Missionary Messenger FA L L 2 0 2 0 / Vo l u m e 9
2020
LOAVES&FISHES OFFERING COVID-19 RELIEF
2020
LOAVES & FISHES OFFERING COVID-19 RELIEF
The Philippines Guatemala U.S.A. Psalm 145 :14-16 states, “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
CUMBERLAND PRESB 8207 TR ADITIONAL PL ACE • CORDOVA,
By Lynn Thomas & Kristi Lounsbur y
T
his year’s Loaves & Fishes offering is in response to the tragedy the COVID-19 pandemic created around the world. For the first time in a hundred years all the world experienced the same crisis. Nations around the world either urged or demanded their citizens to stay at home. Businesses, churches, public transportation, and normal social behavior came to a stop. The intent was to stop the spread of the virus, but the price for many people was the loss of employment and income. Around the world, families were unable to work and their financial reserves quickly depleted.
The Missions Ministry Team requests the offering each congregation receives this year be used as follows: 75% of the offering can stay in the local church to start or replenish your foodbank or it can be donated to a local foodbank. Send the remaining 25% of the Loaves & Fishes Offering to the MMT to buy food for those impacted by the pandemic in Guatemala and the Philippines. In both countries there is serious need and the MMT has an infrastructure in place to distribute food already. MMT recognizes the need is great in your community as well as globally. We want to allow for flexibility, giving churches the freedom to adjust this offering as they see fit. If your church wants to adjust the percentages, that is fine. Some churches may decide more than 25% of their offering should be used internationally.
2020
LOAVES&FISHES OFFERING COVID-19 RELIEF
The results of the pandemic, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of lives lost, have been long lines at foodbanks in the wealthier countries like the USA, white flags in the windows of Guatemalan homes signaling families were out of food, and strict quarantine laws lasting months in the Philippines creating food insecurity for families. The pandemic started in March for most countries. In the case of the USA, unemployment climbed by millions in a matter of weeks. In the Philippines, the economy hit a 34 year low. In Guatemala, the white flags were a call for food as jobs were lost. The Missions Ministry Team has determined the Loaves & Fishes Offering in 2020 will go toward buying food for those affected by COVID-19. We expect the impact of the pandemic will continue throughout this year. Cumberland Presbyterians (and their neighbors) throughout the world will be affected for a long time and recovery will take time.
Psalm 145:14-16 states, “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” Through God’s gifts to each of us, we have the opportunity to lift up those who have fallen due to the pandemic. We have the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of those we call our brothers and sisters. As we all look to God for our sustenance, let us share our bounty and help provide relief for those to whom God’s hand has opened. MM
Contents 6 The Need For More Intercultural Sensitivity 7 Worshiping Community 9 The Apocalypse 10 Loaves & Fishes Offering 14 Celebrating 32 Years Of Ministry To Choctaw Presbytery 16 Clergywomen Reception
MM Missionary Messenger {
FALL 2020 V O L . 9, N O . 3
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COVID-19 RELIEF IN
&
GUATEMALA THEPHILIPPINES
PERSPECTIVES
by Milton L. Ortiz
Love in a Time of Racial Injustice
In
1985, the Colombian Nobel prize winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez published his novel Love in the Time of Cholera. I was a 25-year-old at the time and never thought I would experience a global pandemic in my lifetime. COVID-19 has made me experience uncertainty and confusion. Uncertainty because I am now 60, and I am not sure how close the virus is to me and how it could affect me if I were infected. Therefore, I have become suspicious of everyone around me and confused because of the misinformation about the virus and the different opinions people have about the reality of the pandemic. Another emotion that I have experienced lately is existential anguish. I grew up in Colombia, South America, during the student’s movement. This movement consisted mainly of students who protested about everything, especially against the government. I was in high school and as soon as college students arrived at our school to protest, we were released from school. We joined them on the streets screaming slogans and expressing our freedom of speech. When the police arrived, I would feel anxious and go home. To this day violence makes me run to look for a place to hide, and, usually, I hide in my inner self. In addition to the pandemic there are protests about racial injustice and police brutality. They, too, are a burden which affects us all. It does not matter our race, color, country of origin, or political affiliation; one can be white, native American, black, Hispanic, or Asian. We all, individually and collectively, have history and realities. Some were born in the USA and some come from other countries, but we all are in this pandemic and cry for justice together. I understand reflection and action about racial injustice starts within myself, because it is internal, but it also becomes public, it is institutional, and it is also systemic because it is the way we have always done things. Both the pandemic and the cry for injustice forces me to question how we have always done things. At the last supper, Jesus said to his disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another...[By this everyone will know that you are my disciples...”(John 13:34-35). Jesus also said to Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world...”(John 3:16). Author Tim Stead said that “one more element is needed to paint the picture of perfect, divine love, and that is this element of nonjudging.”1] As humans we have the tendency to judge others, and often judge ourselves. So, to love in this time of confusion, uncertainty, and cries for racial justice is a call to understanding. I do not want to be judged because I am confused and uncertain. I want the other person to understand that he or she is being loved because of my nonjudgmental attitudes and actions. May we love one another this way. MM Stead, Tim. “Mindfulness and Christian Spirituality: Making Space for God. 2017. 1
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M M FA L L
2020
MISSIONARY MESSENGER { VOL.
