Among Presbyterian leaders, we often refer to our “connectional” nature.  This connectionalism informs all levels of our church:

• We assume and encourage decision-making and mutual accountability by groups over individuals
• We gather local churches into presbyteries, and encourage participation in ecumenical and interfaith efforts for the good of the local community
• We send presbytery commissioners to synods and to the General Assembly, which meets every other year to discern the mission and leadership for the national church and provides guidance to churches, presbyteries, and synods
• We participate in global ecumenical mission through formal gatherings such as the World Council of Churches and World Communion of Reformed Churches, through relationships with mission partners in different countries, and in individual relationships with local churches in other countries.

As a gear in this great connectional machine, I enjoy the greetings sections of Paul’s letters, when he celebrates connections between churches and church workers, and asks for prayers for churches in other areas.  This is a core function of the presbytery, and part of my hope in writing this column is to tell the story of our member churches, and to highlight concerns and joys of the wider church.  And our MMU always starts with a request for prayer for one of our member churches or ministries in San Gabriel Presbytery.

In our upcoming Presbytery meetings, we highlight our connectional nature in multiple ways.  On March 28^th, we will hear from Mickie Choi and René Myers from our national church, and we will consider two overtures to be presented to this June’s General Assembly.  On May 30^th, we welcome GA Co-Moderator Rev. Cindy Kohlmann and commission our commissioners Jennifer Ackerman and Maria Cacarnakis.  Throughout the year, we are referencing the Vision 2020 Team’s proposal that we strive to fulfill our mission as the PCUSA to be “Prayerful, Courageous, United, Serving, and Alive.”  In March we will consider what it means to be Courageous, and in May it works nicely to welcome the Co-Moderator and give thanks for being United in Christ.

Today and next week I wanted to highlight the overtures that are being presented to us for consideration on March 28^th.  You can reference both by clicking these links:

• On Promoting Human Rights in the Philippines
• Worship Resources for Ministering to Veterans.

 Today I am focusing on the Philippines, and specifically on the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, our sister denomination in the Philippines and the mother church of many of our own members.

Some of you may know of our long and deep connection with the Philippines.  Presbyterian missionaries were among the first Protestants in the islands, coming after the end of the Spanish-American War in 1899.  In 1901, Presbyterians founded Silliman University, the first American school in the Philippines.  In recent years, two of our GA Moderators are of Filipino heritage, and are both based in California:  Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow (2008-2010) and Rev. Dr. Neal Presa (2012-2014).  In our own presbytery, two of our congregations have Filipino-majority memberships:  Filipino Community United Presbyterian Church in Azusa and Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church in Eagle Rock.  And our own CRE Bong Bringas, Presbytery Moderator in 2016, serves on the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board.

But you may not know about the struggles experienced in the Philippines in recent years.  Poverty, natural disasters, and human rights violations have severely impacted the quality of life.  Resolutions were passed by the General Assembly in 2006 and 2008 to ask for prayer and partnership with the UCCP, and to decry human rights violations in the Philippines, including the murder, abduction, or torture of dozens of UCCP pastors and leaders since 2001.  Currently, their violence and harassment has been given open governmental support, most recently in November 2019, when the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, of which the UCCP is an active member, was included on the list of “front organizations of local communist terrorist groups” by the Department of National Defense.  Police are now openly arresting pastors and church leaders with false accusations of attempted murder.

Frankly, when this overture was sent to us for consideration, my initial thought was it’s a no-brainer for our presbytery to concur with it.  But then I realized how little attention has been given to this issue by national media, the church, or myself.  So this is an opportunity for us to give thanks for our strong relationship with the people of the Philippines, to learn about the needs they are facing, and to step forward in love and support with our Filipino family, here and in the Philippines, as they seek God’s help for peace, justice, and health for all their people.

Let us pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ in the Philippines, and all who love and are concerned for them.

Peace,
Wendy

Last week I mentioned that Steve Wiebe and I were on our way to Adelanto to be at a court hearing for our Cameroonian friend Bertrand.

So we did get there on time, and felt good that there were only two cases scheduled for that courtroom that morning.  The first case was a father of three daughters.  His wife had come to the USA from El Salvador with the two elder girls long ago, and now they are all US citizens; the third daughter was born here.  The father came in without documents to join them, and was detained.  This was to be his last court hearing, and the oldest daughter said they expected to hear either that he would be released, or deported.

After four hours of tense waiting, the family came out in tears.  They said the judge, who was “mean,” told them they had to come back in March for another hearing because they didn’t have all the documentation in order.

