November 17, 2021
Seven Words of Light and Highlights from November 2021 Stated Meeting
This week we feature our presbytery's take on Minutes in Brief from our recent Stated Meeting hosted by the faithful of Doylestown Presbyterian Church. Our first go as a full-fledge hybrid meeting, roughly 70 gathered in person with another 70 or so convening online. Thanks to all who made that possible.
This November meeting was full of sacred opportunities to gather together for important business matters, fellowship with one another safely in the midst of an on-going pandemic, and to worship as a reminder of the hope and light we find in being called the people of God and church of Jesus Christ. Among so many holy moments was the examination of Isaac Baah for Ordination as Minister of Word and Sacrament, who will be ordained an installed as Pastor of the United Ghanaian Community Church in a few weeks. We also elected the next moderator and vice moderator of the Presbytery, Rev. Ted Mingle and Elder Zandra Maffett respectively, our commissioners and young adult advisory delegate called to represent us at next summer's General Assembly, and new members of committees and commissions in this body. We celebrated the ministry of outgoing Transitional Executive of the Synod of the Trinity, Rev. Susan Wonderland, our faithful attorney, Bill Bradbury, who is retiring after 23 years of work together, and recognized the ten-year anniversary of Elder Betsi Moise, our Website, Social Media, and Publications Manager, who has served this presbytery office and our people so well. Our Moderator of the Presbytery, Rev. Ashley Rossi, shared a report from the Leadership Collegium, which not only underscored the ongoing work of antiracism, but also acknowledged the abundance of ordinations and installations that have occurred this fall- a reminder the Spirit is alive and well in these sacred vocations. Our Executive Presbyter, Rev. Ruth Faith Santana-Grace, then called attention to the significant work and development of our Presbytery's Disaster Assistance response team after recent hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and more within in our region, and highlighted the launch of our Lilly Endowment-funded initiative, Cultivating Enough in the Care of Clergy, as we come alongside pastors serving our small congregations, congregations of color, and church plants/replants. The meeting concluded with a service of light, which hinged on seven meditations on Scripture from seven voices within our presbytery. We give thanks for their words and witness that assure us, as one preacher noted, as long as there is God, there is hope.
What follows are these beautiful and relevant homilies by Revs. Wonjae Choi, Todd Stavrokos, Carla Jones Brown, John Wilkinson, Heidi Hankel, Randy Barge, and Susan Wonderland. We invite you to listen and share and find assurance that, as we say over and again, this is Christ's work that shapes our collective witness. Be well, faithful of Philly.