9, NO 3
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MISSIONS MINISTRY TEAM OF THE CUMBERL AND PRESBY TERIAN 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 Cardelia Howell-Diamond ext:264 Kristi Lounsbury ext:263 T.J. Malinoski ext:232 Milton Ortiz ext:234 Lynn Thomas ext:261 8207 Traditional Place Cor dova, T N 38016-7414 phone 901.276.4572 fa x 901.276.4578 m essenger @cu m berland.org VISIT US ON THE WEB
ht tp://cpcmc.o rg/m m To read the previous issues of The Missionary Messenger visit us at
http://cpcmc.org/mm/mm-archives MEMBER • Associated Church Press
Made Possible, In Part, By Our United Outreach
BIBLE S T U DY
Our God Is God For All By Johan Daza
The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. Psalm 145: 14-16 (NIV)
There is no doubt, 2020 will be recorded in history as a year full of unexpected events and realities. As Christians, we recognize it has been tough, but we also can record this as a year in which we saw God´s loving hands caring for all. Our God walks with us throughout our lives, history, and generations in the past, present, and future. As Christians, we are called to stop, take our time to come to God, and recall how our Creator has been caring, not only for us, but for all creation. So, let us take our time and see what scripture can tell us about our caring God.
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salm 145 is known as a Hebrew Alphabet acrostic. And, it is also known as an introduction to a doxology section of the Psalms. It is an introduction to worship, it is a call to repentance, it is an invitation to see God, not distant, but close to us and to all creation. A word repeated throughout this Psalm is “all.” This is a reminder that God´s goodness is not exclusive, but for all. That goodness is known as the cultural mandate of creation that is present in Genesis 1: 26-29. By God´s command, everything reproduces and multiplies. The land re-produces food for all living beings, so all can be satisfied. All the goodness of God is for all to enjoy. And yes, God is both, a personal God, and a God for all, because God is our creator. How have we seen the goodness of God during this 2020? The Psalm tells us that God works for the good of all. God is compassionate with every living being created. Those who know God are called to tell of the Glory of God to others. How have we shared God´s goodness with others during 2020? Sharing God´s might with others helps us and others to turn our eyes to God, so all of us can enjoy the same God´s glory and mighty acts. Right at the center of the psalm, David tells us about how faithful God is to all. The psalm says the Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. This year has been a tough one. I am sure there have been moments when we felt weary, there might be moments when we saw ourselves and others worn out due to a pandemic, to global financial, social, and political instability, etc. But amid all of that, God has been faithful to all. Yes, difficult to recognize, but the truth for sure! When talking about caring, God does not play favorites, God cares for everything God has created. During this year, how have you seen God fulfil God´s promise to lift up those who are spiritually, emotionally, and physically worn?
In a year when we have been looking to each other for help, the psalm reminds us to look to God. And again, it is an invitation for all. Have we seen God´s hand giving us what we and others need? Because, God is the one who opens a generous hand to satisfy the desires of every living thing. The truth is that God has not stopped caring for us, for all. However, the problem, unfortunately, is that we can easily look everywhere for help but God. Perhaps, the difficult realities faced this year, prevented us from seeing God´s presence and mighty deeds. There were moments when it was difficult to enjoy God´s goodness for all. But it does not mean that God was not there. On the contrary, God has been closer and faithful to all.
