced), are the most valuable assets that support the church’s continued existence.

So the familiar story of God’s party invitation list feels more real than in the past. We can feel comfortable and pat ourselves on the back when our pews are almost full of cradle Presbyterians, with space for one or two outliers to make ourselves feel like we’re an accepting, diverse church. But what happens when the folks coming in are really only there for the free lunch, or who feel entitled to speak their mind even though they can’t afford to give much for offering, or when some of the only people available to serve on session cannot read, let alone read the Book of Order?

In the foundational principles of the Presbyterian tradition, there is a small note about the extent of our faith as a church body. It was stated in a way that was easily missed before, but when the Book of Order was rewritten a dozen years ago, it was presented in a more compelling way. In the section describing the church as the body of Christ, F-1.0301 begins with this:

The Church is the body of Christ. Christ gives to the Church all the gifts necessary to be his body. The Church strives to demonstrate these gifts in its life as a community in the world (1 Cor. 12:27–28):

The Church is to be a community of faith, entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life. . .

Do we have enough faith to follow Jesus Christ’s commands, even to the point of letting go of what we have always known as the Church? Are we willing to risk losing the Church’s life? All of us believe in and appreciate Jesus for giving up his life for the sake of the gospel. Most of us know of people who gave up their lives for the sake of the gospel. A few of us have been willing to give up our own lives for the sake of the gospel. Are we also willing to give up the institution for the sake of the gospel?

Several years ago, a long-time pastor took another call and left his church. The members panicked, and talked about the end of the church coming near without their beloved pastor at the helm. That pastor told his members something very simple that has stuck with me—he said, “If God wants this church to continue, this church will continue.”

May we be obedient to Christ’s call to welcome even those who never get invited out. May we remember that our churches are not “our” churches, because we are all strangers and sinners, invited into Christ’s church by the God of welcome. May we trust in God’s gracious care to guide us, bless us, forgive us, and provide for us, that we may be a blessing for others.

In trust and in peace,

Wendy