Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
     and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you endure;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away,
    but you are the same, and your years have no end.
The children of your servants shall live secure;
    their offspring shall be established in your presence.

Psalm 102:25-28

It has been my practice to focus the column just prior to a presbytery meeting to the business we anticipate, and in the column immediately following I try to recap what actually happened. I will continue that practice, though it seems odd to ignore what is taking up the news coverage all around us.

Our June meeting is our annual Day of Service, when we have a very short meeting to handle business that cannot be delayed, and then we spend a couple of hours doing service in the church and our community. This Saturday, we have two key actions to be considered: First Presbyterian Church, Altadena, is hoping to call Rev. Elizabeth Wang as their new pastor, so the presbytery will be asked to approve her call and receive her as a minister member of San Gabriel Presbytery. Second, the administrative commission for St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in La Puente will request that the congregation’s ministry be ended. After these two milestone decisions are considered, we will go to several different options to work and learn for just a couple of hours, and end with lunch.

We Presbyterians are known as people of the Book, people of prayer, people of learning, people for justice, and we are people who seek to put our faith into action in our lives. We will gather to pray and discern God’s will for our siblings in Altadena, and to give thanks for the ministry of St. Andrew’s over 67 years, ministry that was not limited to the members of the church, but a ministry that supported and shared with the children of the community, nonprofit missions nearby and around the world, and individuals in need who received care from the church’s generosity. During our time of service, there will be options to learn about restoring the native flora of Los Angeles or utilizing our property for the sake of our neighbors, especially those whose families have suffered from systemic poverty and discrimination. As we often do, we will also put together hygiene kits for patients of Los Angeles General Medical Center (aka LAC+USC Medical Center) who have no housing, and we hope to help the people of Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church as they care for their campus.

As we gather, it will be a blessing to see each other and worship and work together. And by the way, even if you cannot do both, commissioners are encouraged to come to the Presbytery meeting at 9:00 am even if you cannot stay, and those who want to focus on work can come at 10:00 am to join us.

But all are welcome to come for the full morning, and have lunch together; if you can register, it will help our planning. You can register here—and you can also give your offering at the bottom of the registration page. This meeting’s offering will go to Friends in Deed, an ecumenical organization that offers a variety of services to our neighbors in Pasadena.

As I write this, I am aware that we continue to experience great change in our lives. Altadena will be starting a new chapter of ministry, with all the hope and potential that brings. The people of St.

Andrew’s are completing their ministry, and saying good-bye to a faithful and loving community of God is painful. This last Saturday began with a memorial service for our friend and long-time legal

counsel Kay Gustafson, and ended with the commencement service for International Theological Seminary, marked as always with the joy of accomplishment and empowerment as students are sent to their respective missions, having been strengthened for ministry by their work at ITS. And floating above and around us are signs of climate change in the persistent gloom and chill of our May weather, and news that for the first time a former president of the United States is being indicted for criminal activities that may have endangered the very lives of loyal Americans he swore to protect. This has never happened before, and it is ironic to me that some of the unprecedented level of unrest and division we are seeing—and the impassioned support for this former president—is rooted in the fear and anger that many feel about fundamental changes in the culture and demographics of this nation.

It can be challenging to our faith when so much is changing. We often come to church to be comforted that our God never changes, and we seek this comfort by practicing traditions that do not change. The problem is, though God never changes, everything else is bound to change. According to Psalm 102, even the heavens and the earth can be discarded like old clothing, while God stays the same. The source of our faith, our comfort, our ability to sustain the momentous changes around us is not in trying to resist change, but to know that through everything, the all-saving, all-knowing, all-powerful love of God never changes.

Sometimes this can be hard to believe. The commencement speaker for ITS was Rev. Amos J. Disasa, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, the church that just called Charlene Jin Lee to serve as Associate Pastor for Practice and Formation. Rev. Disasa spoke about a recent visit to his birthplace in Ethiopia, and his recognition of the ways that small actions led to momentous change. Citing Revelation 21:6, “I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life,” he was able to see how small springs bear forth the water of God’s saving future for the world. Certainly we can all look back and see how someone once offered a helping hand to an ancestor, or a teacher gave us encouragement and understanding, or an unlikely stranger unknowingly spoke the word of God that we needed to weather a crisis, and how those small actions—sometimes actions that seemed inconsequential at the time—blossomed into significant pivots in our history.

As he spoke, I was reminded of the saying in the Jewish Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a): “Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the whole world.” This is also stated in the Quran (Surah 5 verse 32): “Whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.”

