Presbyterian Advocacy Hour Monthly Gatherings

For such a time as this! Standing in the Gap!

A message from the Office of Public Witness in collaboration with many other programs of the Interim Unified Agency

Join us for a new monthly series — fourth Wednesday each month — hosted by the Presbyterian Church (USA) As Christians, we are called to act in the face of suffering, injustice and strife — to be repairers of the breach. The fuel behind such action is a mixture of faith, hope, discernment, spiritual nourishment, and community.

Presbyterian Advocacy Hour will bring together committed people of faith each month to fuel up with information on the most pressing issues. Church members, lay leaders, pastors, mid council staff, all Presbyterians and friends are welcome! Get nourishment for your spirit, essential connections and resources, relationship building, and direction for how to stay in righteous movement while being your best self.

After the first overview session in February, each month we’ll dive deeply into one area of concern and provide the knowledge you need to take effective and focused action. The hour will start with spiritual grounding and then move to in-depth analysis of key issues. There will be an additional optional 30 minutes for time to network, movement-building, community-building and feedback on helping to shape what you need from these monthly advocacy hours. There is a barrage of pressing issues we might react to, but we contribute most faithfully with quality action and a loving presence. Let’s resource each other and do church in a world that needs every single one of us!

Monthly Advocacy Hour ~ Fourth Wednesdays — First session will be on Wednesday, February 26th 9 a.m. (PST), 10 a.m. (MST), 11 a.m. (CST), 12 p.m. (EST)
Register for Presbyterian Advocacy Hour: pcusa.info/advocacyhourregistration

Forum: State church leaders call for compasion for immigrants

Scripture repeatedly instructs us to love our neighbor and show the stranger hospitality.

As Christians, we are called to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ, who welcomed strangers and emphasized love, mercy and justice for all people. We believe that every human being, regardless of their country of origin or legal status, is created in the image of God and has inherent dignity and worth. This foundational truth compels us to approach the issue of immigration with compassion and a commitment to the common good.

Scripture repeatedly instructs us to love our neighbor and show the stranger hospitality. God commands the people of Israel, “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself” (Leviticus 19:34). Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) shows us that caring for people in need is central to who we are as Christians. The parable also challenges us to acknowledge the goodness in all people because the “foreigner” in the story is the one who acts in the most Christlike way.

Read more: https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/forum-state-church-leaders-call-for-compasion-for-immigrants/

February SeaPres Update

Dear Friends,  

The gospel readings these last couple of weeks from Luke 4 (Revised Common Lectionary) have reminded me that even though the Holy Spirit is referenced many times as descending, filling, and being upon Jesus; Jesus still experiences trouble. There is still a devilish wilderness to contend with (vv. 1-13) and the people aren’t too kind either (v. 29). I think it’s important to remember that the Spirit actually leads Jesus into these places (v. 1).  

In the same way as disciples, we should not be surprised by the struggle to bring good news to the poor, justice to the captives, and healing to all God’s beloved children. In these challenging times, may we walk faithfully and courageously with the Christ whose kingdom is for the poor, the hungry, and the dejected (Luke 6:20-21).  

Just a few presbytery updates:  

• The March presbytery meeting is cancelled, and our next presbytery meeting will be on May 20th.  

• The Thriving Congregations Initiative (TCI) team is having their Leadership Forum March 3rd and 4th. Contact Maggie Breen, if you would like more information.  

• Please pray for our 30 member Colombia Mission Partnership team, as they have landed safely and are getting to know our presbytery siblings in the North Coast Presbytery.  

Peace,

Rev. Scott Lumsden
Co-Executive Presbyter

Invitation from One Parish One Prisoner

Invitation from One Parish One Prisoner:

Have you ever pondered Jesus’ words about visiting and freeing the prisoners? How do we as disciples faithfully follow those calls to action? One Parish One Prisoner offers a two year journey of relationship with one person coming home from prison. As this relationship brings us closer to the world of prisons, we glimpse resurrection. Join us for our quarterly Zoom Office Hours to ask questions and learn more: Wednesday, February 26 at 5pm! Join here: bit.ly/OPOPoffice 

December SeaPres Update from Co-Executive Presbyters

“May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace in believing,    
so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 

Dear friends, 

In these waning days of 2024, we turn to what is to come and it is good to be reminded that we are a people of the now, but not yet. Being a Christian requires a lot of expectation of what can be and the admonishment that our contribution is required.  

