Mis sionar y M e s s enger SPRING 2022 / Volume 11
E M D N SE
E W , ON S ’S D O T. G N T E EN SO S S OD E AL G AS AR
Cumberland Presbyterian Church Missions Ministry Team
8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414
STOTT-WALLACE
PEACE BE WITH YOU!
MISSIONARY OFFERING
Again JesusMissionary Said, The Stott-Wallace Offering “Peace Be With You! said, “Peace be withSent you! As Me, the Father has AsAgain, TheJesus Father Has sent me, I am sending you. John 20:21 (NIV) I Am Sending You.”
T
Johnof20:21 he context the aboveNIV verse is relevant to its meaning. Jesus died on the cross and he was buried. His followers, afraid and confused, were hiding, trying to figure out their next step. The disciples were in fear that they might be next. It was a Sunday, and the doors of the house were locked. Would the Jewish leaders track them down and torture them? Then Jesus appeared and they were shocked. The first thing he said to them was, “Peace be with you!”
Please pray for our missionaries and consider supporting thefears Stott-Wallace Jesus addressed his disciples’ with peace. Jesus said everything was going to be fine. They could relax and put their fears behind them because Jesus was there. He was not Missionary Offering.
dead; he was there with them. They rejoiced. They would soon understand that by the Spirit of Christ coming into our world, Jesus would always be present. Death, torture, ridicule, and rejection had no control over Jesus, nor would it on his followers. Paul explained in Romans 8 that nothing could keep his followers from Christ’s love and presence. Now, that is Good News! But Jesus did not stop with “do not be afraid;” everything is going to be okay.
Donations are received throughout the year, but Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2022, is when we remind the Church of the importance of this offering. Jesus then challenged his disciples to take this “peace” to a whole new level. If we can
find peace while sitting in our house knowing Christ is with us, then we can also leave the house knowing the same. Jesus assures his fearful disciples that everything is okay, then he says, now go! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. As God sent God’s son, we are also sent. Missions is being sent by God in the peace of Christ. The peace we have in Christ, which gives us confidence in God’s faithfulness and guidance, frees us to be fearless and go.
The Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering is the only source The Stott-Wallace Offering is support. used to pay CP missionary salaries and of Missionary CP missionary benefits, nothing else. It is the only source of support for CP missionaries. Donations to the Administrative processing, Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering do not fees, incur administrative fees. Our United Outreach (OUO) covers all the clerical, processing, and transfer costs. and transfer costs are paid by Our missionaries are currently working in Brazil, Cambodia/Southeast Asia, Our United Outreach (OUO). Guatemala, the Philippines, and Spain. As Jesus promised, he stands by their side. We would like to challenge our churches and friends of missions to do the same. By giving to the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering, you are sending people into the world to show the love of Christ the peace of Christ. Forinmore information and resources visit our website
at
http://cpcmc.org/mmt/sw SPRING 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 1
CONTENTS 5 Bible Study
6 Let the Holy Spirit Breathe
8 The Latino Council of CP Churches in Florida
11-13 CP Ministry in Spain & France
14-15 Reflections of the Waverly Mission Trip
17 Ministry With Women
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Missionary Messenger SPRING 2022 { V O L .11, N O.1 }
PERSPECTIVES by Milton L. Ortiz JESUS’ COMMISSION TO HIS DISCIPLES Again, Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21 NIV
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ohn tells us somewhere between the afternoon and the evening, the day of resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples. First, he said, “peace be with you,” then he showed them his hands and his side. After the big surprise and rejoice of the disciples, he said again, “peace be with you.” Then he mentioned three very important aspects of his commission: “I am sending you” (just as the Father sent him); “receive the Holy Spirit” (after he had breathed on them); and “if you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” To understand, especially, the third statement, we need to consider the three pieces of the commission together. A commission starts with the apostolic call, to be sent; with power, the power of the Holy Spirit; and with a specific goal when preaching the gospel, that people experience the forgiveness of their sins. When Jesus was explaining this to Nicodemus in John chapter three, he said the Gospel includes three aspects: the giving of the Holy Spirit, the cleaning of all sings and the transformation of the sinner. This is also in accordance with what the Lord asked Ezekiel to prophesize: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean,… I will give you a new heart,… And I will put my Spirit in you…” (36:25-27). This issue of the Missionary Messenger focuses on Pentecost Day and the StottWallace Missionary Offering. This offering supports our missionaries’ salaries. You will find information about a generous donor matching Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering donations up to $50,000 and information about a missions conference at the Knoxville First CPC on June 12th. The Bible study on page five, titled