As
Christians we still have a mission. As Christians we are responsible for living and making visible God´s caring and loving presence for all. This is not about a checklist; it is a daily relational commitment with God and others. Many people around the world feel helpless; well, we have the responsibility to show God´s lifting power to uphold the weary. One simple expression of care and companionship is breaking and sharing bread with others. It shows hospitality, love, and respect for life. By doing this, we are making visible God´s hands that feed and satisfy all living things. We are called to live and serve our caring and loving God in a world where many are crying out for help. Based on this psalm we are called to make visible the God who cares for all! We are the ones called today to make visible all the righteousness and faithfulness of God! We are invited and we invite others to look to God for help! And yes, God will help us to care for, help, and love others. That way, all the people will be able to see that God is both, a personal God, and a God for all! Thanks be to God! MM
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Cross-Culture Ministr y
PASSING FROM ETHNO-CENTRISM (ME) TO ETHNO-RELATIVISM (YOU) The Need for Intercultural Sensitivity By Johan Daza
I
grew up thinking, as a Colombian, that all Cumberland Presbyterians were like me (ethnocentrism), but I now know this is not the case. We are different from one another and that is ok (ethno-relativism). I also used to think that the Bible was written for people like me (ethnocentrism); however, I now know the interpretation of scripture is influenced by our own cultural system (ethno-relativism). And I used to think people from different cultures were not able to understand and value my own cultural system (ethnocentrism). Then I learned that there are people from diverse cultural backgrounds who are eager to learn more about my culture (ethno-relativism). If you can relate with any of these assumptions mentioned above, you may be familiar with the tension we all experience evaluating a culture from our own cultural perspective (ethnocentrism) vs. celebrating that other cultures have their own norms and values (ethno-relativism). This understanding is intercultural sensitivity. This is true even in Christianity. Ethnocentrism is natural when our cultural background is central in our perception of reality and worldview. Our perceptions about reality are based in our cultural experience. Ethnocentrism is more common among people who have lived in the same culture for most of their lives. Milton Bennett [1] a social anthropologist, divided ethnocentrism in three stages: 1. Denial, when we fail in recognizing the existence or the relevance of cultural differences in other people. In “denial” we think our culture is more complex than others. We only observe people of other cultures under forced circumstances. Like observing a minority group or other ethnic group, our observation is not relational, it is detached.
2. Defense, when we are aware of other cultures; but ours is still better or superior. There is a strong gap between “us and them;” and 3. Minimization, when we eliminate/minimize cultural differences to avoid conflict by saying “we are all the same, we are all human beings” without acknowledging cultural differences which are deeply important for people from different cultural backgrounds. With this in mind, we need to remember that loving and embracing people from other ethnic-cultural backgrounds does not occur naturally nor easily. This is one of the reasons many missiologists (students of mission) recognize the great commandment of loving God with all our being and our neighbors as ourselves has tremendous cross-cultural implications for the Church worldwide. Changing our ethnocentric mindset requires God´s love for others and the willingness to relate to people different than ourselves. 6 M ISS I O N A RY M ESS E N G E R
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On the other hand, ethno-relative stages require openness, respect, and trust. Our cultural identity can be re-shaped by meaningful experiences of life and lasting relationships with people from different cultural backgrounds. Ethno-relativism is the ability to value other cultural systems as complex as our own. The ethnorelative stages are: 1. Acceptance, when we consciously recognize the different cultural systems and people with different worldviews. However, it does not mean we agree in everything. 2. Adaptation, when we are capable to relate, interact, and communicate effectively with people from different cultural, language backgrounds. This is also known as intercultural empathy. Empathy is the ability to see their world as others see their world. 3. Integration, when we can move in and out between cultural contexts, to the point where we can have sustainable and lasting relationships with people from different cultural backgrounds. There are biblical examples about the ethnocentrism/ethnorelativism tension. For instance, the apostle Peter had to learn to be culturally sensitive through his encounter with Cornelius, who had a different cultural background in Acts 10. We know Peter learned to identify his own cultural biases when he said “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean” (Acts 10:28 NASV). Peter recognizes how his own cultural system made him perceive others wrongly and how God equally values other people´s cultural systems. Peter learned that God does not play favorites. God works in the world beyond our own culture (Acts 10:34-36). We are God’s people today and the ball is in our court. Many people from different cultural backgrounds in our local contexts are eager to hear the good news of Christ. And we are called to love others in a more ethno-relative way (relational). If your congregation is in a multicultural context and you want to learn more about ministering interculturally, the Missions Ministry Team is offering training opportunities for congregations. For more information, please contact Rev. Johan Daza at jdaza@cumberland.org. MM [1] Reference: Bennett, M. (2017). Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783665. ieicc0182
WORSHIPING COMMUNITY To Worship Is To Be Fully Human
Evangelism And NCD
B y T. J . M a l i n o s k i
As human beings we realize that we worship out of a sense of need. We are not sufficient unto ourselves, and we experience a sense of completeness and fulfillment through the encounter with and worship of our Creator. To worship is to be fully human. Directory of Worship for Cumberland Presbyterians
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OVID-19 has definitely put a wrinkle on how we have worshiped in 2020. “Virtual” or “in-person” have become identifiers on what worship looks like from a personal and corporate perspective. Cumberland Presbyterians cover the kaleidoscope spectrum of what is the most effective way to address the sense of need to worship. This year has stretched our earlier thinking of what worship is and has also validated dreams of what worship can be. If you have read this far into the article, then you must be interested in new ways and places to take worship and the study of scripture to new heights that will strengthen your discipleship and reach new people. Cumberland Presbyterians are starting what is called a Worshiping Community in their living room, at the kitchen table, in front of a computer monitor and even within their own church building. The purpose is to fulfill that sense of need to worship; whether it compliments worship earlier in the week, fills the gap where worship is difficult because of COVID-19 or is a brand-new endeavor to start a new ministry to reach those who do not know Christ.
