PC(USA) Office of Public Witness

Courage in the Face of Authoritarianism: 

Historical Roots and Modern Responses

February 25th - 12:00 pm EST (11:00 am CT)

What we are witnessing in the United States right now is chilling: the normalization of cruelty, the targeting of vulnerable communities, and the steady weakening of democratic safeguards that are meant to protect people from state abuse. As immigrant communities face ICE raids and dissent is increasingly treated as a threat, many Presbyterians are feeling grief, fear, and urgency, and asking what faithful courage looks like now.

• We will hear policy and historical analysis tracing how U.S. “national security” frameworks have expanded over time, shaping domestic policing, civil liberties, and the treatment of protest and dissent, and helping us understand the systems behind what many communities are experiencing right now.
• We will also be anchored by theological reflection, revisiting the Barmen Declaration, a confession of faith written in resistance to authoritarian rule. We will explore how this historic witness can strengthen the church’s moral clarity today and help Presbyterians discern what courageous discipleship requires in a time of rising repression.

Monday, February 9

• 7:00 pm - DRAWP meeting on Zoom Click Here

Tuesday, February 10

• 2:00 pm - Dynamic Leaders on Zoom Click Here
• 4:00 pm - Administrative on Zoom Click Here

Wednesday, February 11

• 12:00 pm - Personnel Workgroup Click Here

Thursday, February 12

• 9:30 am - History Workgroup at Southminster Presbyterian Church
• 6:30 pm - Commission on Ministry Click Here

Presbyterian Women

Save the Date & Share with your friends!

The clergy and faith community call on people across our region to gather for a Presidents' Day Rally, bringing faith and justice together on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge. Join us as we lift a moral voice and hold space for all who wish to stand in solidarity with immigrant communities and call for an end to the devastating treatment so many are facing.

This gathering will be a peaceful and prayerful witness, offering a way for those who have grown weary of violence and intimidation to show up grounded in conscience, compassion, and care.

Together, we will call for an end to violence and intimidation and for meaningful immigration reform. The blood of our kin cries out from the ground, and tears flow from the places where they are forced to hide. We cry out for wholeness, healing, and justice for all.

Souper Bowl of Caring

Sunday, February 8

The PC(USA) is deeply connected to the Souper Bowl of Caring, a youth-led movement started by a Presbyterian seminarian in 1990 to fight hunger by collecting food and donations around Super Bowl Sunday, with funds supporting local charities. Churches like those within the PC(USA) actively participate by collecting cans, cash, or organizing drives, turning football excitement into compassionate action to help the food-insecure in their communities. 

The guidelines are simple: collect soup cans or food donations for a local charity of your choice. Groups often "compete" with one another to inspire larger collections from their organizations. Today, groups outside of churches also participate in creative ways by hosting food drives, collecting soup, and donating cash in honor of local food pantries. 

African American History Month (aka Black History Month) has been observed each February in the United States since 1976.​

How will you or your group observe this celebration? 

Presbyterian History Education Options

• The first African American Published Author
• Religious News Service Photograph Collection
• Children, Youth, and Family Learning Together
• Documentaries or Videos

Presbyterian Women's Suggested Options

• Etchings in Diversity.
• REC’s Eight Days of Prayer with REC
• Prejudice vs. Racism: A Racial Equity Workshop
• the 8-day Racial Equity Education Challenge.
• Racial Equity and Cultural Humility resources offered by Presbyterian Women.
• Book/video resources PW’s Racial Equity Committee recommends.
• Presbyterian Women’s Statement on Racial Equity.
• Stories and reflections on racial injustice, justice, and peace, and more!

Share your suggestions with us on how best to honor African American History

We will journey through Presbyterian history from its founding in the region to the present day. We begin at the final resting place of Stephen Hempstead, Father of the Presbyterian Church West of the Mississippi River, and end at the newest mausoleum in the cemetery. Can you guess whose it is? We will enjoy a delicious boxed lunch at the Cemetery.

Presbytery Moderator - Elder, Barbara Abbett

Presbytery Vice-Moderator - Rev. Dr. Karen Blanchard

Vision Team Moderator - Rev. Dr. Dave Burgess