April 30- May 1st Synod Commission Meeting Summary
Synod Commission Meeting Summary
The Synod Mission and Ministries Commission met over the April 30th – May 1st weekend. Below is a summary of the meeting. Because there are many new Presbytery Commission Representatives time was set aside each day to meet in small groups and get to know each other better. This summary includes Commission votes taken and issues discussed.
Below are descriptions of the funded grant applications.
Emerging Gospel Communities
EGC-21-01-05 Yr2 City on a Hill Church (formerly Christ Community Church) $20,000
Eastern Korean Rev. Joseph Chu, Paramus, NJ
We are an Emerging Gospel Community that gathers in Paramus, NJ. Initially an English-language Korean community, we have begun to attract members of other heritages. Some of our members are Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, Central American and Anglo American. We will continue to push the majority of our members to step outside of the “Korean-Christian Bubble”, in order to engage the larger church and larger world.
EGC-21-02-05 Yr2 The Moving Church within College Campus $20,000
Eastern Korean Rev. Esther (JongSoon) Jung, New Brunswick, NJ
The Moving Church within College Campus is an emerging gospel community of primarily Korean college students that moves together with Jesus at Rutgers University. For the internet generation which is straying away from faith, the Moving Church stays on campus, to create fellowship, worship together, and shares their struggles, when they want, where they want. We dream they also will move with Jesus and to help others in their future as Jesus' disciples.
EGC-21-03-05 (orig. INV-21-04-05) Freedom Church of the Poor $20,000
New York City Kairos: The Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice, New York,NY
At the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic, leaders from the Kairos Center’s Reading the bible with the Poor Cohort started an online church called Freedom Church of the Poor, which is meant to be a spiritual home for movement leaders. Since then the pandemic has only further exposed and exacerbated the deep systemic injustices in our society. The Freedom Church comes together in these times out of necessity to help transform a system that is killing us. Every Sunday night, people from different parts of the country gather online to read scripture, reflect from the context of various points of social and economic struggle, pray together, and livestream on FB with ASL and Spanish interpreters. We have a vision to expand our work as a church, by engaging and partnering with new communities, including communities of faith.
Innovation
INV-21-01-05 Adopt-A-Prison $9,000
Hudson River Interfaith Prison Partnership of the Hudson River Presbytery, Briarcliff Manor, NY
Adopt-A-Prison, a long-term program, will encourage and expand community connection and spiritual development with imprisoned women – and their families – in the areas of rehabilitation, reconciliation, and reentry back into society within the two New York State prisons located in Bedford Hills, NY. With proper support, this pilot program can and will be modeled nationally and internationally to engage communities to adopt their local prisons, truly living out Christ’s teaching to love thy neighbor as thyself. This specific project will provide “Bright Hope” discharge bags to women upon their release from prison.
INV-21-02-05 Enlightened Pathways $16,800
Northeast New Jersey Iglesia Presbiteriana Nuevas Fronteras, North Plainfield, NJ
With the lack of resources in Spanish and the inability of families and children to obtain such services due to lack of insurance or financial means, Enlightened Pathways seeks to develop a psycho-social-spiritual approach that will assist community residents to build their coping mechanisms holistically. Still in this COVID era, we will invite families virtually to participate in one-on-one strength-building sessions and community-wide virtual seminars inviting local spiritual directors, counselors, and therapists. Secondly, an integral part of Enlightened Pathways Initiative is to cultivate our “Nuestra Voz” weekly webinars providing essential information from community professionals, religious leaders, and trained grief and family counselors.
INV-21-03-05 First 1,000 Days $9,200
Geneva The Presbyterian Church in Geneva, Geneva, NY The vision for the First 1,000 Days Project is to provide a network of support for every family in Geneva with an infant or toddler. We understand that the early years are a critical time for brain development and social emotional growth. Many families in Geneva are living in stressful situations caused by systemic injustice, poverty, language barriers, mental health issues, and other challenges. The vision is to engage the entire community in an effort to ensure that every family in Geneva with an infant and/or toddler/s has the supports that they need to thrive. This specific grant will purchase “Smitten Baby Boxes” from a company called Pip & Grow for families that need a safe place for the baby to sleep.
INV-21-04-05 Freedom Church of the Poor $20,000
New York City Kairos: The Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice
Recategorized as an Emerging Gospel Communities Grant application (see EGC section above)
INV-21-05-05 Hope’s Table $12,000
The Highlands Wharton United Community Church, Wharton, NJ
In January of 2018, we developed a new vision statement within a revitalized mission emphasis. Our new goal was to develop a core of community volunteers in order to develop a community center run by and for the people in Wharton by 2028. We are envisioning the church building as a place to nurture the rich diversity that lives in and nearby Wharton; a tool to bridge gaps between those of different languages, cultures, and races and bridge the gap between those inside and outside the Church membership. The mission is called “Hope’s Table”. In 2019, we began to organize a primarily Spanish-speaking community group called Amigos de Wharton.
INV-21-06-05 Institute 2.0 $10,000
Northeast New Jersey The Institute of Music for Children, Elizabeth, NJ
Institute 2.0 is a youth-driven public arts project that will become the foundation of our Master Facilities Plan and create a dramatic entrance to our highly-visible campus, building stakeholder confidence and investment. The former Elizabeth Presbytery gifted the Institute with the building they had been sharing for 25 years. The project will bring together youth from around the region from multiple faith and secular communities to work for a three-month residency project with Mexican artist Cesar Viveros who created a mural with Philadelphia youth to welcome the Pope.