Our Abrahamic cousins in faith see, as we do, that God who never changes is so infinitely wise that our ever-changing lives are filled with ever-growing possibility for new life, for grace unbounded, for the fulfillment of hope that we cannot create or even imagine for ourselves. May we look at and through the ever-changing crises of our lives and glimpse signs of the coming Kin-dom that Jesus invited us to enter. May we gather this Saturday, and remind each other of that hope as we smile, pray, deliberate, work, and eat together. And by the way, we are invited to meet again the following Saturday, June 24, as we take our first steps towards transforming our Baldwin Park church property into a place of new life for several families in our community. Details are in this Monday Morning Update.

Blessings,

Wendy

The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good

Genesis 1:12

There are many ways that we can glimpse God’s reign in the life of the Presbytery.

The week before last, Kerry Rice and Tricia Dykers-Koenig visited several of our churches. At Claremont, Brian Gaeta-Symonds showed them around the gardens surrounding the church campus, including the urban garden that yields produce throughout the year in partnership with the community service group Uncommon Good, and the meditation fountain and labyrinth that is a space for respite and gathering for families of Mountain View Elementary School across the street. Inside the sanctuary, folks were getting ready for Pentecost by installing this beautiful artwork of paper doves that sweep above the worshipers. In other parts of the campus, there is artwork for different seasons and themes, such as a Matthew 25- inspired photo collection. I was glad to see this, as I have been wondering lately if our churches are practicing and expressing their faith through the arts.

Our churches are also expressing their faith by coming back in touch with God’s good earth. In addition to Claremont’s urban gardening, First Presbyterian Altadena has decided to convert some of their land to a community garden. First Presbyterian Pomona has been managing a community garden for years, and through their advocacy with the City of Pomona, they were able to secure the land across the street from the church to be part of a larger community park.

If you come to the Presbytery meeting and Day of Service on June 17^th, you will see the progress of Wild Yards Project as they continue to develop the native plants garden on the campus of Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. If you want to register for the meeting, please click here. Wild Yards Project is seeking to promote the return of native plants and animals to our area, and Eagle Rock Presbyterian has allowed them to use the land facing Eagle Rock Boulevard as a demonstration garden and teaching site. David Newsom, founder of Wild Yards, will give information on native plants and invite us to work in the garden.

There are many ways we live out our faith—through our worship, our care for our members and our neighbors, the life of our faith communities, and our care for God’s creation. This last weekend, Trinity Presbyterian Church in Pasadena celebrated their 75^th anniversary. This coming weekend, on Saturday at 11 am at St. Mark Presbyterian in Newport Beach, we will celebrate the life of our long-time attorney and friend Kay Gustafson.

The weekend after that, on June 17^th, we will gather for worship and discernment as the Presbytery, in a short meeting when we expect to welcome the candidate for First Presbyterian Altadena, and to consider the ending of the ministry of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in La Puente. And then we will work together to tend the garden, clean up the church, build hygiene kits for homeless patients of Los Angeles General Medical Center (aka LAC+USC), and learn more about transforming underutilized church property for community purposes, including affordable housing.

Our life together in Christ can be rich and varied, and filled with purpose. One purpose was voiced at the beginning of time, when God tasked us with responsibility to tend the earth and all the creatures living with us. We haven’t spent much time discussing as a Presbytery how we and others can work towards a safer, cleaner, and more peaceful creation. I’m grateful to see that several of our churches have been responding to this call. May we all consider ways to care for God’s good earth.

Blessings,

Wendy

[Jesus said,] “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8

I know I’ve mentioned before that we seem to be living in fluid times, with old friends and new friends coming and going in the life of our presbytery. Just as the winds of the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost Day—and continue to flow among us today—we also see people on the move.

So, for instance, we welcome Amy Marmol to the Presbytery staff, as our temporary Administrator. Amy is a French teacher, but thanks to technology and her extraordinary organizing skills, we are hoping that Amy will be able to serve as Presbytery Administrator for this summer, and longer. Amy will be putting together the Monday Morning Update (this edition is her first already!); she will support meetings of the Presbytery, Executive Commission, COM, and CPM; and maintain the records and reporting work for the Stated Clerk’s office. Because Amy is so part-time (on average 10 hours/week), office coverage will be shared by Sam, Amy, and myself, and Sam will cover the office phone. Amy and her husband Joshua are members of Knox Presbyterian; Joshua was our Ruling Elder Commissioner at last year’s General Assembly. Please welcome Amy!

