GA223 Preview: Committee 11 - Affirming and Supporting All God's People in Church and Society
For the third Assembly in a row, matters of sexual orientation and gender identity do not have their own committee. Rather, they are part of the Assembly Committee on Social Justice Issues (#11). That group has a very full agenda filled with a wide range of matters affecting the church’s witness for equity, fairness and wholeness. A committee focused on God’s justice is a wonderful place for LGBTQ people to be celebrated, included and supported in church and society.
GA 223 Preview: Committee 6 – Supporting Marriage For All, Preserving the Church’s Unity
With friends across the church, the Covenant Network rejoiced when the church opened the door to same-sex marriages in Presbyterian churches in 2015. Since then, congregations across the PCUSA have celebrated God’s gift of covenant love and witnessed the uniting of couples whose relationship the church would once have rejected. But a painful reality is that the church is still living into what that means, and the Assembly Committee on Church Polity and Ordered Ministries (Committee #6) is addressing one challenging aspect of that reality.
Join Us at the 223rd General Assembly ... Or Help Make Our Witness Possible!
The Covenant Network of Presbyterians will be in St. Louis, June 15-23, and we hope you will be too! Volunteer, join us for a meal, or work with us on important issues facing this Assembly. If you can't be there, consider supporting our presence.
Two Top Preachers Will Lead Conference Worship, November 9-10
Worship is a vibrant and dynamic part of the Covenant Network conference each year, and this year’s conference worship will be led by two accomplished preachers who are leaders in the national church.Register NOW to hear Nancy Benson-Nicol, Daniel Vigilante, Pulitzer Prize-winner Taylor Branch, and more. Registration has been extended to November 1.
Looking for Sexuality Curriculum? Here's Some Help
One of the recommendations for which we are most frequently asked is curriculum for children and youth about sexuality with both an inclusive stance and a Reformed theological perspective. Westminster/John Knox Press recently published an excellent book for parents: Sex + Faith: Talking with Your Child from Birth to Adolescence, by Kate Ott. With the publisher's permission, the Covenant Network asked experienced Christian educator Charlotte McGowan to prepare a discussion guide based on the book,
Sharing and Creating Spanish-Language Resources Addressing LGBTQ Issues
Christian Hispanic/Latinx sisters and brother often must hide their sexual orientation or gender identity from their family, friends and religious community for fear of being rejected due to cultural, biblical and theological misconceptions. The Covenant Network is committed in 2017 to making many of its existing resources available in Spanish, and--where it will be helpful--to creating new ones.
First Presbyterian, Lincoln, Joins the Covenant Network
The Covenant Network of Presbyterians welcomes its newest congregation, the First Presbyterian Church of Lincoln, Nebraska. As Pastor Sue Coller wrote to the congregation, "Our session felt that it is time we be more bold in letting people know who we are."
Celebrating Tricia Dykers Koenig's 16 Years of Ministry
The Covenant Network of Presbyterians is celebrating the ministry of its national organizer, the Rev. Tricia Dykers Koenig. Tricia will leave the organization’s staff this month after 16 years of service. Members of the board gave the stalwart organizer much of the credit for major changes in church policy over the past decade, admiring Tricia’s effectiveness and praising her tenacity.
Covenant Network Board Welcomes New Members, Co-Moderator
Three experienced leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) -- Tony Aja, Vince Patton, and Mieke Vandersall --have joined the board of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, helping lead it into a new season of advocacy, education and theological leadership. And long-time board member the Rev. Daniel Vigilante has become the board’s Co-Moderator.
Urging the Church to 'Hear the Voices of Peoples Long Silenced'
It is our hope that evolving organizations—including our own—are intentionally increasing their diversity, recognizing their privilege and committing to listen to groups that have sometimes been excluded from their life and leadership. As an expression of own ongoing work for inclusion and justice, the Covenant Network stands in solidarity with the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns and Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns and urges attention to their letter.
The Global Crisis for People Who Are LGBT and Their Families
In response to a commissioners' resolution approved by the 221st General Assembly (2014), the Presbyterian Mission Agency has published a resource, The Global Crisis for People Who Are LGBT and Their Families. Read it here.
As 2016 Ends: Seeking Justice and Hope in 2017
Executive Director Brian Ellison’s year-end message: reflecting on the accomplishments and challenges of the past year, and seeking your support as our mission continues.
Election 2016: A Word from the Covenant Network Board
The Covenant Network of Presbyterians is gravely concerned about the aftermath of this year’s election...We call on all Presbyterians to join us in active engagement, in vocal critique, in local organizing, in faithful study, in personal self-examination and in constant prayer. May God make our church—and our nation and its leaders—truly inclusive, and as generous and just as God’s grace.
There Is Room in God's Great Welcome -- A New Hymn
Presbytery hymn-writer Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has composed a new hymn for post-election Sunday and beyond, and generously made it available free of charge. (Please include an acknowledgement when you copy it!)
