On July 7, 2022, the Wurffel-Sills Application Review Working Group met to finalize their review of all the 2022-2023 Wurffel-Sills scholarship and interest-free student loan applications received. We are happy to announce that we were able to provide scholarships and interest-free loan offers to members from 13 of our 19 presbyteries of the Synod of the...
Synod Assembly is scheduled this year for October 21st and 22nd in person at the Desmond Hotel in Albany NY. The October 20th pre-assembly event will also take place at the Desmond. The topic is our PCUSA Matthew 25 Initiative with break outs on Dismantling Structural Racism, Eradicating Systemic Poverty and Revitalizing Congregations. All elected Commissioners...
“Now faith is assurance of things hoped for; a conviction of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1 The foundational scripture for the 225th General Assembly On Saturday, May 14, I was driving through the Adirondack mountains, listening to music, eager to arrive at my sister’s house. Another sister called me, frantic, asking if I was safe. Because...
Greetings in the name of the risen Lord! In the season of Easter, we celebrate not gift giving or the commercial side of hope. Instead, we rejoice that nothing in life, death, Hades, or the grave can limit God’s care for us. An unknown author wrote, “Easter is not a time for groping through dusty, musty...
The Synod Mission and Ministries Commission held a special called meeting on February 18th to consider overtures for the 225th General Assembly and took the following actions: 1. Approved and forwarded two overtures sponsored by the Synod of the Northeast. a. On Amending G-2.0301 to Allow Congregations to Elect Members as Ruling Elders for Service to...
As you know, the 2022 Triennium was canceled. However, several presbyteries are considering sponsoring Triennium alternatives this year so that this opportunity is not missed. The Synod is committed to contributing the same funding to these alternatives as we would have if Triennium had been held. This includes $100 scholarship for all youth participants as well...
My grandfather would often say, “Don’t believe everything you read or much of what you think you see.” As a man growing up in the South, he spent much of his adult life weeding through the stories he was told. Our dinnertime conversations were a summation of what he learned at school and church. The life...
The Synod Mission and Ministries Commission held its first meeting of 2022 on January 28-29. Because of the New Jersey reorganization, new commission representatives were welcomed — Rev. Sara Craven (Southern New Jersey), Rev. Sue Smith (Coastlands), YAAD Brielle Lacroix (Coastlands), and Elder Lisa Gray (Highlands). Rev. Laurena Will (Northern New York) attended as an observer. ...
According to Church tradition, there are three causes of evil: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Some years ago, I preached a sermon about the maxim “Three Monkeys.” The figures originate from the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, Japan. However, as with many maxims, others date the teaching as far back as the 8th century. The...