With Amy’s help, the Executive Commission appointed me as temporary Stated Clerk for Administration, so I will manage most of the clerk responsibilities, such as helping to put the presbytery packets together and facilitating communication between councils of the Church (ie, with the Office of the General Assembly, Synod, and sessions). This is a return to my days as Stated Clerk for Pacific Presbytery; I have always said that I’m a “clerky” executive! You’ll notice that we have posted the position description for Stated Clerk for Administration, so if you know someone who might be interested, please let me know. Steve Salyards continues as Stated Clerk for Judicial Process; this division of labor is proving to be extremely useful. Several presbyteries whose staff leader holds both clerk and executive roles have asked me about this, so that the “hybrid” leader (we used to call them “slashers”—ie, EP/Clerk) has some separation from judicial cases. We were inspired for this by New Covenant Presbytery in Texas, who implemented a similar structure first.

You can reach us at the following email addresses:

• presby@sangabpres.org: general information, articles for the MMU, and messages for Amy Marmol, Presbytery Administrator, for now (we will get a new address for her soon); Amy, Sam, and I all check this inbox
• statedclerk@sangabpres.org: communications from sessions or any requests or information for the Stated Clerk for Administration; I will check this inbox
• clerkpjc@sangabpres.org: communications related to judicial cases; Steve Salyards uses this address. Steve only works for the presbytery as needed—and my goal is that he does minimal work for us! So far, so good.
• sam@sangabpres.org: email address for Sam Bang, Associate Executive Presbyter (75%-time). Sam manages all financial and business issues for the presbytery; acts as staff support for A&F, EEE, and Eagle Rock AC; and helps with new worshiping communities and some ministry development work.
• wendy@gmail.com: email address for Wendy Gist, mission advocate and Immigration Accompaniment Organizer. Please note that Wendy G’s address is a Gmail account.
• wendytajima@sangabpres.org: email address for me, Wendy And if you want to reach one of our three chaplains Diane Frasher, Harlan Redmond, or Rob Crowell, let me know.

Though people continue to discern new calls, as long as they stay within the PC(USA), there’s a chance we’ll see each other again. This month I’ve been largely focused on the national church, having attended a Board of Pensions consultation in Denver with Pat Martinez-Miller, helped to train new executive presbyters in Baltimore, and met the visiting national staff last week. The visit was organized by Diane Givens Moffett, the President

and Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA). The main event was a listening session, with leaders from each presbytery meeting and staff leaders from PMA, Office of the General Assembly (OGA), Presbyterian Foundation, and Board of Pensions. Brian got a picture of the San Gabriel contingent with Diane; Sam Bang was also there but did not make it in the picture.

I know the PMA folks from when I was on the PMA Board (fun fact: Bong Bringas and I were both on the committee that nominated Diane Moffett to lead the PMA!), and the OGA folks partly from when I was a Stated Clerk. We received special attention from OGA. Last Sunday, Jihyun Oh preached at Knox and Interwoven, and on Wednesday, Kerry Rice and Tricia Dykers-Koenig visited with Peter Tan-Gatue (Praise, Covina), Pipi Dhali (GKI-LA), Amy Mendez (West Covina Fellowship), Margarita Reyes (Puente de Esperanza), and several folks at Claremont Presbyterian. They were so impressed with the ministries of this presbytery!

We know that the Holy Spirit moves in all sorts of unpredictable, life-giving ways, and causes people of faith to go where God wills, which may make for some unpredictable ministry moves. While we miss Ally already, we are confident that we are yet joined in the Spirit, and trust that our paths will converge again. In the meantime, we are grateful for Amy and for others who have joined us for this leg of the journey. And, as always, we ask for gentleness and patience as we all adjust to this new way of riding with the Spirit.

Blessings,

Wendy

In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

Acts 2:17

Welcome to the first MMU in the post-Ally era. If you get this, that means that I (with Ally’s help) have managed to put together the newsletter and send it out. I confess that when Ally told me she was moving back to Georgia, one of my first task-related concerns was this key communications vehicle. As a staff we considered cutting back on the frequency, but Ally reported that on average 58% of the recipients actually click through to open it, which is a very high rate, so we will try to stay current every week. I believe that we are about to welcome a new staff member who will help make this happen, so I continue to thank God for providing for our ministries.