Peace Signs, Nixon, Jesus, & Giving Witness will provide insight on our responsibility to give witness to the mighty acts of God in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is also an article calling us to let the Holy Spirit breathe, to open ourselves to be vital, robust, and thriving space for restoration, hope, and renewal. Regarding Women’s Ministry, the Reverend Rebecca Zahrte is the new Director of Ministry with Women. She will focus on new areas such as crossgenerational, cross-cultural, and global women’s ministries. There is also information in this issue about the 2022 Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Grace Presbytery has formed the first Latino Council of CP Churches in Florida under the care of the presbytery’s Board of Missions and the Missions Ministry Team. Our new missionaries in Spain provided information about the experiences they have had so far and their ministries in Spain and France. The Missions Ministry Team wants to express appreciation to Reverend Patrick and Jessica Wilkerson for their service as missionaries in Colombia, and to celebrate with them their call to serve the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Midlothian, Texas. 4 MISSIONARY MESSENGER SPRING 2022
M M SPRING 2022
MISSIONARY MESSENGER { VOL . 11, NO. 1 } MISSIONS MINISTRY TEAM OF THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ART DIRECTOR Sowgand Sheikholeslami ext:211 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Milton Ortiz ext:234 PUBLICATIONS MANAGER Matthew Gore ext:221 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jinger Ellis ext:230
CONTRIBUTORS Johan Daza ext:202 Kristi Lounsbury ext:263 T.J. Malinoski ext:232 Milton Ortiz ext:234 Lynn Thomas ext:261 8207 Traditional Place C ordova, TN 3 8 01 6 -7414 phone 9 01 . 2 76 . 4 5 72 fax 9 01 . 2 76 . 4 5 78 me s senger@cumb erland .org
VISIT US ON THE WEB ht tp://cp cmc .org/mm To read the previous issues of The Missionary Messenger visit us at ht tp://cpcmc .org/mm/ mm-archives Member • Associated Church Press Made Possible, In Part, By Our United Outreach
BIBLE STUDY
Peace Signs, Nixon, Jesus, & Giving Witness By T. J. Malinoski
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:19-21 NIV
As
former President Richard Nixon climbed the steps to board a helicopter on August 9, 1974, he turned toward the White House lawn. Facing a smattering of secret service agents, military personnel, and members of the press, Nixon smiled with outstretched arms and held two fingers in the shape of a “v.” Admitting my ignorance and my age (the Watergate scandal pre-dates me), when I first saw this infamous photo, I interpreted this gesture as a president giving the peace sign while leaving the White House. It was not until much later that I learned the upright index and middle finger has different connotations and meanings in different contexts and settings. While I am still ignorant of how a scandal can be victorious, I do realize how gestures and words can often be misunderstood. Having context helps provide clarity and Jesus’ disciples may have needed some when a familiar voice spoke of peace before being sent out of their hidey-hole to reach out to all persons with peace, grace, and love. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus finds his closest friends apprehensive about their immediate situation. Earlier in the day, the tomb in which Jesus was buried had been discovered empty and they speculated blame would be placed upon them and authorities would search for the tomb robber’s whereabouts. Their fear was strong enough that it is noted in John’s Gospel that the doors of the dwelling were secured. Behind these locked doors, Jesus greeted the disciples two times saying, Peace be with you! Conceivably, peace is conveyed twice by Jesus to ease the tension in the room and to assure them the peace being spoken is more than just a salutation or a nefarious play on words. Coupled with this peace is a commission. Jesus says, As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. On a cold reading, the charge does not explicitly answer the where, why, and for what. Flipping through the pages of John’s Gospel reveals the signs, symbols, and actions which initiate a genuine faith written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31). Like the disciples gathered together, we, as Christians, are being sent to reach all persons. The Confession of Faith for Cumberland Presbyterians (COF) echoes Jesus’ commission in 5.31: The covenant community is responsible to give witness to the mighty acts of God in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Where and when this witness is lacking, God is not without witness. Therefore, it does not belong to the covenant community to judge where and in what manner God acts savingly through Jesus Christ. The peace Jesus brings unlocks metaphorical doors freeing us from our apprehensions, fears, and trepidations. In this newfound and rediscovered freedom, we can join the journey as peace, grace, and love bearers into this world to share the grace of Christ with one another, to bear one another’s burdens, and to reach out to all other persons (COF 5.10). The peace that Jesus extends to the disciples is the same peace we are witnesses to. Thankfully, that peace is excessive enough to overcome misunderstandings of two fingers shaped in a “v.” SPRING 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 5
Let the Holy Spirit Breathe
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hile writing this article, the remnant of a cooked turkey sits on our refrigerator shelf. New shirt sleeves hang out of opened boxes and gift bags of bottled soap and Lego sets with crinkled tissue paper are under the Christmas tree. Texts are going back and forth making plans for New Year’s Eve and college football games are being streamed on the television. In church,
