The church fellowship hall at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Longview, TX was made ready for overnight guests to arrive during the January winter storm. See the story below from SPDR Director Libby Janes. | | |
Synod of the Sun Newsletter
February 19, 2026
| | 2026 Spring Synod Assembly Begins Monday | | See livestream of Assembly Plenary and Libby Janes' Installation on Facebook Live | | |
The 2026 Spring Synod Assembly will take place February 23–24 at the Presbyterian Mission Center in Irving, Texas, and we look forward to gathering together for worship, learning, and connection.
On the Synod's Facebook Page (facebook.com/SynodOfTheSun), you can see the Assembly Plenary sessions on Monday, February 23rd beginning at Noon and Tuesday, February 24th beginning at 9:00am. You can also witness the installation of Libby Janes on Monday, February 23rd at 7:00pm.
As part of our shared commitment to safety and preparedness, this year’s Assembly will include an SPDR Active Shooter training event called “ALICE: What’s it About?”, a partnership program of SPDR and the Grace Presbytery Disaster Recovery Team.
Assembly business will include approval of the 2026 Budget, New Commissioner Training, Committee reports, and a presentation from the Rev. Dr. Ted Foote, the Louis H. and Katherine S. Zbinden Distinguished Chair of Pastoral Ministry and Leadership at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
We will also celebrate an important milestone in the life of the Synod with a Service of Installation for Libby Janes, who will be installed as our Director of Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery. This service will be a meaningful moment of worship and thanksgiving as we bless Libby’s ministry among us.
| | HMMN Announces New Website! | | |
The Hispanic Ministries Mission Network (HMMN) is excited to announce that our new website is LIVE! Praise God! Please visit www.hmmnetwork.org to learn more about HMMN’s vision, purpose, and activities, and share this link with anyone who supports Hispanic Presbyterian ministries throughout the Synod of the Sun… and beyond!
A la Red de Misión de Ministerios Hispanos (HMMN) nos da mucha alegría anunciar que nuestra nueva página web está ACTIVA. ¡Alabado sea Dios! Por favor, visitan www.hmmnetwork.org para saber más sobre la visión, el propósito y las actividades de HMMN, y comparten este enlace con cualquiera que apoye a los ministerios presbiterianos hispanos por todo el Sínodo del Sol... ¡y más allá!
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Dates: April 6-10
Check in: Monday, 4:00 PM | Check out: Friday, 11:00 AM
Location: Camp Gilmont, 6075 State Hwy 155 North, Gilmer, TX
A retreat for Commissioned Pastors and Small Church Leaders following the busy Lent and Easter season. Workshop options will be available in the morning, and late afternoon, with afternoons free to refresh, renew and reenergize.
Workshop Topics: The items in blue are plenary sessions; black will be offered concurrently with participants having a choice between the two.
There will be one group session each morning and afternoon and two breakout sessions each morning. Participants may choose which of the two morning breakout sessions they would like to attend.
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A Warm Welcome: How Churches Are Serving as Warming Centers | |
Libby Janes, Director of SPDR
In East Texas and Northern Louisiana, where power outages were particularly severe, warming centers became critical centers for saving lives. SPDR connected with leaders from three Presbyterian churches who support warming center ministries in their communities, to ask for their advice for other Synod of the Sun churches who might do the same. Grace Presbytery, Presbytery of the Pines, SPDR, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance are actively collaborating to support winter storm relief programs like these, and other storm recovery efforts. Read on for helpful tips from fellow churches for mobilizing your church into a warming center site for the next freeze.
| | | | Sunspots Podcast: CLEAR, parts 1 & 2 | |
Ministry with and for our immigrant neighbors is actively unfolding in North Texas—and you’re invited to be part of it.
These CLEAR podcast conversations lift up an ongoing interfaith presence at the Dallas ICE facility, with Rev. Armel Crocker offering a direct invitation to join the work and learn how faithful accompaniment is making a difference. You’ll also hear Kristy Rodgers in conversation with community organizers Sandra Avalos Araiza and Angee Andrade, alongside Rev. George Mason and Pastor Crocker, exploring what it truly means to “love your neighbors” in today’s immigrant community.
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Together, they share practical ways congregations and communities can prepare to support our brothers and sisters in Christ during fearful and challenging times, with a broader synod-wide conversation coming soon.
You can find the Sunspots Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Alexa (“Hey Alexa, play the Sunspots podcast”), or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. You can also listen on the Synod website at: https://www.synodsun.org/sunspots.
You can find these two podcasts on our YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/@synodofthesun
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For over 67 years, Synod Youth Worship has provided a place, a space, and time for God’s work of creating new life-time relationships. Participants in Synod Youth Workshop will experience God’s presence through opportunities for worship, prayer, scripture exploration, and community service in small and large group gatherings. Small groups provide a ‘safe place’ to explore faith questions, while sharing fun and laughter beyond measure. Many participants throughout the years have described the conference as a life-changing event. We hope you will consider attending Synod Youth Workshop in 2026.
Click the link below or go to:
https://www.synodyouthworkshop.com
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Making History Today: The Closing of a Seminary | Late last month it was announced that as of July 31, 2026 Memphis Theological Seminary, the school of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, will close its doors. Because the Cumberland church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) are partners in the PHSSW, this is an especially painful decision. | | | | |
Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth invites you to join them on March 23-24 for the Asian/Asian American and Pacific Islander Church Studies 2026 Colloquy, featuring guest speaker Reverend Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly and the Executive Director of the Interim Unified Agency of the PCUSA. Register today to join the conversation!
Monday, March 23 | 10:30 a.m. | Bass Conference Center
Reverend Oh will present a talk entitled, “Life: An Idol of the American Mainline Protestant Church,” followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tim Lee, Associate Professor of Church History and Director of the A/AAPI Church Studies, and panelists:
- Reverend Dr. Elizabeth Callender, Senior Minister of St. Stephen Presbyterian Church;
- Dr. Namsoon Kang, Professor of Theology and Religion at Brite Divinity School; and
- Reverend Christopher M. Lee, Executive Presbyter of Grace Presbytery.
Tuesday, March 24 | 11:00 a.m. | Robert Carr Chapel
Reverend Oh will preach during chapel service: "Can These Bones Live?", Ezekial 37:1-14.Join us for Community Conversation, following chapel.
Click the link below to register for the in-person events or to receive a link to view the events online.
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PC(USA) Self-Study on Racism | |
The Presbyterian Historical Society is in the process of developing a resource and/or training to help churches research and write their own histories through an anti-racist lens. We want to hear directly from churches and mid councils about the resources and guidance that would be most useful to them as they engage in anti-racism work, regardless of where they are in this process.
Please consider responding to the survey via the following link and sharing it via your newsletter or other communications: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SNPM69N
You can read more about this project, view examples from other congregations, and learn how to submit your own research products on this webpage: https://pcusa.org/historical-society/collections/what-we-collect/products-pcusa-self-studies-racism
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