The foundation of a Worshiping Community comes from the Confession of Faith 5.14. A Worshiping Community proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ, celebrates the sacraments, reads, and studies the scriptures, prays, sings, and commits life and resources to God. And guess what? You do not have to be a seasoned minister to start, lead or take part in a Worshiping Community. You can be young or young at heart, a student, a graduate, male, female, retired or semi-retired, employed, or part-time. A main ingredient for leading a Worshiping Community out of your home, church or other setting is that you must really love people, are a committed disciple of Jesus Christ and want to gather with others for worship, study, and fellowship. Does a Worshiping Community resonate with you? Could it be what you, your family and friends or your church is looking for? Check out this link for more information on a Worshiping Community at https:// cpcmc.org/worshipingcommunity/. Do not forget to click the resources page for additional access to stories and supplemental materials. Also, feel free to contact me at TMalinoski@cumberland.org and 901.276.4572 ext.232 and Johan Daza at JDaza@cumberland.org and 901.276.4572 ext. 202 to learn more about a Worshiping Community. MM FA L L 2 0 2 0
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Global Missions
HOW MUCH OUO GOES TO MISSIONS? By Lynn L. Thomas
O
ur United Outreach (OUO) is a voluntary donation that each Cumberland Presbyterian church is asked to give to the ministries of the denomination. The General Assembly determines what ministries will receive what amounts from OUO. Missionary salaries are not paid by OUO. They are paid by the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering. There are a few reasons we do it this way: First, missionaries are expensive, it costs approximately $350,000 a year to pay salaries and benefits for our missionaries. Second, when OUO has shortfalls, budgets must be adjusted. It takes years to prepare missionaries to serve (language learning, visa applications). It is not realistic to quickly change out missionaries. The Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering provides a stable financial platform for the missionaries. This leads to the question, so how much OUO goes to missions? As the director of global missions, I have been asked that question several times. My response is, I do not know. Then I add this list of what OUO does for missions and challenge the questioner to try and figure out how much OUO goes to missions. · The Missionary Messenger is a free publication to its readers, and it is dedicated to informing the CP Church about our mission work. This magazine promotes our missionaries and our mission programs, both in the USA and outside the USA. OUO pays for the publication and distribution of the Missionary Messenger. · OUO pays for the promotional expenses related to the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering. · Missionaries need guidance and encouragement. The Missions Ministry Team (MMT) has staff, paid by OUO, that dedicates considerable time to visit our missionaries, encourage and guide them in their work. · All donations to missionaries go 100% to support our missionaries. However, there are administrative costs involved in paying missionaries. The donations must be processed and then wired (which incurs bank transfer fees) to the different missionaries. OUO pays all these administrative and bank fee costs. · The CP Church has churches in 17 countries around the world. Most of these countries do not have missionaries. Thus, MMT staff provides the connection between CPs in these countries and the programs and agencies of the denomination. This requires travel and technology to interculturally connect, all paid for by OUO. · The CP Center offices have a technology network, internet, servers, communication platforms, accounting systems, all of which is used by Center staff, and used to help our missionaries and mission fields. This is paid for by OUO. · Increasingly CPs are seeing representatives from outside the USA serving on different boards and committees of the denomination. They provide invaluable insights to the denomination. The travel costs of the participants on these committees is paid for by OUO, which includes those from outside the USA. There are other aspects of OUO that benefit our missions work, time does not allow for an extensive review. But as one can see, it is hard to answer the question– how much OUO goes to missions? In fact, a great deal goes to missions. MM
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Global Missions
THE APOCALYPSE By Lynn L. Thomas