6 MISSIONARY MESSENGER SPRING 2022
hymns of joy to the world are being sung and Jesus is just a newborn wrapped in swaddling clothes. Yes, the deadline for Missionary Messenger articles is that early and it is a formidable task to think of the seasons of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost during Christmastide. Most likely you are reading this article as the baseball season is just getting underway, where spring allergies are probably being mixed with the latest COVID-19
variant, and your church is preparing for Holy Week, egg hunts, cantatas, and Easter services. The activities associated with the spring season can keep us extremely busy. Some of the reasons for filling our schedules with church activities is our desire to let others know the church as a space of restoration, hope, and renewal. We want to have that intimacy with God and for others to experience the Christian faith as a
By T. J. Malinosk i
faith of love, joy, and grace. To foster such encounters we pour resources, energy, and focus searching for cutting edge events and programs, innovative strategies, and new ministries to help our congregation grow and impact our community. But what happens when a church event comes to completion? What happens when strategies miss their marketed intention? What happens when ministries become long in the tooth? Now and then, it is important to ask these questions of our church activities and ministries to ensure they are pointing to the testimony and witnessing to what God has done and is doing for the human family effected in Jesus Christ and through the call and work of the Holy Spirit. As Cumberland Presbyterians, we tend to shy away from the personhood of the Holy Spirit. It is not that we do not believe in the power and working of the Holy Spirit. The Confession of Faith for Cumberland Presbyterians is chock full of the Holy Spirit’s call to repentance and confession, work through the scriptures, worship, the sacraments, and even ways beyond our own understanding. Even so, we do not want to be known as the local church where someone is slain in the spirit, laying prostrate in the church aisle, or babbling incoherently. Instead, we tend to approach the Holy Spirit from an intellectual or learned point of view if for no other reason than to distinguish ourselves from our more evangelical brothers and sisters of the faith.
Checking the Holy Spirit in this way, we can overlook the significance of what the writer to the Galatians penned: the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23a NLT). These fruits are qualities and characteristics that we strive to exhibit in our daily lives as both individuals and as the church. These same fruits are what can transform the world for a wonder and a reverence for God’s divine ways. Our church, whether great or small, wants to be that space where the Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When open to the call and work of the Holy Spirit the possibilities for growth and opportunities flourish. We want to be (and can be!) the vital, robust, and thriving space for restoration, hope and renewal, a space where the Holy Spirit can breathe. When the Holy Spirit breathes: •
Our congregation, presbytery, synod, and the Church at large shares the good news of Jesus Christ as our priority and mission. We take pleasure and joy in bearing witness to being saved, redeemed, and reconciled by God through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
•
Our weekly worship is an affirmation of God’s presence where people can find the assurance of love, forgiveness, guidance and redemption and our authentic response is one of
praise, confession, thanksgiving, and a commitment to serve. •
Our individual and group study guides our growth in discipleship and stewardship to practice the grace in which we are receiving.
•
With robust energy and commitment, we pour our energies and focus into all children, youth, and young adults, embracing them with the love of God, showing them the ways of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
•
Our current leadership is encouraged, and new leadership is nurtured within the life of our congregation.
•
We are inspired and want to lead new church endeavors, new worshiping communities, and new ministries not for institutional survival but because the fruits of the Holy Spirit within us are so great; we must share with others.
Imagine the shared excitement of being witnesses and participants of the Holy Spirit breathing upon the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. A communal experience that brings unity and where zeal and mission are weaved together. And when people speak of Cumberland Presbyterians, they call us a people who share the grace of Jesus Christ, who bear the burdens of one another, and reach out to all peoples.
SPRING 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 7
The Latino Council of Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in Florida B y Johan Da z a
Some important things have happened since the first meeting of the Latino Council of Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in Florida. The Reverend Aida Melendez Diego, a CP minister and member of Grace Presbytery, died in mid-December 2021 from complications with COVID-19. She was leading one of the Spanish-speaking worshiping communities in Miami, Florida. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. We pray for her family, friends, and the worshiping community members.