What that meant was Bertrand’s hearing was rescheduled to the next day.  Unfortunately, neither Steve nor I could come on Tuesday, so Bertrand was going to court with no attorney or supporters.  But he is a very resourceful person, so had spoken with friends about how the hearings go, and he had Scripture, so he kept the following text in his heart and his mind:

[Jesus said,] “When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:11-12

That evening—during the Presbytery Executive Commission meeting—I got a call from Bertrand.  He said the judge apologized to him that his hearing was delayed, and then asked some questions based on his declaration, especially about the NGO he worked with.  They used a web search to confirm the legitimacy of the NGO, and his connection with it.  The judge said she was sorry that she was banned from granting asylum, and gave him another form of leave, with her own blessing that God continue to guide and protect him.  Because Bertrand waited in Tijuana (for three months!) until the Border Patrol allowed him in, he did not have to pay any bond, and was to be released the next day!

So Bertrand called the next day, Wednesday, during our Presbytery staff meeting.  Now it has been said (certainly not in THIS presbytery) that there’s no need to contribute to shared mission giving, because it only goes to pay Presbytery staff, and what do they do with their time, anyway?  So let me share what your staff and Presbytery friends did in the second half of this last week.

Bertrand was being released that afternoon, and it was expected for someone to pick him up by 6:30 pm, at Adelanto.  He had heard about a group who was arranging for pickups, but he couldn’t reach them.  ICE gave him one (completed) office phone call, and that ended up being me.  Now it was 4 pm, and given east-bound rush hour traffic, we knew it would take 2.5 hours just to get there.  And here’s my confession of my Californian bourgeois life—not only were my dogs at the groomers, my little electric car didn’t have enough battery power to get to Adelanto!

Kristi Van Nostran started organizing for the release, and gave us the voice of experience.  Ally Lee gave me her car key to drive to Adelanto, and offered to house Bertrand.  And thank God for family as well as staff, as my nephew agreed to pick up the dogs.

Hitting the road immediately, I got to Adelanto right at the time for Bertrand’s release.  By that time it was 42 degrees in the high desert, and Bertrand was wearing a sweatshirt that Adelanto gave him.  His bag had been taken in Tijuana the night before he was allowed entry into the US, and since they took him straight to Adelanto, they gave him clothing and toiletries during his detention—but who wants a prison jumpsuit in public, and they wouldn’t let him take his toothbrush.  So he was released with a white plastic trash bag with the jacket he was wearing when he came in, his Bibles, and little else, and that was it.

Thursday was busy, and he spent the day with Steve Wiebe. I have to share the sweetest moment when we arrived at PPC.  As Bertrand and I walked into the office, Elder Ellen Harkin was volunteering at the front desk, and she smiled and said, “You must be Bertrand!  Welcome!”  It was like the voice of heaven blessing Bertrand, and I got to witness it.

The only thing Bertrand asked for was a haircut.  Ally knew that the chair of Knox’ immigrant ministry is a barber, so she and Steve arranged to get his haircut, as well as other needed supplies.  Kristi contacted the circle of support organizations to arrange for Bertrand to get a cell phone and a ticket to North Dakota, where his sponsor lives and where he needs to report next week.  Kristi got him a ticket through Miles4Migrants, a non-profit that works with people who donate their unused frequent flyer miles.  And Steve and Kristi got to witness the heartwarming phone call when Bertrand spoke with his sponsor, a family member who somehow settled in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  Kristi and Brian Lee said farewell as he left for his new life.

Through the lens of this one person among thousands, I hope you get a glimpse of this largely invisible network of people seeking to offer welcome and safe passage to so many.  Last week I mentioned Claremont’s Refugee Ministry Team, who have been active in this network, as has Knox.  I know that Pomona Pres and Mideast Evangelical, as well as all our Latinx churches, have given safe harbor and support for people fleeing violence in the Middle East and Latin America.  And for Bertrand, I thank God for the people of Knox and Pasadena Presbyterian, and for my staff colleagues of San Gabriel Presbytery.  Thank God for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, whose grant pays for Kristi’s work, and for Pacific Presbytery, who helped us get the grant.  Thank God for all of them, and thank God for your support.  And continued prayers for Bertrand as he settles in his new home, and for all who are still seeking family and safety in this world.