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic more than a few people have expressed via social media, or passing comments, this must be the apocalypse. In fact, the pandemic is the apocalypse. This ancient Greek word means “to reveal,” or to arrive at a new understanding, a new perspective. The Apocalypse is the uncovering of a new reality. It is not the end; it is a new beginning. The global pandemic is a universal experience for all Cumberland Presbyterians. Everyone is practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and living under different versions of lockdown. Isolation from others has caused an economic impact, an impact on education, and travel limitations to visit others. Few of our churches are having normal services and activities–anywhere in the world. Could this be an apocalyptic moment for the church? The fact we have stopped many of our normal routines has created a moment in time for reflection. Most everyone has started to evaluate their normal routines, now that so many are disrupted. It is like the person that suffers a critical illness and wonders if he or she will survive. It is a time of reflection and evaluation about what is really important in life. This pandemic has forced all of us to reflect. One of the new revelations, as a result of the pandemic, is appreciating the importance of relational connecting. Normally, there are CP programs and events throughout the year in different countries; and there are mission groups and international visits throughout the CP Church. Because of the pandemic none of those things are happening. The Church is nations in worship of God and in fellowship with each other. The pandemic revealed that relationships with CPs in different lands is often taken for granted. The fact
that CPs are limited in their interactions in their local churches creates a feeling of loneliness. The pandemic has stopped international interactions, which are vital to the life and energy of the Church. Through interaction we learn from each other. And for those CPs in countries where they are marginalized as Christians, the CP visitor that comes to their country affirms their worth. The pandemic has helped us understand the gospel is relational. The doctrines and beliefs of the Church are important. They can be examined and learned with and without much human interaction. However, the Sermon on the Mount, and other of Christ’s teachings are primarily focused on relational interaction. We need to be around people to implement our faith. The core of our faith is reconciliation, first with God, then with each other. The gospel is about having a friend in God and having friendships, even ones that reach across cultures. The global pandemic has demonstrated, by the absence of relational interactions, that this is the core of the gospel message. The pandemic has revealed, by the absence of normal church interactions, the reality that relationships are the fruit of the gospel. It almost seems like the fruit is hanging high in the tree, ripe and ready for harvest, but there is no harvest. That frustration is a message to the entire Church–we are redeemed and transformed by Christ to relate to each other. And, our relationships are to extend past our culture and include brothers and sisters in Christ of other nations and lands. Hopefully, the new era coming, the Apocalypse that comes after the global pandemic will be the Church’s new commitment to friendship, fellowship, and community. MM
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2020 Loaves &Fishes Offering
REVERENDS FHANOR AND SOCORRO PEJENDINO C P M I S S I O N A R I ES
The COVID-19 pandemic is both an unexpected world event and a spreading epidemic around the world. Each month brings new challenges to communities and to Cumberland Presbyterian churches. One of the challenges is the economic devastation seen among the poor in country after country. Many in the USA are also affected. It would be impossible for the CP Church to address all the needs this pandemic has produced.
We
determined the best approach is to use part of the Loaves & Fishes Offering in just two countries outside the United States. Both Guatemala and the Philippines have CP Councils of Churches and they also have in place, established before the pandemic, programs to feed hungry people. The Missions Ministry Team instructed our missionaries in these two countries to use the resources they had
to meet the most critical needs. In the spring we released some funds to help buy more food and assured CP leaders in these two countries more money would come later this year through the Loaves & Fishes Offering. It is our belief that the impact of the coronavirus will be felt late into 2020 and early 2021. The Loaves & Fishes Offering given to help Guatemala and the Philippines will be used to continue to support feeding programs in our churches in these countries.