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lmost nine years ago, the Reverend Janice (Jan) Overton, a member of Grace Presbytery, who was serving on the Grace Presbytery Board of Missions, approached MMT with a question/idea regarding the Latino ministries in Grace Presbytery. Geographically, Grace Presbytery covers parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and the whole state of Florida. Rev. Overton was concerned with finding effective ways for Latino pastors and members to have more participation in the presbytery. An initial thought was to create a Hispanic subcommittee with the three organized Hispanic congregations which existed at that time. Since then, the Grace Presbytery Board of Missions has worked hard alongside the Missions Ministry Team of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church to start more congregations in Florida. As a result, today, Grace Presbytery has three organized Latino congregations in Alabama, two organized congregations in South Florida, five new church developments in Florida, including Hialeah, Jacksonville, Miami, Sunrise, and Naples, and one worshiping community in Miami. There are ten Latino ministers in Florida and five probationers. What started as a question from Rev. Jan Overton, resulted in the first Latino Council of Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in the United States, which operates under the care of the Grace Presbytery Board of Missions. The Latino Council of Cumberland Presbyterian Churches of Florida is an effort of Grace Presbytery’s Board of Missions and the Missions Ministry Team to ensure the development and progress of the different Cumberland Presbyterian Latino ministries in the state. The Council was approved by Grace Presbytery at the 2021 Fall Presbytery meeting. Some of the functions of the Council are to provide oversight and advise to Latino church planting efforts, new exploration initiatives, new church developments, and
8 MISSIONARY MESSENGER SPRING 2022
congregations of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Florida; to promote church planting as means to share the gospel and make disciples among the Latino communities in the state of Florida; to promote the unity of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church wherever the council conducts ministry, through formal council meetings and shared activities, programs, and projects; to report to Grace Presbytery’s Board of Missions regarding the development and progress of the work of the council and ministries in Florida; to promote the identity (polity, history, and theology) and work of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination among the different Latino Cumberland Presbyterian ministries in Florida; and to develop the financial and human resources necessary for the implementation of the approved programs and activities. The Latino Council of Cumberland Presbyterian Churches of Florida is composed of all the Latino ordained ministers, members of Grace Presbytery with a recognized call by the presbytery who reside in the state of Florida, the church planters (including lay leaders) of new exploration initiatives, and new church developments (including lay leaders), an elder of each session, and a steering committee member of each new church development of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church present in Florida. On December 4, 2021, Rev. Daniel Barkley and his wife Jaime represented Grace Presbytery and Rev. Dr. Milton Ortiz and Rev. Johan Daza represented the MMT at the first meeting of the Council. The meeting started with a worship service where Rev. Barkley preached. Rev. Barkley presented the first officials of the Council. The first officials were ratified by the Council body. Rev. Sandra Castellanos will serve for the first year as the Council chairperson, Rev. Yoel Rodriguez will serve for one year as the vice-chairperson, Licentiate Virginia Yarce will serve for three years as the Council clerk, and Rev. Janina Barrios will serve for three years as the treasurer of the Council.
The Council also approved the formation of three ministry teams: discipleship, church planting and evangelism, and pastors and probationers. Each team will have a chairperson and three members of the Council, between members of congregations, and new church developments. The Council agreed to meet twice a year as a council and twice a year as ministry teams. The Council will work to create joint ministry opportunities for the different Latino ministries in South Florida. The Council will report to the Grace Presbytery Board of Missions and will lead events that can benefit the members of the congregations and new church developments in the state of Florida. Additionally, Grace Presbytery and the Missions Ministry Team are providing a one-year subsidy to support ministry initiatives led by the new council. As Missions Ministry Team and the Grace Presbytery Board of Missions we want to ask you for your support and prayers. We pray for the new officials, for the three ministry teams, for the members of the Council, for the organized congregations, new church developments, and worshiping communities in Florida. We pray for the future of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the State of Florida, and we pray for a vision which will bear fruit among the Latino communities around the state.
SPRING 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 9
Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering and An Amazing Opportunity! By Jinger Ellis
The
Missions Ministry Team is excited and humbled to announce that a generous donor has agreed to match all Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering donations up to $50,000 which come to the Missions Ministry Team between March 1 to June 12, 2022. On June 12 we will have a Missions conference at Knoxville First CP Church. As part of that conference, we will have a worship service to celebrate Pentecost and CP Missions around the world. This Sunday night service will be a culmination of the matching funds campaign made possible by our generous donor. In addition to the worship service, we will
receive a Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering in that service and express gratitude to God for how the Holy Spirit touches the hearts of givers. The Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering is used strictly to pay CP missionary salaries and their benefits. It is the only source of missionary support for CP missionaries. Administrative fees, processing, and transfer costs are paid by Our United Outreach Offering (OUO). Please pray for our missionaries and consider supporting the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering. They have an important message to share with the world.