INV-21-09-05 McCleary House Transitional Housing $15,000
Northern New England Mission at the Eastward/Fairbanks Union Church, Farmington,ME The vision of MATE and Fairbanks Union Church is to provide transitional housing for individuals or families who are experiencing homelessness due to traumatic events, economic difficulties, or social problems. We provide a safe home for them to get back on their feet, while putting additional support systems in place and assisting our client-guests in finding permanent housing. Although McCleary House is the first solution in addressing the housing crisis in Franklin County, MATE also hopes to expand by researching and building a tiny house community to make a greater impact on area homelessness. MATE has a long and excellent track record of work in central Maine. This project will begin the renovation of McCleary House.
INV-21-11-05 Neighborhood Day Center and Outreach Ministry $18,000
Northern New England Eliot Presbyterian Church, Lowell,MA ,
We envision a Christ-centered ministry serving the physical and spiritual needs of our neighbors - many of whom are unhoused and live with addiction and/or mental illness - and welcoming them fully into the life and ministry of the Eliot congregation. When the pandemic began, our neighbors who are homeless had nowhere to spend the day. Eliot responded by opening a temporary day shelter while our sanctuary was closed. Today, our neighbors see Eliot Church as a place of safety, welcome, and dignity. As the congregation prepares to return to our sanctuary, we hear God calling Eliot to expand our vision of our community by fully embracing our unhoused and low-income neighbors and welcoming their presence among us both during the week and on Sundays.
INV-21-12-05 School to Life Readiness Program $5,000
Northeast New Jersey Good Success Academies, Montclair, NJ
This application seeks to expand the number of interns in their School to Life Summer program for urban at-risk youth of color.
Campus Ministry
CM-21-01-05 Rutgers Protestant Campus Ministries $2,500
Northwest New Jersey Rutgers University
As a ministry on the Rutgers- New Brunswick campus, we have reached a record number of students during this past year. As one might imagine, the pandemic had a significant impact on the emotional and mental well-being of students whose plans were upended by having to switch to a completely online experience. In preparation for the wave of students, staff and faculty navigating challenging emotions and situations, our ministry sought to partner with the campus counseling center in order to provide spiritual and emotional support when applicable. We are still receiving a consistent flow of referrals for students who find themselves wrestling with faith as a result of all that we have encountered as a society within recent months.
CM-21-02-05 Protestant Campus Ministry at Stony Brook University $8,000
Long Island Stony Brook University (SUNY)
Despite the hurdles of 2020, our campus chaplaincy remained steadfast and determined to be a supportive virtual presence to undergraduate students, staff, and faculty. Last year we were able to accomplish this goal primarily focusing on the spiritual and emotional needs, anxieties and stress, grief, crisis needs of our students, faculty and staff. More requests were received for pastoral care from both current students and our alumni worried about what is ahead for them. This ministry did not request funding in 2019 or 2020.
CM-21-03-05 Protestant Ministry at SUNY Cortland $2,500
Susquehanna Valley SUNY - Cortland
Until the pandemic hit, we provided worship opportunities for many traditions, interfaith experiences and had a weekly dinner and game night. The college campus has been open, with students on campus; then closed, then all virtual, and is now open once again with a hybrid program. This has presented challenges in continuing the momentum of these ministries in the past year. Our students have been involved with CROP Walk each year, and the campus minister has been active in counseling with various students over time. 56% of the students report some degree of food insecurity, and we house the campus food pantry.
CM-21-04-05 Protestant Ministry $2,500
Albany University at Albany
The last year has been a challenging time for Campus Ministry. One year ago, our campus shut down and moved to remote learning due the Pandemic. We were forced to quickly adapt to online worship and ministry. With technology we were able to quickly pivot to Zoom worship, pre-recorded music, online gatherings and even "graduation in a box" to honor our seniors. While it has been challenging, it has also been a blessing to see our board and our student leaders rise to the occasion and get creative about re-thinking how we do ministry.
The Commission also voted to grant $5,000 to the New York State Council of Churches for anti-racism and ecumenical advocacy work; up to $3,000 to the Mediation Network to provide scholarships for a day-long Lombard Mennonite Peace Center Mediation Refresher Course for members of the Synod Mediation Network; and $10,000 for a New England Youth Network named NE Glow.
The Shinnecock Congregation on Long Island requested a synod gathering to discuss the Doctrine of Discovery: A Review of its Origins and the implications for Congregations in the PCUSAA and to support Native American sovereignty. Transitional Leader Rev. Dr. SanDawna Ashley is putting together a group to visit this congregation.
The Puerto Rico Partnership currently doing relief work with the Synod of Boriquen will create a network to involve interested people across the synod. More information will follow.
The Personnel Team is now meeting on a regular basis and has begun reviewing staff positions. Recommendations will come to the Commission concerning how to manage tasks of staff who have left the synod and possible designs for interim work. A 2% retroactive salary adjustment increase which was included in the 2021-2022 budget approved at Synod Assembly. The Commission approved this increase for staff members who were employed from January 1 to May 1. The Personnel Team has four members and wishes to expand to seven. If you have experience with personnel and would like to serve, please contact Personnel Team Convener, Elder Luci Duckson-Bramble at lucibramble@icloud.com.
There are three synod task groups that will meet once or twice in June or over the summer to review specific items: the audit, synod investments, and Wurffel-Sills Scholarship and Loan Applications. If you are interested in serving on any of these groups, please contact Synod Stated Clerk, Nancy Talbot, at nancy.talbot@synodne.org, or 315-480-3553 for more information.
The Commission voted to allow synod staff travel to meet in person at their own comfort level in conjunction with supervisory approval and in accordance with the Center for Disease Control as well as State guidance. A group will be convened to consider a recommendation for fall synod gatherings.