In the meantime, we do what we can. And it is helpful to me that I have been able to dwell on Jesus’ ascension, when he promises great power to the disciples as he leaves their physical presence. I say physical because, of course, Jesus also promised to be with the disciples—and so we live in the presence of Christ: in spirit, in the gathered body, at the communion table, as we encounter the least of Christ’s family.

Indeed, we are blessed in San Gabriel Presbytery with experiencing Christ’s presence in our life together. I have commented on the gifts of new members, and I’ve shared with other presbyteries how we also learn of the incredible giftedness of our current active members, especially as we find out how our ruling elders and members do God’s work in their “day jobs.” I continue to marvel at the wisdom and dedication of our retirees, who are a constant source of encouragement for me and many others.

Of course, we cannot become complacent, and we must not settle for huddling in our own upper rooms, afraid to encounter the wider world. The Holy Spirit came into that house where Jesus’ friends stayed, and gave them power—all of them—far beyond what was expected of their social status. The Holy Spirit came in and made a spectacle of them, so much that they attracted the attention of the Pentecost celebrants outside. And as usually happens when we become spectacular, some may mock us and doubt us, and some will be intrigued and attracted—and we don’t get to decide who.

As we give thanks for the gifts of our current body, we are encouraged with new friends and those who might be peeking in at us. At last week’s meeting of the Justice Peacemaking and Mission Committee, we were discussing how our churches serve others who are in need of shelter and other services, and new member Kevin Haah gently suggested that we need not assume that only people outside our churches could use some help. And our Representation reports give encouraging numbers on racial diversity in our leadership, but we greatly lack the presence of younger generations, as well as those who are differently abled. It’s entirely possible that our young people are seeing visions and prophesying, just as we know that our older family members are dreaming dreams. The question is, how do we attract their attention, and listen with courage to their prophetic voices, confident that God is speaking through them?

There are a few opportunities coming up this summer that will allow us to expand our welcome, and listen to new voices and new dreams:

• June 17, 9 am—lunch: our next Presbytery meeting will be in-person at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church, 4848 Eagle Rock We will have a short meeting in the first hour, and then spend the morning in our annual Day of Service. This year, in addition to general cleaning and putting together hygiene kits for patients being released without shelter from LA General Medical Center (aka LAC+USC Medical Center), you can choose to learn from David Newsom of Wild Yards Project and work on their native plants demonstration garden on the church campus, or consult with Making Housing and Community Happen about utilizing church property to support the community. You can click here to register for the meeting. At the bottom of the form you can now give in advance for the June Presbytery offering, which will go to Friends in Deed Pasadena, who actively serves and partners with neighbors needing help with food, shelter, and for women a daytime respite and resource center.
• June 30-July 4: Wendy Gist and Via International have planned a short visit to Tijuana and San Diego, that we may meet with folks from Latin America and beyond who are seeking asylum in the United States. Via International is a non-profit doing wonderful work on both sides of the border with community organizing, self-development opportunities, shelter, nutrition programs, and other life-giving work. You can find information here which includes links to register. We are asking that you register by May 30.
• There are several ministry opportunities open right now, to lead worship at Knox in Pasadena, work with children and youth at Calvary in South Pasadena, and help lead the Presbytery as part- time Stated Find more information in the “Job Opportunities” column of today’s Monday Morning Update.

At times like these, and as we look ahead to the Day of Pentecost, there are a few things that we must remember about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not sit still, but is constantly moving—and rather than try to hold on to what was, we are asked to enjoy and fill our sails with the breath of God. The Holy Spirit does give us power to proclaim Christ’s life-giving love to a hurting world, not just to ourselves, and we can be bold to claim and utilize that power, to the glory of God. Indeed, and most importantly, the Holy Spirit is holy—unpredictable and uncontrollable, sometimes bewildering, but emanating from God who knows and loves better than we can understand or create for ourselves.

Now to God who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.                                                                       Ephesians 3:20-21

Happy Pentecost!

Wendy

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

As I mentioned last week, this month I have several opportunities to check in with the Presbyterian Church (USA) at the national level.

The Board of Pensions shared their difficulties trying to manage the rising costs of the medical plan, and anticipate that there will be a significant change to the benefits program for pastors, probably effective in January 2025. Their pension fund continues to be over-funded (150% of anticipated pension payments), but they cannot use those funds to pay for medical coverage. We participants could not read what might be in store (whatever the changes are won’t be previewed for another year), but there’s a chance that the “one size fits all” approach to benefits will go away, and the kinds of benefits will be negotiated as part of a pastor’s compensation package. This will lead to more flexibility, but also more complexity, and for some pastors, more cost. If you want to join in the discussion this summer, there will be virtual town halls conducted. The Board put together a website focused on this “Season of Rebuilding.” The website is https://seasonofrebuilding.pensions.org/ and if you hit the button under “Engaging the Church” you can register to participate in a town hall.