At the same time this was happening, another staff member, Lauren Evans, has been with the family and at the bedside of long-time minister member and former interim executive presbyter Rev. Barbara Stout.  Barbara, former pastor of Trinity Presbyterian in Pasadena, fell and broke her hip last a week ago, and her health seriously deteriorated since.  Barbara went very peacefully home to her Lord on Saturday night at 11 pm.  Please pray for Barbara‘s family, and give thanks for a lifetime of love and ministry.  We will send details about the celebration of her life as we get them. 

Blessings,
Wendy

I am writing this column after watching the Oscars.  Even though I have not seen the film “Parasite,” I got emotional seeing the joy of the filmmaker Bong Joon Ho and his colleagues, reflecting Korea’s great national pride in the film’s historic wins.  Reportedly, no Korean film has even been nominated for an Oscar before this year, and no Best Picture Oscar has been awarded to a non-English-language film. 

I guess I am proving some of what Charlene Jin Lee shared with us at this weekend’s Winterfest.  In her insightful, gentle way, she gave the participants many new understandings about the challenges and benefits in engaging more directly with people from other backgrounds, or as she suggested, “loving one another deeply.”  I am grateful for Charlene and all the presenters on a variety of topics, and for the hospitality of Arcadia Community Church; many people commented on how beautiful the sanctuary is and the welcome of the staff and volunteers.  I am especially grateful for the Education (now EEE—Education, Equipping, and Empowerment) Committee, especially Winterfest co-chairs Deidra Goulding and Pat Martinez-Miller, and EEE chair Jennifer Ackerman.

There were moments at Winterfest when people gave us a glimpse into their worlds, and it was touching and enlightening when they did.  It gave just a taste of how much more deeply we can experience God’s way as we hear the stories and insights of others.  And as we learn more about and from each other, we care more for them and what is important to them.  So even though the Republic of Korea has achieved economic success and I have joked how culturally cool all things Korean are, I was thrilled to see the country experience such unprecedented praise for their art.

Coincidentally, I was in an interview with a pastoral candidate, and when asked how he might help the congregation heal from past wounds, he simply said he would listen to them.  In a similar way, Charlene and others have encouraged especially dominant-culture people to be more intentional in listening to others in order to gain their perspective.  But it is also an awesome way of showing respect and offering healing love to the other to just listen.  One Winterfest session had the group hearing and responding to a poem from an accomplished poet who has been granted asylum.  The poet was deeply touched to be heard and acknowledged by the group members.

Often we think we must have the right thing to say, or do something when we know someone has a need.  But sometimes the greatest gift is to listen.  I have mentioned meeting a young man named Bertrand who is at Adelanto, and I keep wondering if I should be doing more, or if he expects something from me.  He telephones me once in a while, and once sounded concerned about the way court cases are being handled.  I asked him what I can do, and he said nothing, he just wanted me to know.  I think it just feels better that there’s someone out there he can call once in a while.

Recently Bertrand sent me a letter, and in the letter he gave the names of people in his prayer group at Adelanto.  I took copies of the letter to a gathering of the Refugee Ministry team at Claremont Presbyterian Church so they could hear the voice from someone at Adelanto, and I asked them to pray for the people in the prayer group.

Bertrand called me later, because he was surprised and moved that someone from Claremont took the time to write to him.

Someone else took the letter and gave it to Kristi Van Nostran, who took the names of the detainees in the prayer group and put them into the database for possible future visitors.

And I gave a copy of the letter to Steve Wiebe, with whom I had gone to Adelanto (through one of Kristi’s monthly group trips), when together we first met Bertrand.  Steve and I are going to Adelanto early this Monday morning, because Bertrand has a court date.  I ask your prayers for Bertrand and all the people facing the judge on their own. 

I mentioned this to a woman at church yesterday, and she offered $100 to help this person she’s never met.

As the message of this young man’s hand-written letter was spreading, I started to feel like we are reliving the distribution of the apostle Paul’s letters.  I love Galatians 6:11 because it’s so real—Paul commenting on how bad his handwriting is.  It’s a reminder that several if not all of the epistles, or letters, are just that—actual letters from Paul (sometimes from prison himself).  I can imagine people taking it on themselves to share his letters with others, and for the word to spread enough to become part of the canon of the New Testament.

We now have many channels for communication—so many that we may feel overwhelmed.  But whether you are approached in a meeting or phone call, a letter or email, even a tweet or a text, may you take the time to listen deeply to those who are sharing authentically.  And may we share a word if it expands our appreciation for life in God’s world.  As we listen, and appreciate, we will grow in our love for each other, and grow closer to more of God’s children.

Blessings,
Wendy