STOTT-WALLACE MISSIONARY OFFERING UPDATE 2017 Donations
$
2018
2019
2020
2021
259,529
$
319,144
$
272,205
$
271,684
$
249,301
Expenses
$
(341,763)
$
(319,710)
$
(268,013)
$
(271,728)
$
(314,237)
Deficit/ Surplus
$
(82,234)
$
(566)
$
4,192
$
(44)
$
(64,936)
The Life Of New Missionaries By Reverends Wilson and Diana Lopez, Marcela, and Valery
We
have started a new stage in our lives as missionaries. We arrived in the city of Madrid, Spain on April 22, 2021, where they welcomed us very well. After several days looking for a place to live, we felt God leading us to live outside of Madrid in a place called Tres Cantos. We are in an apartment, but in Spain they are called flats. It is spacious with four rooms. In the sector where the apartment is located everything is new to us but it is very nice and quiet. The first months have been a time of adaptation and of getting to know a new culture, which has been a great challenge. We are a family with two beautiful daughters and our adaptation process has been experienced by four people of different ages and tastes. Having spent a lifetime in the city of Cali, Colombia, where we are familiar with everything, now we are in a place where we do not know anything. Even the times businesses open are different than where we came from. Although Spain speaks our language (Spanish) many terms are different. One of the difficult things in this process has been being away from our family in Colombia. We spent a Christmas away from some of the people with whom we always spent it. Also being in a church as pastors for fifteen years but now starting over in a new country with new people is a challenge. Having been pastors for so long and now being missionaries also leads us to make changes in our ministry. We have experienced the church from a new perspective.
It is one thing to see it from a pastoral perspective but; another to see it as missionaries. But, the experience has been very helpful and informative. Therefore, we would encourage each pastor to have a missionary experience for a time as part of their ministry. It would help the churches a lot because it would broaden their perspective of the ministry. We feel that we are in the place God wants, in the moment God determined and doing what He wants us to do for Him. It has been a great blessing to experience taking the gospel to a new country, discipling people from other cultures, seeing how they worship God in other ways, and the way God receives each expression of worship which is addressed to Him. We are very optimistic about what God is doing and is going to do in Spain and France. We feel there are many people who are going to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. In the future, it will be possible to form a Presbytery in Europe. This goal will take time and investment. We want to encourage you to join this work, so that together we take the gospel to the least evangelized in the world. We need your prayers. Pray that God gives us boldness sharing with the Spaniards and French, that as a family we adapt to the changes, and that God protects us. Pray the Lord grants us his power and strength to carry out this project. Thank you very much to all the CPs and to the CP churches who have supported us by giving to the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering. May the Lord continue to bless you.
SPRING 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 11
CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN MINISTRY IN SPAIN AND FRANCE
By Wilson and Diana Lopez
We want to tell you all that God is working in a special way in Spain and France through the ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Our mission work is in Madrid, Banyeres de Mariola, Spain, and Lyon, France. 12 MISSIONARY MESSENGER SPRING 2022
Cumberland Presbyterian Madrid Mission
that complies with the government regulations for a church building (currently the area we rent does not meet all the government Currently, approximately 80 regulations for a church). We people from different nations are need more room for children attending worship services, among and more space for more chairs which are four Spaniards. The in our worship area. The second mission meets in Madrid in the challenge is to continue the process Carabanchel sector, Calle Gaviota 56 of preparing the church to receive (address), it is a rented place and European culture. Our church is is completely full of people. The mostly Latino immigrants to Spain. person who is leading the mission Spaniards are different culturally is a candidate for the ministry than people from Latin American Adriana Amorocho Fernández. culture. We want to adapt and God, by His grace, allowed us not lose the Spaniards that we in the month of June to baptize have currently. We want to reach 20 people and we have seen His more Spaniards. In the future it support with the constant arrival of would be great if we could start a new people. Discipleship is being mission that reaches out exclusively conducted with each new person. to European culture. The third One of the Lord’s blessings to our challenge is to have more resources mission work started in November to continue with this growing work, resources to deliver Bibles, in our Madrid congregation. Our brochures, etc. church allowed the Red Cross to use our facility. They are Cumberland distributing food to low-income Presbyterian Work in people, approximately 150 to 200 Banyeres de Mariola families have benefited. Every Saturday food is distributed. People This work is in a town called from different nations arrive at our Banyeres de Mariola in the Valencian church, mostly Latinos (from Latin community. In this small town America) and some Spaniards. This of 7,000 inhabitants there was no is not only a community service Protestant Christian community activity but also an evangelistic until we arrived with the ministry opportunity. Our church shares of the Cumberland Presbyterian the gospel with them, and some Church. There are many towns in people have accepted the Lord as Spain without a Protestant church their savior. presence. The group is small because we have not yet been able In the Marid mission there to rent a meeting space in the are active ministries such as community due to the different praise, intercessory prayer, ladies’ requirements and regulations of group, men’s group, counseling, the Valencian community. Sixteen Sunday school, discipleship, and people congregate in an apartment leadership school. There are for worship. One is a Spaniard who many expectations and challenges has already been baptized. In this with this mission, especially now mission there are active ministries Spaniards are coming. We are such as worship, intercessory faced with three challenges: The prayer, ladies’ group, discipleship, first is to get a larger rental space
and Sunday school. The people who are leading this work are the candidates for the ministry Jorge Edinson Echeverry and his wife Adriana María Galeano (from Cali, Colombia). The services are carried out in the apartment that they have rented. Challenges for this year: Extend the legal covering we have in the Madrid mission to the Banyeres mission so that we can rent a place to open our doors to the community.