Last week I was outside Baltimore, at the training for new presbytery leaders, called Presbytery Leader Formation (PLF). As I mentioned last week, the high turnover of what used to be called the “exec position” in the presbyteries has brought high demand for this training, and some shifts in the kind of people who fill the position. There is a little bit of racial diversity (though much of it is coming from Southern California), and there is a noticeable shift to younger leaders who may not have many years of pastoral leadership before taking this role. Also, presbytery staffs continue to shrink, so there are many part-time leaders, and quite a few people holding a hybrid role as presbytery executive and stated clerk. In a session for those who are already serving this way, the old wall between the two functions is not real for them, except for judicial cases. So a couple of people were very interested in the arrangement we have with Steve Salyards as Stated Clerk for Judicial Process; off-hand I know of three presbyteries that have made that a distinct function.

But what struck me was the spirit of the group. The participants were positive, open-hearted, and appreciative of each others’ differing contexts. They also seemed more introverted, which was a shift from the palpable extroversion of prior leaders. And I didn’t notice the posturing that sometimes comes when you get many people in similar leadership positions. In fact, some brand new execs from very large presbyteries (like Grace in Texas and New Hope in North Carolina) came after only weeks on the job, and they were just as humble as the other participants.

By the end of the week, there was a general sense that the PC(USA) has a bright future ahead. The folks know there are issues and challenges, but there wasn’t the general sense of loss or doom or cynicism that sometimes mark such gatherings. While at the Board of Pensions meeting, one new exec commented on the negativity he had witnessed already, and expressed hope that the Presbytery Leader Formation approach would be more positive. He suggested that as an African-American pastor, his cultural background incorporated knowledge of brokenness in the world with a strong affirming faith in a good God. This could be just one advantage of increased diversity, to bring that faith into the leadership roles of the church.

Next week several leaders from the national staff will be visiting Southern California. Though I am not very involved in the inner workings of the national church these days, I get a sense that there is much trepidation there, as the “Unification” of the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) and Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) seems to be moving ahead. The recent resignation of Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson as leader of OGA adds more uncertainty.

It has always seemed to me that the realization of deep change in the church has gone in waves; first to notice, of course, are the congregations, and then the presbyteries that work with them. It could be that this change has been going on for long enough that these new, younger execs do not have memories of the “glory days” of massive, well-endowed presbyteries—and they are diverse enough not to think the days when the PC(USA) was 98% White were so glorious. I think some parts of the national church have been protected enough from day-to-day church life that they are facing the challenges only now. My hope is that they will listen with new openness to the experiences of those who have been struggling for a while, not only to incorporate their needs in future planning, but also to take hope when they see that what they feared will not kill them. For better or for worse, we now face challenges that were unheard of before: churches leaving the denomination or closing down, tragedies such as natural disasters or mass shootings with increasing frequency, and of course the pandemic. And the frequent response to this troubled life is gratitude—that God never abandoned us, and that we are part of a larger church family that can help each other through the hard times.

Today is Ally’s last active day as Stated Clerk for Administration, leaving us with confusion about the future while being grateful for her presence and her ministry these last 3.5 years. And this Thursday, the liturgical calendar marks the Ascension of Jesus, in anticipation of the Day of Pentecost on May

In the midst of the confusion and grief and mystery of Jesus’ resurrection and upcoming ascension (read: departure), those poor very human disciples were told that they would receive great power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, enabling them to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to their neighbors, their cousins, and then to the whole world. Perhaps that is what we are experiencing today, a mini-Pentecost, a new unleashing of the Holy Spirit on us confused and grieving human disciples. Perhaps the potential was always there, but we didn’t notice it because we were so sure of ourselves and our own power that we didn’t seek any help from God. In any case, as we are hungry enough to seek God’s grace and assurances right now, may we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim anew, for this time and this place.

Peace,

Wendy

I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”

2 Corinthians 8:13-15

I am spending much of the month of May connecting with the national church.

