Racial Ethnic Student Scholarships Due September 30 |
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The Racial Ethnic Student Scholarship Fund is an educational assistance program designed to encourage racial-ethnic students in their preparation for academic success in higher education. Students must have a permanent residence within the Synod of Lakes and Prairies and be active members in a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregation.
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Five Winona Churches Join Forces to Relieve Medical Debit in Minnesota and Wisconsin |
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(Winona, MN) – Five southeastern Minnesota churches have joined forces to clear more than $2 million of medical debt throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. The five faith communities raised $15,000 and, through a partnership with the New York-based nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, purchased and cleared medical debt in bulk across both states. As a result, 1,057 households will receive a yellow, RIP Medical Debt branded letter in the next two weeks informing them that their medical debt has been relieved and that credit agencies have been informed these families are no longer liable for the debt.
The five churches that worked together to achieve this goal are: First Congregational Church of Winona, UCC (Rev. Danielle Bartz); Grace Presbyterian Church of Winona, PCUSA (Rev. Rachel Rosendahl); Central Lutheran Church, ELCA (Rev. Michael Short); Cedar Valley Lutheran Church, ELCA (Rev. Jeff Franko); Lutheran Campus Center of Winona, ELCA (Rev. Corrine Haulotte).
“Our primary goal with this campaign was to relieve the burden of debt for families across the region,” said Rev. Danielle Bartz. “We also wanted to show our churches that even small communities can do tremendous things. This campaign has more than proven that.”
The congregations raised the $15,000 in spring and early summer, achieving their goal by mid-July. They then engaged RIP Medical Debt for its expertise in finding and purchasing medical debt that was causing tremendous burden for families in Minnesota and Wisconsin. By seeking debt that had been deemed unlikely to be paid by debt collectors, and then purchasing it in bulk, much of the debt was able to be purchased for less than a penny on the dollar. Meaning one dollar donated to RIP relieves $100 of medical debt. Unfortunately, relief is random and community members cannot request relief.
“My community is made up of college students, so they have limited means,” said Rev. Corrine Haulotte. “But by partnering with RIP Medical Debt, their small donations created a huge difference in the lives of many people.”
The idea to raise money to relieve medical debt grew out of weekly meetings between the clergy of the five churches. "Our Tuesday morning group is such a bright spot in our lives, especially during this pandemic. It gave us the space and strength to focus on doing something good just because we all wanted to see something good,” said Rev. Rachel Rosendahl.
On Friday September 18, 2020, the five pastors shared a recorded video with their respective communities, informing the congregations of the impact of their $15,000. “We are so thankful for the overwhelming generosity of our churches,” said Rev. Jeff Franko. “Clergy may have a lot of ideas, but it is our congregations that make them real. They gave from their abundance, knowing that they will likely never know whose life they were changing.”
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RIP Medical Debt is a nonprofit organization that allows generous donors and organizations to erase the debt of Americans whose lives have been destroyed by unjust medical debt. Founded in 2014 by two former collections industry executive, Craig Antico & Jerry Ashton, RIP rose to national prominence on an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that has been viewed almost 10 million times, where RIP facilitated the erasure of $15 million in medical debt for only $60,000. To learn more and get involved, visit www.ripmedicaldebt.org.
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Interview with Fern Cloud |
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Unbound an Interactive Journal on Christian Social Justice interviewed Fern Cloud, Stated Clerk of Dakota Presbytery, in April 2020.
My name is Fern Cloud. I am a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Tribe on the Lake Traverse Reservation located in northeastern South Dakota. And I was called to a ministry in 2004 with the Presbyterian church here at Granite Falls, Minnesota. It’s on the Upper Sioux Dakota reservation near Granite Falls, Minnesota. Over the years, I’ve also been a member of the Native American Consulting Committee. And I’ve been re-upped another two years as moderator of the Native American Consulting Committee. In 2016, I helped write an overture that responded to the Doctrine of Discovery. So in that response to the overture the General Assembly wanted to form the committee. I’ve also been the commissioner to the Synod of Lakes and Prairies for two terms. And during those terms, I was a moderator for the Senate of Lakes and Prairies. So, I have a long journey of being involved on all levels within the PCUSA. I’m very active in Presbyterian Women and I do a lot of workshops for them. In my private life I am very much an activist for Native American concerns whether they’re domestic violence, sexual assault ‑ most recently missing and murdered indigenous women.