Cumberland Presbyterian Work in Lyon, France This work is in the city of Lyon. The group is small but in this first quarter of the year 2022 a new French member will be baptized. In this mission there are active ministries such as praise, intercessory prayer, and discipleship. The people who are leading this work are the candidates for the ministry Jairo Méndez Suarez and Margarita Flórez (husband and wife). The services are done in their apartment. The gospel has been shared with several families. Challenge for this year: To be able to rent a place to open our doors to the community.
Future Opportunities We are also working with two family groups in Zaragoza and Seville in Spain. We are visiting these cities when we can and sharing the Word of God. We hope that in these places the Lord will allow us to open new Cumberland Presbyterian missions.
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REFLECTIONS OF THE WAVERLY MISSION TRIP By Dean Reichenbach
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T
he extent of the damage was much more than expected. In this small town and surrounding area of a few thousand people, in one day 300 homes were destroyed and 600 significantly damaged. Joining the effort in November, the entire focus of the community remained flood cleanup and repair. Life completely changed forever in a matter of minutes for all those affected. I often thought of the story of starfish washed up on the beach - the problem is so great throwing a few starfish back into the ocean does not make much difference, but it does to the ones thrown back. In the week our team was there, we made just a tiny dent in the needs of the community but it made a difference to the families we were able to help. A team of four volunteers spent the week rewiring a hundred year old house which had been caught in the middle of the flood. While the structure was still sound, all the interior walls, plumbing, and wiring had to be replaced. The homeowner was doing most of the work himself with some volunteer help. Some materials had been donated and we were able to provide some of the materials for the electrical work. None of us were licensed electricians but among the four of us we had enough experience that we could do work that was up to code as we knew it, leaving only the electrical meter for a licensed electrician to repair. It was encouraging to watch the area churches come together to show their support. We stayed in a Cumberland Presbyterian church, ate lunch at the Church of Christ, and took showers in a Baptist shower trailer along with Lutheran volunteers. We saw the vehicles and trailers from many Christian organizations around town. There is still much to do in the clean-up effort for Waverly, Tennessee. The camaraderie and good spirits among the workers were a highlight. We ate, visited, and played games in the evenings while some of us more “seasoned” volunteers rested and medicated our aches and pains, preparing for another day. Many thanks to all the friends who have helped support the families of Waverly as they seek to rebuild their lives. If you feel called to lead a team to the Waverly area and would like help with the planning, you may contact Kristi Lounsbury at 901-276-4572 ext. 263 or klounsbury@cumberland.org.
SPRING 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 15
Wilkersons Return to the US B y Ly nn T ho mas
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n November 30, 2021, Reverend Patrick and Jessica Wilkerson, with daughters Bella and Jacqueline, returned to the United States. They were endorsed, commissioned, and deployed as CP missionaries in July 2017 to Colombia, South America. They lived and served in Medellin, working with Emaus Presbytery. Emaus Presbytery had been newly formed when they arrived as missionaries. Patrick worked with various committees of the presbytery and held
different officer positions. He helped the presbytery with their financial, legal, and administrative structures. Jessica helped launch a ministry to help single mothers develop skills that would allow them financial stability. Patrick and Jessica also hosted various US short-term mission teams that visited Colombia. During their term of service as missionaries, the Wilkersons moved to the city of Rionegro (about 45 minutes from Medellin) and started a new church development in their home, which eventually moved into a storefront. Those who worked with Patrick and Jessica voiced appreciation for their work. They will be missed. The Missions Ministry Team wants to express appreciation for their service as missionaries in Colombia.
Maddie Taylor Resigns as the Coalition for Appalachian Ministry (CAM) Intern B y K ris ti L o uns b ur y
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addie Taylor began serving as the first CAM intern in August 2019, when she entered Maryville College, Maryville, Tennessee. For two-and-ahalf years, Maddie has served the Board of CAM by helping re-work the website and creating better visibility on social media. She has been instrumental in helping CAM capture a vision of what the internship can do to help others become aware of the Appalachian Region. While at Maryville College, Maddie became an outstanding leader. She has served as the Student Government Association (SGA) Vice President, has been involved in Best Buddies, the Student Programming Board (SPB), and 16 MISSIONARY MESSENGER SPRING 2022
the Student Conduct Board. She is also an Admissions Ambassador! Maddie remains academically strong as a McGill Scholar and is double majoring in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. In her spare time, she tutors other students and babysits. The CAM Advisory Board, along with the Board of CAM, will be reviewing the intern job description prior to seeking another intern. The Missions Ministry Team and the CAM Advisory Board wish Maddie the best for her future!