We anticipate challenges in the new year and renewed calls to the church to serve as a place of hope and wholeness. We are called to move forward in faith, and have confidence that God continues to move amongst us doing new and wonderful things that indeed bring tidings of great joy for all people. 

Be sure to be on the lookout for the January 21st presbytery meeting registration. It promises to be a full and rich meeting including voting on the presbytery 2025 budget and overtures from General Assembly. The meeting will be hosted by Sammamish Presbyterian Church with dinner included. 

We pray the Christmas season is one filled with peace and joy; in your homes as around the world. And may the wonder of Christ’s birth be the inspiration for us to dream and build a world where compassion and love reign and the promise of justice rolling down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream be for all. 

In peace and grace, 

Revs. Eliana Maxim & Scott Lumsden

Rising Rooted (NEXT Church cohort)

Rising Rooted: A Community for People of Color in Extraordinary Times

These are extraordinary times. In response, Anna Kendig Flores and Larissa Kwong Abazia are creating space alongside People of Color. Together, we will explore our individual and shared stories; consider coalition building among our communities, and breathe new ways of being into reality. The cohort includes group and individual coaching to move toward understanding and transformation.

We are grateful for the financial generosity of the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic and the Synod of Lincoln Trails to make this cohort possible.

Cohort will meet in January - March 2025.

Learn more.

November SeaPres Update from Co-Executive Presbyters

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; 
those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them a light has shined.” 
Isaiah 9:2 

Dear friends, 

Shorter days bring night earlier and earlier. The world’s insatiable drive for war and violence continues despite the horrific pictures from places like Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, and Venezuela. 

And in our own nation, many wait anxiously to see what the new year with a new administration will bring. It can seem as though the darkness of uncertainty can overcome us. 

But as we enter this Advent season, it is good to be reminded that these times – which may seem unending and interminable – do not have the final word. We wait, with anticipation and hope, for the shalom that comes initially in the form of a baby in a manger. We remember that we are not a people of despair, but rather a people who believe the promise of abundant life and a kingdom not of this world that has no end. 

We are also called to be a people of action. We love kindness, we walk humbly with our God, but we must also be a people ready to do justice. 

With that in mind, I invite you to register for an upcoming Town Hall “What Now?” sponsored by the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Office of Public Witness, and the Office of Immigration Issues of the PCUSA that will be addressing the church’s call to protect immigration rights. This town hall will address issues around sanctuary and expected changes to immigration policies under the new presidential administration next year. 

Jim Wallis recently referred to Psalm 137 “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” Indeed, many of God’s beloved, already living precarious and marginalized lives among us find themselves in a stranger land than before. You and I, as the church, must find ways to create places of faith, hope, and peace in this strange land which is bound to only get stranger. Wallis went on to write, ““Perhaps our vocation now, more than ever, is to sing the Lord’s song more clearly, than ever… our public discipleship must always be informed by Jesus' teachings.”  

Seattle Presbytery will continue to seek ways to partner with our churches and other community leaders to live our discipleship publicly, aching for Christ’s kingdom here on earth, determined to act as God has called us. I invite you to join us; stay connected, let us know what is on your congregation’s hearts, invest in relationships that affirm God’s beloved creation. 

We are grateful to serve a presbytery committed to living out its identity and mission in Christ. 

May your Thanksgiving table be filled with dear ones and the time to enjoy each of them. We wish you great joy and give God thanks for each and every one of you! 

In Christ, 

Revs. Eliana Maxim & Scott Lumsden

Colombia Missional Partnership: SeaPres Podcast episode

The Colombia Mission Partnership Task Force of the Seattle Presbytery fosters and oversees the covenant relationship between the Presbiterio del la Costa (Barranquilla, Colombia) and the Seattle Presbytery. This partnership began in 2015. Pastors and members of over 9 Seattle Presbytery churches have participated in this ministry.