It started last week, as Pat Martinez-Miller and I attended a consultation with the Board of Pensions. They are grappling with the issue of rising medical costs, and a much smaller base of members (less than half of the membership from a few decades ago) pooling resources to care for those of us in the medical benefits plan of the Board of Pensions. That doesn’t mean we have fewer pastors. It seems that they have figured out the now fairly common practice of churches choosing not to install pastors in order to avoid paying for the Pastor’s Participation package of benefits. I also pointed out how many churches are changing what used to be associate pastor positions to director-level positions, again to avoid paying Board of Pensions dues. They didn’t have a plan to outline for us, but they were hoping to have something approved in the spring of 2024, to take effect January 2025. That seems a long way away, but if the change is significant, they are counting on presbyteries to help implement the changes, and helping the churches to manage benefits as a part of compensation negotiations.

I am writing you now from the Bon Secours Retreat Center in Marriottsville, Maryland. We are beginning a week of training for new presbytery leaders. The people used to hold the title Executive or General Presbyter, and some do, but many presbyteries have looked to change the titles. The training started this evening, but it was shared already that the participants in this 3-year program represent about one-third of all the presbyteries in the PC(USA), and if you go back a few years more, over the last 7 years, about half of the presbyteries have changed their executive leadership. At nine years in San Gabriel Presbytery, I am now considered one of the old-timers! Four of our seven SoCal presbyteries have leaders in the program, and Riverside is close to calling someone, so we are also seeing an influx of new leaders.

Some of this change is good, as the new presbytery leaders tend to be more diverse, in tune with the changing church, and a bit younger than in years past. And quite a few presbyteries are experimenting with new structures, including having executives also take on stated clerk roles, or employing several very part-time staff who are also pastoring churches. (One thing that hasn’t changed: there were less than a handful of ruling elders in the job, out of 50+ participants.) Actually, we in San Gabriel have made a shift with our stated clerk role, splitting the core duties between an administrative clerk and a clerk for judicial process, inspired by a similar split in New Covenant Presbytery in and around Houston. Because we work hard responding to concerns from our churches, we have been very successful in avoiding judicial cases, thank God.

I will be in Baltimore until Friday. I enjoy working in this format, which invites the participants to share their own insights. Even if I thought any of us is an “expert” in this work, the work is constantly changing, and the regional contexts are so different, that it would be difficult to try to describe the job from one person’s perspective. But I get to share some of the experiments we’ve tried at San Gabriel,

and that has been fun. One thing I have heard from the Board of Pensions consultation and this group, and that is the great challenges experienced by rural churches. You may know that there has been a steady migration from rural areas to cities, and there are many towns now that cannot sustain any church. It has become a difficult place to live, and therefore to work. Many churches feel like they have been forgotten and left to fend for themselves, sometimes by their own presbyteries.

And finally, in a couple of weeks, seven top staff from the national church are coming to SoCal, for a “listening” session. I put that in quotes because at least the first hour (out of three) will be them presenting what they are doing, then they are asking us to discuss the opportunities and challenges we see in our presbyteries. If you have something you want to make sure I say, let me know, or contact the rest of the San Gabriel contingent: Pat Martinez-Miller, Deborah Owens, Sam Bang, and Brian Gaeta-Symonds. That is May 23rd. But on May 21st, OGA staff manager Jihyun Oh will preach at Knox and at Interwoven, and on Wednesday, May 24th, Kerry Rice and Tricia Dykers-Koenig of OGA will come to West Covina and Covina to speak with the pastors there.

It is interesting to hear from the national church. In certain ways they are like the Jerusalem church of the early Christian churches who, then and now, seem to be in special need for support from the individual churches. But the most challenging issues have to do with the disparity of “have” and “have not” churches. There has been open conversation about not forgetting the “fly over” states, and acknowledging that we are a denomination of relatively few large churches, and most churches have under 100 members and many are struggling. Due to the lack of funding at the national level, there is significant work being done to merge the Presbyterian Mission Agency and the Office of the General Assembly. And you may have heard that the Stated Clerk, J. Herbert Nelson, has resigned, and will leave the position at the end of June.

While the national church is facing some new challenges, my hope is that we figure out a way to address the growing disparities between the have and have-not churches. We need not reflect the community by perpetuating these disparities within our churches, and perhaps the true test of a connectional church is our ability to support churches that are low in resources but with a significant ministry who would miss them if they went away. There are no easy answers, but perhaps we can pray for some insight—and the will to look out for each other, because the disparities are within each presbytery, including ours.

As our siblings in the United Church of Christ say, “We pray for the day when sharing by all will mean scarcity for none.” May we see the day when all will be shared, all will be cared for, all will be fed.

Peace,
Wendy