Loaves & Fishes In GUATEMALA COVID-19 RELIEF
G
uatemala is a beautiful country, but with many needs. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church has been present with social and spiritual help in times of crisis.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost their jobs and others who made their living through self-employment had to suspend their work at the beginning of quarantine (three months ago). These realities triggered a lack of resources needed to meet the basic needs of food, health, and home. It is common to find people on the streets waving a white flag to beg for food. The CP Council of Churches has been bringing food to the poorest families in our churches and into their communities. We thank God for the people who support the Loaves & Fishes Offering to make this possible. Your offering will allow us to continue to provide food to those in need. “Y cualquiera que como discípulo dé de beber, aunque solo sea un vaso de agua fría a uno de estos pequeños, en verdad os digo que no quedará sin recompensa.” (Matthew 10:42) ☛
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BY DA N I E L JA N G CP M I S S I O N A RY
Loaves & Fishes in the Philippines COVID-19 RELIEF
T
he President of the Philippines imposed a lockdown and Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) on March 16, 2020, to curb coronavirus infections. He ordered a halt to domestic travel, the closure of non-essential shops and businesses, and restricted people’s movement except for health workers and other essential workers. Lockdown and ECQ were set to end on April 12, but as the date approached it was extended. On May 16, the President ordered General Community Quarantine (GCQ) for some cities and provinces including Iloilo, the area where all the Cumberland Presbyterian Churches are located. This area has a low risk of coronavirus. After May 16, we had more freedom to move around and people could go to work, but they had to follow the government’s health guidelines. In order to slow the spread of the virus there are no flights from Iloilo (an island) to Manila. During ECQ, persons under 21 and above 60 years old were not allowed to go out. Most people could not go to work, the lockdown lasted for around two months. The Philippine government distributed relief goods to people but it was not sufficient, and, in some places, it was not distributed fairly to all people. The CP Council of Churches in the Philippines bought rice, noodles, and canned food to help. CP leaders took food to CP church members and to the families of the children we take care of in the Child Development Program. This program has been used for years to help children in need in the communities where we have churches. We have been delivering packs of food to our churches for distribution. Although we have already started food distribution the Loaves & Fishes Offering will be used to continue to help needy families that have been impacted by the virus. We believe the impact of the virus will create hardships on families until next year. MM FA L L 2 0 2 0
M I S S I O N A R Y M E S S E N G E R 13
C
umberland Presbyterian Church history tells us that ministry with the Choctaw People began in 1854 when the denomination’s then Board of Missions sent Reverend David Lowry to work as a missionary. This work continues today through the Missions Ministry Team providing funds to Choctaw Presbytery, to empower local ministry.
Congregational Ministries
CELEBRATING 32 YEARS OF MINISTRY TO CHOCTAW PRESBYTERY By Kristi Lounsbury
Whenever Choctaw Presbytery is mentioned, one person usually comes to mind, Betty Jacob. Betty has served the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Choctaw Presbytery for 32 years as Coordinator of Indian Ministries. In this role, Betty has helped to maintain activities at Camp Israel Folsom, provide leadership, advocacy, and a voice in the Choctaw Nation, and help the churches of Choctaw Presbytery with their individual needs. Reverend Doctor George Estes writes, “In terms of miles driven in service to a presbytery, I doubt there is anyone who has logged more than Betty Jacob! She has had to be in many places at once throughout that predominantly rural area of Oklahoma, yet she and Randy rarely missed any denominational event back this way. They maintained excellent relationships with local congregations that helped support the special needs of the presbytery. I considered this couple among the most dedicated and knowledgeable people I knew in the CP Church. I served with Randy on the General Assembly’s Committee on Social Relations, and invariably his was a unique voice of wisdom. Betty, likewise, has gone to great lengths to preserve the rich Choctaw heritage and is beloved by untold numbers of Cumberland Presbyterian friends.”
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issions Ministry Team staff have been working with Choctaw Presbytery for the past five years to train and expand the leadership base, with the shared goal of empowering the presbytery to implement more independent ministry. In the future, funds given through Missions Ministry Team will be focused solely on the ministry provided through the Presbytery’s Boards and Committees, not on a Presbyterial Staff position. Choctaw Presbytery met recently to plan their 2021 ministry budget reflecting the new focus. Although Betty’s role will be changing to a volunteer within Choctaw Presbytery, Betty continues to serve in the work of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. She currently serves on the General Assembly Corporate Board. In addition, Betty has also been active in the Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry. She has served the Cumberland Presbyterian Church well. We celebrate this long tenure of ministry! As a new chapter unfolds for Choctaw Presbytery, we thank Betty Jacob for her steadfast service, numerous hours of effort, her leadership and guidance to many. Most of all, thank you for your 32 years of ministry to Choctaw Presbytery. We appreciate all you have done! Plans are being made to honor Betty in several other ways and more information will be announced at a later date. MM
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Cumberland Presbyterian Women's Ministry
Clergywomen Reception
By Cardelia Howell-Diamond
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We
were all disappointed when we learned that General Assembly and Convention would not be held in 2020. Disappointed may not be the right word, but it gets at the gist of the feelings. We wanted to gather as the connectional Cumberland Presbyterian Church. We wanted the opportunity to greet friends and colleagues in the hallways and banquet halls. We wanted to sit and chat with new friends and old friends. We wanted to do the business of the church. We wanted to serve in ways we knew and understood. There was a great sadness at not gathering this year.
from the Pastoral Development Ministry Team who introduced their new Legacy of Ministry Endowment. We were blessed and encouraged by a wonderful devotion led by our Moderator the Reverend Shelia O’Mara. Then we were led by the Reverend Sandra Shepherd in a breakout discussion in groups of four or five that let us process what all is going on in the world and in our ministries.