The 2025 partnership trip will be from February 4-11, 2025.

Learn more about the partnership, upcoming trip, and listen to the latest SeaPres Podcast episode with Haley Ballast (Wallingford PC), Phil Lewis (Union Church), and Eliana Maxim (presbytery staff)  and hear about the distinctiveness of this partnership, what we are learning, and how you can be a part of this growing community.

Proposed amendments to the Book of Order

226th General Assembly (2024)

These amendments to the Book of Order and the agreement were approved by the 226th General Assembly (2024)  and recommended to the presbyteries for their vote.

The 226th General Assembly (2024) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved and recommended to the presbyteries, for their affirmative or negative votes, proposed changes in the language of the Book of Order that, if approved, will amend the Constitution. In addition, the 226th General Assembly (2024) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved and recommended to the presbyteries pursuant to G-5.0203 for their affirmative or negative votes the Episcopal-Presbyterian Agreement on Local Sharing of Ministries. 

Presbytery stated clerks are to report a tally of their votes to the Office of the General Assembly no later than July 4, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Votes on amendments and the agreement should be entered through the Stated Clerk’s portal.

Korean and Spanish translations are also available online.

The Presbyterian Outlook article: Three churches, one focus: Uniting to confront Christian nationalism

From The Presbyterian Outlook:

Three PC(USA) churches in the Seattle-area grapple with Christian nationalism using the Book of Confessions as a guide. — Haley Ballast

by Haley Ballast
Published: August 16, 2024 |Updated: August 19, 2024

What do we do when our faith is co-opted by White nationalists?

Can our history and theology help us or is it part of the problem?

How do we keep our sanity amid a chaotic political climate?

How do we claim our voice and agency without adding to the noise?

In the run-up to the 2024 election season, these have become my 2 a.m. questions: the ones I can stifle by day with the busyness of solo pastor work, only to have them rouse me at night with the persistence of a hungry infant. I hear versions of these questions echoed at church and on social media. Christians see the unholy union of American exceptionalism, White supremacy and Christian identity parading across stages at rallies and worship services alike, and we are left wringing our hands. What is a faithful and reasonable response?

I probably would have settled for inserting a few veiled references to politics in my sermons and praying for the Holy Spirit to do the rest if my friend Jeny Carlson hadn’t reached out a couple of months ago with an idea: a joint summer sermon series on Christian nationalism. It turns out, Jeny, who pastors a neighboring Presbyterian church, has been chewing on questions about Christian nationalism too. In her search for answers, she realized that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Book of Confessions includes wisdom from communities who have dealt with parallel challenges.

Read more.

Remembering Ken Sunoo

Photo courtesy: University Presbyterian Church

We received word early on August 18 that our friend and colleague Rev. Ken Sunoo completed his baptism yesterday afternoon (August 17, 2024). 

Ken had entered hospice earlier in the week due to aggressive and widespread cancer he’d been wrestling with for the past 3 years.

Ken was currently serving as associate pastor at University Presbyterian and is survived by his spouse, Rev. Deb Sunoo (Magnolia Presbyterian Church) and daughters Rebecca and Alina. We hold them and Ken’s extended family in our prayers.

Ken was a faithful minister member of Seattle presbytery for over 25 years, serving, besides UPC, Wallingford Presbyterian Church and presbytery staff. 

Ken’s memorial service will be held Saturday, August 31 at 1:30pm at University PC, Seattle. All are welcome.

Jesus said to her, “ I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

John 11:25-26

July 25 SeaPres Update from Co-Executive Presbyters

“In Christ, Church members share with all humanity the realities of creatureliness, sinfulness, brokenness, and suffering, as well as the future toward which God is drawing them.”  Book of Order F-1.0403 

Dear friends, 

I am grateful for the more than 80 presbyters who attended last Tuesday’s presbytery meeting at Calvary Presbyterian Church. We had the opportunity to wrestle with some challenging issues, ones where we were not of one mind, and yet we had rich, respectful discussion and Spirit led discernment. If there is one thing we learned as we left the meeting, it was that in our humanity we can be in complete disagreement, and yet in Christ be drawn together towards God, God’s call, and God’s will for us all. In other words, the tent is big enough, gracious enough, loving enough, to include us all. And for this we give thanks to God. 