MINISTRY WITH WOMEN B y M il to n L . O r tiz
“We speak of the ‘feminist movement’ as though it were a radical idea. We speak of ‘women’s liberation’ as though it were a twentieth century event. We listen to the proponents and opponents of the Equal Rights Amendment debating this piece of legislation as though women’s rights were a brand new issue to be reckoned with! But when we reflect on the history of missions in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church during the past 100 years, we are aware that the feminine spirit was emancipated by the love of Christ many centuries ago and nothing can constrain it!” Beverly St. John. February 1, 1980 (Hearth and Chalice) Women’s Ministry is an integral part of the denomination, its presbyteries and regions, and the local churches. It has a long history of engagement with women. However, Women’s Ministry has been declining in participation on all levels, and this unfortunate reality is not unique to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. There must be a shift in the approach to Women’s Ministry, recognizing the importance and value of strong and engaged women, to turn the tide of this decline. Women’s Ministry needs an intentional focus on new areas such as cross-generational, cross-cultural, and global women’s ministries. Women need to be engaged in ministry beyond the annual Convention. For that reason, the Ministry Council has approved a full-time position for women’s ministry under a new name, Director of Ministry with Women. The Reverend Rebecca Zahrte has accepted the call to be the new Director of Ministry with Women. For the last four years, Becky has served as pastor of two Cumberland Presbyterian churches (Madisonville First in Madisonville, Kentucky, and Rose Creek in Nebo, Kentucky). Becky has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Ashford University, a Master of Science in Organizational Communication from Murray State University and graduated from the Memphis Theological
Seminary’s Program of Alternate Studies (PAS). Becky has participated in several projects for the denomination, is one of the initial commentators in the Encounter Study videos and has served as an elected member of the Discipleship Ministry Team. As Director of Ministry with Women, Becky will provide leadership to all women in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in a wide variety of ministerial opportunities. The objective is to see more women in leadership, more women serving congregations, more younger women involved in all levels of ministries and leadership, and greater ethnic diversity of women in leadership roles. Becky started her new role in January, and offices from Madisonville, Kentucky. She is excited about this new ministry saying, “I am highly motivated and pray my skills gleaned from years in the customer service industry will bolster my ability to fill this role.” The Missions Ministry Team includes Rev. Dr. Milton L. Ortiz, Team Leader; Rev. T. J. Malinoski, Evangelism and New Church Development; Rev. Johan Daza, Cross-Culture Immigrant Ministry; Rev. Dr. Lynn Thomas, Global Ministries; Jinger Ellis, Manager, Finance and Administration; Rev. Kristi Lounsbury, Congregational Ministries, and Rev. Rebecca Zahrte, Ministry with Women. We are excited to welcome Becky to the MMT. SPRING 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 17
INVITATION TO CONVENTION By Kristi Lounsbury
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any changes have occurred in the last year and we are so excited! Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry has embraced the opportunity to make some changes while continuing to honor our traditions. In addition to having our newly hired Director of Ministry with Women, Reverend Rebecca Zahrte, with us, there will be some adjustments to our schedule for this year to accommodate some of our activities. Just like the state of New Mexico’s slogan, “It grows as it goes,” we, too, will grow being together again! Our theme for 2022-23 is “Revive Us, Again” based on the scripture Psalm 85:6, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” Please make plans to come to Albuquerque, New Mexico for Convention 2022. Regional Delegates will gather on June 20 th , with Convention beginning Tuesday, June 21, and culminate Thursday, June 23, with the Convention Luncheon. Regions should select delegates to Convention as soon as possible. If already selected, please register soon! The mail-in registration form is on the next page. The online registration can be found at
18 MISSIONARY MESSENGER SPRING 2022
https://cpcmc.org/mmt/convention/. The link for lodging information can also be found there. As new information is available, it will also be posted at this link. Please check back often! Presbytery del Cristo has been working hard, along with the CPWM Executive Team, to have a wonderful Convention at the Embassy Suites. Albuquerque and its beauty will not disappoint. The people and scenery are wonderful! There will be opportunities for some extra trips and site-seeing along the way. As a reminder, the offerings and gifts for our projects will be collected during Convention (unless they have already been sent to the Center). As always, our fall project is the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering. Our spring project is the opportunity to share in the development of the women and children ministries in Brazil. Our Convention Offering is to support the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a program designed to help our ministers. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Questions regarding Convention can be sent to Cathy Littlefield, Women’s Ministry Interim, at CPWMinterim@cumberland.org.
Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry Embassy Suites Albuquerque, New Mexico June 21-23, 2022 Return your completed registration form and a check payable to Missions Ministry Team to: Convention Registration, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016. A packet of information will be sent by email to those who register by June 1. Questions? Contact Cathy Littlefield at 479-849-6000 or CPWMInterim@cumberland.org. Name ____________________________________ Phone Number __________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________ Congregation ___________________________ Region ___________________________________ Email _________________________________ Membership Level __________________________ Are you: Regional Delegate _____ Youth Delegate
_____ First time at Convention
______________
Fees & Meals: Please indicate the number of tickets or fees you are paying in the blank on the left column. Calculate the total cost in the right column. All activities are financially supplemented by Our United Outreach. The actual cost is higher than reflected in the fees paid by participants.
Registration Type _____ Registration $60.00 by May 1. Add $15.00 after May 1. _____ One day registration $30.00
Total
________ ________
Meals and Trips _____ Regional Delegate Luncheon. Select one entrée. $33.00 _____ Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad _____ Caesar Salad (no meat) _____ Smoked Turkey w/cheese wrap _____ Old Town Shopping Trip transportation $5.00 _____ Santa Fe Special Project transportation $20.00 _____ Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Luncheon. Select one entrée. $45.00 _____ Roma Chicken _____ 8 oz. Ball Tip Sirloin _____ I would like to donate to the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering Fund
________
________ ________ ________
________
Total Enclosed ________
Information about the special project and workshops will be in upcoming notifications and in the Registration Packet which you will receive via email in late May. You are responsible for making your own lodging reservations. Convention is being held at the Albuquerque Embassy Suites. Phone: 505-245-7100. Room rate is $154 + taxes. Please note: The beds are only full-size and not queen-size. Looking forward to seeing you in Albuquerque! SPRING 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 19
E M D N SE
E W , ON S GIVING NEWS/Second Mile Project D for’S Missions O T. G N T E EN SO S S OD E AL G AS AR
Repairs for School Bus in Belize – Project #34475 Reverends Lee & Leslie Attema began a relationship with the pastor, James Jones, of the Living Word Church in Ontario Village in 2018. Their desire to become affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was welcomed. Many of those who attend the church do not have vehicles. The school bus has a route to pick up the church attendees whenever there is something going on at the church.
Financial Data:
Amount needed from Second Mile: $2,500 Amount received to date: $1,000.
The bus is a lifeline for the Living Word Church. This gift to the congregation will eliminate the worry of monthly payments and maintenance needed to keep this vital ministry up and running.
Contributions:
Please make check payable to the Missions Ministry Team indicating for “Belize School Bus” and mail to 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414.
Contact Kristi Lounsbury at klounsbury@cumberland.org, (901) 276-4572 ext. 263.
Cumberland Presbyterian Church Missions Ministry Team
2 0 M I S S I O N A R Y8207 M E S S Traditional E N G E R S P R I N G Place, 2022
Cordova, TN 38016-7414
STOTT-WALLACE MISSIONARY OFFERING
Again Jesus Said, “Peace Be With You! As The Father Has Sent Me, I Am Sending You.” John 20:21 NIV
Please pray for our missionaries and consider supporting the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering. Donations are received throughout the year, but Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2022, is when we remind the Church of the importance of this offering. The Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering is the only source of CP missionary support. Administrative fees, processing, and transfer costs are paid by Our United Outreach (OUO). For more information and resources visit our website at
http://cpcmc.org/mmt/sw
POLICY: THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER is published for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by the Missions Ministry Team. Opinions expressed by the individual writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editors. THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER does not accept advertising. ©2022 Missions Ministry Team ADDRESS CHANGE: Send new address and label from a recent issue to the Circulation Secretary at the address below. THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER (ISSN 08868344), (Publication permit number: PE14376) is published quarterly by the Missions Ministry Team of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church,8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tenn. The magazine is sent free of charge to each household in the denomination. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414.
Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Send Me!
John 20:21 NIV
As God sent God’s son, we are also sent. Please pray for our missionaries and consider supporting the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering. Donations are received throughout the year, but Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2022 , is when we remind the Church of the importance of this offering. The Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering Fund is the only source of CP missionary support. Administrative fees, processing, and transfer costs are paid by Our United Outreach (OUO). CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – MISSIONS MINISTRY TEAM 8207 Traditional Place – Cordova, TN 38016-7414 For more information and resources visit our website at https://cpcmc.org/mmt/sw/