We also upheld the tradition of giveaways! Every year we give away gifts to our clergywomen to support them in their ministry and this year was no exception. The Reverend Stephanie Brown was the recipient of five custom “Walk in Love” face masks and a Perpetual Membership in As the denomination was making the Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry to necessary decision to not hold General give to the recipient of her choice. The Reverend Assembly and Convention, the Reverend Cynthia Burdick won the stole from MTS and in Dr. Pam Phillips-Burk contacted me. an act of kindness had it sent to newly ordained She had an idea, perhaps a crazy idea, Reverend Cynthia Barton. The Reverend Leanne but an idea none-the- less. What if we Kerner won the Legacy of Ministry and the still held the Clergywomen Reception on beautiful cross to go with it. The Reverend Gloria Tuesday night of GA and Convention? I Villa Diaz won the coveted Chalice and Paten. thought she had a brilliant idea. And so, he event was a success and a blessing to with much behind the scenes effort, Pam, all involved. Here is some of the feedLaurie Sharpe of Memphis Theological back we received: Ministry, the Reverend Dr. Jodi Hill, Reverend Gloria Villa Diaz: president of MTS, the Reverend Brittany “Thanks for putting that meeting together. It was Meeks, the Reverend Sandra Shepherd, Awesome!!! I enjoyed every minute of that virtual and myself, we held our first virtual Clergywomen Reception on June 9, 2020 reception. The Board Rooms were an excellent idea, as well as the surveys. But I definitely missed at 7:30 pm Central Time. the snacks. LOL” We prayed, we planned, and then we Reverend Dusty Luthy: “Attended my first waited. Would anyone register? Would Cumberland Presbyterian Clergywomen Reception they show up? Would this Zoom thing tonight thanks to Zoom Conferencing. (A little bit really work? Mary, a little bit of Martha, cooking dinner while It turned out better than we I listen.) Sad that it all could not have happened in could have expected. We had over 60 person, but it was still a neat event. Thanks to all people register and the vast majority who made this event possible!” of those showed up when the doors Reverend Melissa Goodloe: “Tonight was opened at 7:30 pm. There was a time of amazing. Please tell everyone involved.” ministry sharing from the Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry where We learned that good times and Holy we introduced Lacey Young as our connections are possible online just as they are in newest Bethel Scholarship winner. There person. This was a blessed time and a fantastic was ministry sharing from MTS, who experience. And who knows what doors this has asked the question of how they as an opened for future ministry down the road? MM institution could better support Women in Ministry. There was ministry sharing
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Cumberland Presbyterian Women's Ministry
and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines [b] and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”
Birth Pains By Cardelia Howell-Diamond
F
For many of us, this time of social distancing due to COVID-19 has been painful. We miss our family, our friends, our neighbors, and we especially miss our church. Slowly but surely some of our congregations have been opening for in person worship services, but most, if not all, of our other fellowship activities and studies are still on hold. I have only heard of one Women’s Ministry group that has returned to in-person meetings as of the writing of this article. We are conditioned as a society to think of pain as a bad thing. It is something we try to avoid at all costs. This is evident by the sheer number of over-the-counter pain pills available and, in the USA, a strong addiction to prescription pain pills. But pain, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. It lets us know when something is wrong. It helps us become aware of issues we may have left unattended, and through pain some of the most wonderful things occur. Scripture talks about pain a lot, but I would like to look at one particular “pain” scripture. Matthew 24:3-8 states “3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ [a] and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation,
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Jesus and his disciples are having a conversation about the end of the age, the end of oppression, the end of their current suffering. The disciples ask, like so many of us have in the past several months “Lord, when will this be over?” Jesus does not give them a time and date but reassures them that these pains they are suffering are not without purpose. A new thing is being born and these are just the birth pangs. Believe it or not, I think the times we are going through right now are birth pangs. They have already brought forth new life in the creativity of our church pastors and leadership teams in the way in which we gather for worship. They are also an opportunity for new life in the way we exist as the Women’s Ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. While our plans for the coming year have been upended, we have opportunities to try new things together. We will be continuing our theme of Walk in Love until 2021. This will give us an opportunity to dig deeper into what it means to walk in love with our neighbors and each other. We will be releasing video devotionals given by many of our Cumberland Presbyterian clergy women as Bible Studies to use with your women’s group or in a congregational setting. They will be released on our webpage, Facebook group and YouTube at the beginning of each month starting August 2020. We hope that these will be an encouragement for our local women’s ministry groups to gather and study online or in person. We are currently looking at other ways to provide resources to local and regional groups throughout the year. Some of these ideas include regional leader zoom calls, social media and blog posts, and updated resources on our webpage. If you have been doing something that has helped your group during this time, we would love to hear about it. Feel free to contact me, Cardelia Howell-Diamond at chd@ cumberland.org. In the meantime, know that these pains will not last forever, but they may just lead to new life and that life abundant! MM