At our meeting we also heard from GA commissioners Rev. Scott Anderson, Linda Enkema (BelPres), and Dustin Wilsor (Woodland Park) about their participation in the denomination’s biannual national gathering and what business was addressed. 

The presbytery elected to appoint a work team to create a child protection and vulnerable adult policy for approval at the next presbytery meeting in October. 

The body also voted to concur with both COM and the Executive Board’s recommendation to rescind special rule of order 2 regarding paper ballots for ordination examinations.  

We are grateful for the generous hospitality of our siblings at Calvary Presbyterian Church in beautiful Enumclaw and many volunteers who helped make our time together special. 

To read more about the actions taken at the meeting, please click here. 

As we enter the last month of summer, we also turn to considering what is coming up in the fall. Here are some items to keep an eye out for: 

• Changes to healthcare plan with Board of Pensions regional coordinator Rev. Christine Long. 

• Executive Board leadership retreat. 

• Thriving Congregations’ Leadership Summit. 

• BIPOC Pastoral Leaders’ Gathering 

We also recognize that heading into this election season, both tempers and rhetoric can become heightened. Know that we pray for each of you, particularly those in leadership positions having to navigate the complexities of pastoring to a diverse group of people. May God grant us all patience and grace with each other, may our politicians and leaders be led by authentic concern and care for the country and all its people. And may we rise above the cultural norms of our time and embody kindness, curiosity, and love. 

We welcome hearing from you; please feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or simply to say hello. 

In Christ, 

Revs. Eliana Maxim & Scott Lumsden
Co-Executive Presbyters

Presbyterian Outlook: #GA226 elects and installs first woman of color stated clerk

Jihyun Oh is elected Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, a position vacated by J. Herbert Nelson in 2023.

BY ERIC LEDERMANN
PUBLISHED: JULY 1, 2024

Photo: Rev. Jihyun Oh, newly elected stated clerk of the General Assembly, is surrounded by family in prayer. Photo by Jonathan Watson for Presbyterian Outlook.

Salt Lake City — The 226th General Assembly (GA) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) affirmed 420-2 the nomination of Jihyun Oh as stated clerk of the General Assembly, succeeding J. Herbert Nelson, who filled the seat for seven years and concluded his term in April 2023.

Oh, a 1.5 generation Korean American born in South Korea and raised in Kansas, is the first woman of color to serve in the highest ecclesial office of the PC(USA), Nelson being the first person of color to be stated clerk in the denomination’s 236-year history.

Bronwen Boswell has served as interim stated clerk since Nelson’s June 2023 departure. When Oh takes the reins on August 1, 2024, Boswell will return to her duties as the general presbyter and stated clerk for the Presbytery of Shenandoah, from which she was given leave.

The Stated Clerk Nominating Committee (SCNC), charged with bringing a nominee 300 days before GA, was elected by the 225th GA (2022) and interviewed nine candidates, according to SCNC chairperson Sallie Watson, a teaching elder from the Presbytery of Mission. Referring to the SCNC, Watson told the assembly, “These guys are rockstars!”

Read more.

Invitation: Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL)

Special invitation from SEEL Puget Sound:

SEEL PUGET SOUND IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE RETREAT YEAR 2024-2025!

Thank you for your interest in our SEEL retreat! We will offer our retreat in a unique hybrid way for the year 2024-2025. We will have 2 cohorts- a mostly in-person retreat hosted at St. Joseph Church in Seattle and a mostly online retreat.  Retreat dates and details are in our application below.  There are many advantages to an online format (including participation of people outside of our region) and we understand that there is a special gift in being able to meet in person. We hope this hybrid model will be a good compromise that honors the needs of both retreatants and the SEEL community of directors.  We are happy to answer any questions you may have. We warmly invite you to join us for our 41st retreat year starting September 2024!