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Presbyterian Peacemaking Program |
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Like everyone, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program has been in a season of shift. It reminds me of the difference between driving an automatic and manual transmission automobile. They both get you where you’re going, but the shift makes a difference. Going "manual" takes a bit more attention, focus and finesse, and it can be a herky-jerky ride. Since March, we’ve shifted the way we do our peacemaking work and it’s been a bit of a ride. We’ve gone online, like everything else, and it’s caused us to be more creative, do more digitally and to focus on our resources. We’ve also taken time to reexamine and provide new resources for the historic Presbyterian Commitment to Peacemaking.
And while we’ve been moving the Peacemaking Program onto virtual platforms, at least for the time being, the work of justice has moved into the public square and been very real indeed. Demonstrations here in Louisville and in countless other cities make it clear that there can be no peace without justice. We invite you to join us, peacemakers, in the justice work that has been placed before us, for it is the clearest path forward to peace.
Carl Horton, Coordinator Presbyterian Peacemaking Program
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The journey of peace is a pilgrimage of our whole selves: spirit and body; heart, feet, and mind. The pursuit of God’s peace is both an inner and outer journey where the well-being of one is held in the well-being of all. In order for us to walk farther along this road of peace-full living, we can and should engage both inner and outer aspects of faithful spiritual living. Doing so allows us to become more authentic and effective bearers of peace in our world. Discover more
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The Peacemaking Project Virtual Choir: "This is My Song"
In light of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program embarked on this project to bring together a global virtual choir of peacemakers, including past International Peacemakers and their hosts, participants in our Travel Study Seminars and Mosaic of Peace Conferences in Israel and Palestine, and friends and colleagues of our Program. As we join our voices in song, we join our hearts and efforts in a continuing and resolute desire for peace in and between every land. “So hear my song, o God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.”
The peace of Christ be with you!
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Seeking to be Faithful Together:
Guidelines for Presbyterians in Times of Disagreement
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The 204th General Assembly (1992) adopted these Guidelines for its own life and provided them as a tool to congregations and other bodies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to use in times of conflict and disagreement. The Guidelines offer clear, simple suggestions for dealing with differences, transforming them into opportunities for growth, grace and understanding. Though the use of these Guidelines cannot prevent conflict from happening, they will engender an open, helpful, constructive climate where differences can be spoken in love and heard with understanding.
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We live in tumultuous times. One of the great challenges confronting us as a nation is around the issue systemic racism, racial equality and justice. As we all know, that journey is more of a marathon than a sprint. It is our collective responsibility to listen, amplify the voices of people at the forefront of the struggle, educate ourselves and act boldly and courageously.
LeaderWise is inviting you to join us at our second series of Conversations on Race. We will gather around the topics of Changing Self, Changing Community, and Changing Systems.
Each event will feature a guest speaker, time for reflection and conversations, and Q&A. Please save the dates and invite friends and colleagues to join you.
2-hour Conversations
(4:00 to 6:00 pm Central)
October 5, November 2, December 7
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Schedule a Visit by the Co-Moderators |
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Interested in Elona or Gregory participating in an event?
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Fill out the request form.
- Send the completed form to:
- your synod
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Jayne Culp (Office of the General Assembly) 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202
Synods have been asked to develop itineration within their bounds for the Moderator. Sharing this form with your synod will inform them that you have requested a visit so that they might include your visit in the plans.
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Scholarship & Grant Recipients |
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2020 Apollos Scholar:
- Kailen Soncksen received the SILAS G. KESSLER SCHOLARSHIP. A Middler at Austin Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. She is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Hasting, Hastings, NE and under the care of Central Nebraska Presbytery.
LifeLong Learning grants awarded to:
- Spiritual Wellness Practitioner Pilot Program hosted by Northern Plains Presbytery Ministers online
- Coping Through COVID: Understanding Trauma for Self & Others hosted online by Leaderwise, a partner of PC(USA)
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Trouble the Water: Conversations to
Disrupt Racism and Dominance
A documentary series resource produced by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for communities and congregations to facilitate conversation and engagement around the issues of race and racism. View episodes here.
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Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry Network (POAMN)
Virtual Conference, October 27-28.
This event will bring together leaders and experts on aging, spirituality, and pastoral care, as well as leaders from communities of faith, seminaries, academia, and community organizations.
The current pandemic has made pastoral care an even greater challenge with the need for SIP (Shelter In Place) and social distancing.
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Resources for At-Home Worship
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Minister Educational Debt Assistance |
The Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions helps ministers repay educational debt through Minister Educational Debt Assistance.
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Are you doing something in your presbytery or synod from which others might learn? You have a standing invitation to send Tricia Dykers-Koenig articles to share.
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