Bethel Scholarship By Cardelia Howell-Diamond
In
1977, the Women’s Ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church began giving the Beverly St. John Bethel College Scholarship to a young woman attending Bethel College. Throughout the years Women’s Ministry has continued to support this worthwhile endeavor. Beginning last year, the Women’s Ministry Convention voted to extend the scholarships for more than one academic year. This year our 2019-2020 recipient, Anna Marie Martino will again receive a $2,000 scholarship for her Junior year at Bethel. In addition to Ms. Martino we will add another recipient for 2020-2021. Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry is thrilled to announce our newest Scholarship recipient, Miss Lacey Young. Lacey Young has a bright personality and an ever-growing passion for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Lacey is currently attending Bethel University where she holds a 4.0 GPA and is working towards her B.S. in Psychology. She has been given the opportunity and is excited to be working with Bethel University’s Renaissance program as a member of the media team starting this fall. Lacey took part in the denomination’s year-long mentoring program, Kaleo, where she began to discern her call to youth ministry. After Bethel, she plans to further her education at Memphis
Theological Seminary to receive her Master of Divinity. She served as a Youth Advisory Delegate at the 188th General Assembly and currently serves as a Ministry Council Advisory Member for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
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acey is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Alabaster in Alabaster, Alabama. She began attending with her dad and older brother at the age of seven and was baptized by Reverend Mark Davenport in 2013. She has served on the Strategic Planning Committee and most recently, the Pastoral Search Committee for her church. She is currently in the process of reviving Robert Donnell Presbytery’s youth summer camps and retreats which has been a dream of hers for many years. Last fall, she successfully planned and executed a three-day presbyterial retreat for the children and youth. She has big dreams for the future of her home presbytery and is looking forward to pouring into the lives of her own youth group one day. Lacey was homeschooled alongside her brother, where she excelled in her history and writing classes. She was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2018 with two different types of seizures and will soon be celebrating one-year seizure free! She enjoys hiking, music, and Auburn football. War Eagle! MM
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GIVING NEWS/Second Mile Project for Missions
2020
LOAVES & FISHES OFFERING COVID-19 RELIEF
The Philippines Guatemala U.S.A. Missionary Cars - Project #34041
The Missions Ministry Team has missionaries to Brazil. We plan to deploy new missionaries to Spain as soon as the pandemic subsides. One of the benefits we provide new missionaries is a safe car. Sometimes they are new cars, but often they are good used cars. Our missionaries need a car in order to fulfill the church planting and ministry responsibilities that they have on the mission field. We are asking Cumberland Presbyterians to help
us with this Second Mile offering. We know this is an ambitious project. At the same time, it reflects the exciting reality that we will be deploying a new missionary family to Europe as soon as travel is possible. As you prayerfully consider this Second Mile Project please pray for the two families who will be using these cars: Rev. and Mrs. Josue Guerrero and daughter (Brazil), Rev. Wilson and Rev. Diana Lopez and two daughters (Spain).
Financial Data:
Contributions:
Amount needed from Second Mile: $30,000 Amount received to date: $21,225.00
Please make check payable to the Missions Ministry Team indicating for Missionary Cars Project #34041 and mail to 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414.
Contact Lynn Thomas at lynndont@gmail.com, (901) 276-4572 ext. 261.
Psalm 145 :14-16 states, “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” 20 M ISS I O N A RY M ESS E N G E R
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CUMBERLAND PRESB 8207 TR ADITIONAL PL ACE • CORDOVA,
BYTERIAN CHURCH · MISSIONS MINISTRY TEAM TN 38016 -7414 901. 276.4572 · For more information and resources visit our website at http : //c pcmc.org /mmt /
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. 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.
THESYMPOSIUM IS GOINGVIRTUAL! ACOMINGTOGETHER FOR MINISTRY FROMACROSS THE GLOBE WILL THERE BE WORSHIP? YES WILL THERE BE WORKSHOPS? YES WILL THERE BE CONVERSATION AND NEW IDEAS? YES WILL GOD’S SPIRIT BE PRESENT?
ABSOLUTELY! Check Out The Symposium webpage for details - https://cpcmc.org/the-symposium/