Lisa Dennison, Executive Director  |   Terri LePenske, Seattle Lead  |   Mary Gorman, Tacoma Lead

Mission statement: The Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL) invites us into an intimate relationship with God that integrates prayer into our daily lives, infuses us with a prophetic spirit and impels us to follow Jesus’ call to work for peace, justice and love in the world.

Download flyer.

Learn more.

Important Email Scam Alert

Friends, please beware of emails from someone claiming to be Scott Lumsden with links to files and requesting a response or assistance. Scott’s email account has been hacked. Please delete any questionable emails and call our office if you have questions: 425-270-7142.

This is a scam and does not come from the presbytery office. A reminder that we will never contact you by email or text to solicit anything - money, items, or favors.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate those who brought it to our attention.

More online: FTC scam alerts.

SeaPres Podcast: SeaPres Conversations w/Eliana & Scott - January 2024

New episode: SeaPres Podcast January 2024 update with Co-Executive Presbyters Eliana Maxim & Scott Lumsden.

2024 Colombia Partnership Trip

Please keep our Colombia partnership trip members and partners in prayer as they travel to the Presbytery of the North Coast, Colombia. We are celebrating the 10th year of our partnership. Dates: January 30 - February 6, 2024.

2024 team members: Austin Rehbein, Grace Wang, Lottie MacAulay Friedman, Gerri Tyler, Nancy Devine, Crystal Hairston, Haley Ballast, Lindsay Murphy, Aleco Maxim, Keri Ellison, Chrissy Davies, Jordan Davies, Eliana Maxim, Tali Hairston, Maggie Breen, Paul Kim. Joining in Colombia: Dick & Loretta Pain.

Learn more in the most recent SeaPres Podcast episode.

We’ll post trip photos and updates on Seattle Presbytery’s Facebook page.

SeaPres Podcast: SeaPres Conversations w/Eliana & Scott - August 2023

New episode: SeaPres Podcast August 2023 update with Co-Executive Presbyters Eliana Maxim & Scott Lumsden.

GA 226 Young Adult Advisory Delegate (YAAD) Nominations

Seattle Presbytery is accepting nominations from sessions for a Young Adult Advisory Delegate for the 226th General Assembly (June 25-July 4, 2024).

Young Adult Advisory Delegates (YAAD) requirements:

1. Must be between the ages of 18 and 23 as of June the year of GA.

2. An active adult and/or confirmed member of a congregation.

3. Endorsed by the session.

Download YAAD nomination form.
Submit completed application to nom<AT>seattlepresbytery.org.

Download a GA 226 fact sheet.

Save the date: SeaPres Holy Conversations

Murder at the Mission: A Frontier Killing, Its Legacy of Lies, and the Taking of the American West, by Blaine Harden

A Holy Conversation

with

Blaine Harden

-Seattle author

and

Rev. Irvin Porter

-Nez Perce, Pastor of Church of the Indian Fellowship, Tacoma, and

Associate for Native American Intercultural Congregational Support PC(USA)

October 24, 7-9pm Mercer Island Presbyterian Church

 

What are the myths we tell ourselves, the lies we perpetuate as Presbyterians in the Pacific Northwest?

In 1836 Presbyterian missionary doctor Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa were sent west; eleven years later they were murdered at the mission.   In the years following, a story manufactured by Rev. Henry Spalding, an embittered Presbyterian missionary and colleague of the Whitmans, launched the role of Whitman as a Christian role model and martyred frontier hero who saved the Oregon Territory for the United States. 

By 1899 scholars exposed Spalding’s story as a deliberate fraud.

And yet to this day the “Whitman lie” is perpetuated by the larger public, including Presbyterians.

Blaine Harden explains: “The Whitman lie is a timeless reminder that in America a good story has an insidious way of trumping a true one, especially if that story confirms our virtue, congratulates our pluck, and enshrines our status as God’s chosen people.”

Join Seattle Presbytery as we engage a crucial conversation about demythologizing, grapple with the real story of Native American history, and search for a healing and equitable path forward.

“The truth will set you free.”

Seattle Presbytery will purchase and ship several copies of the book (Murder at the Mission by Blaine Harden) to our churches in the coming weeks. We also encourage churches to purchase additional copies and e-copies as needed on their own.