Welcome to this week's edition of our e-letter, Presbytery Matters. | | | |
We want to hear about the mission stories from our Presbytery's worshiping communities. What mission work are you involved in? How are your members working in the community? What story would you like to share with others in the Presbytery?
Send any mission stories from your congregation that you would like to share to: CaySyrNews@gmail.com.
Deadline is 12 p.m. on Wednesdays for the current week's edition of
Presbytery Matters.
We want to share your stories, missions, activities and more. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page by clicking the "Facebook" icon at the top of this newsletter.
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Thank you!
| | Joys and Concerns around the Presbytery | | |
In our prayers together this week:
- Please keep Doug Russell, of Baldwinsville Presbyterian Church, in your prayers as he battles cancer. Pray for strength, healing, and peace for Doug and his loved ones during this difficult time.
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Please pray for pastors Steve and Saunda Thomas as Steve is undergoing cancer treatments. Please keep them in your prayers and cards can be mailed to 130 Wade Hampton Dr., Beaufort, SC 29907.
- Please pray Jerry Armstrong (Whitelaw Presbyterian) Jerry is 15 years old with recurrent bone cancer that has spread to his esophagus. Please continue to pray more than ever for both Jerry and his family. Cards can be sent to Jerry Armstrong at PO Box 414 Wampsville, NY 13163.
- Prayers for peace for the people and country of South Korea.
- Pray for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
- The voiceless.
- All those who have been separated from their families.
- All those in America.
- Our brothers & sisters in Haiti.
- All those in Sudan.
- All those in Ukraine.
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All those in Lebanon.
- All those in Israel and Gaza.
- All displaced people.
- All those who are homebound.
- All those who battling addiction and their loved ones.
- Keep all those who battling cancer and other chronic illnesses in your prayers. Please ask God to be by their side and to be with their doctors and families.
- Please pray for all those who are dealing with the painful grief of losing a beloved family pet.
In the cycle of prayer our Presbytery, please pray for these congregations, faith communities, and individuals: Northminster, North Syracuse; Onondaga Hill; Faith United Church of Oswego; Presbyterian Church of Otisco; New Hope, Parish
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ATTENTION: Moderators and/or Clerks of Sessions:
Dear Clerks of Session,
I am writing to let you know that the PC(USA) Statistical Reporting (Statistics of Congregations) portal is now open.
You may access the portal at the following link:
https://ogaapps.pcusa.org/security/Login.aspx?RequestUrl=http%3a%2f%2fogaapps.pcusa.org%2fsoc%2f
If you do not know your password or are having difficulty logging in, please email: statedclerk@cayugasyracuse.org
Completed statistical reports are due no later than February 20, 2026.
Thank you for your faithful work in completing this important annual report, which helps the church understand its life, ministry, and mission more fully. If you have questions or encounter problems beyond login issues, please do not hesitate to be in touch.
Grace and peace,
Ben Fitzgerald-Fye
Stated Clerk
Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse
| | ICE shooting in Minneapolis | |
A statement in memory of Renee Nicole Good
The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness laments the death of a mother shot by an ICE agent in Minnesota
The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness has released a statement on the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Presbyterian woman whose fatal shooting by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week in Minneapolis has sparked protests around the country. The statement, mourning her death and affirming the right to "peaceful protest and lawful observation" without the threat of deadly government responses:
Remembering Renee Nicole Good
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
John 15: 12–13
Jesus teaches that there is no greater love than the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for others, to lay down one’s life for someone else. It is to offer oneself unselfishly for the sake of others, especially the defenseless and the vulnerable.
People gathered for a vigil in South Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. (Photo by Chad Davis via Wikipedia Commons used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.)
On Wednesday, Jan. 7, Renee Nicole Good was shot while moving her car, attempting to follow the orders of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. Her last words, captured on video, were, “I’m not mad at you.”
We lament and mourn the loss of Ms. Good, a widow of a veteran, a wife and a mother who put herself in harm’s way not out of any desire to do harm, but to observe and bear witness to the actions of ICE. We affirm the right to peaceful protest and lawful observation for all Americans, without the threat of repressive or deadly responses by government and law enforcement authorities.
Continue reading...
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Minnesota Presbyterians mobilize after ICE shooting in Minneapolis
After an ICE agent killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, Presbyterian congregations across the Twin Cities are mobilizing — through interfaith partnerships, legal observer training and public witness.
by Harriet Riley
The Presbyterian Outlook
Presbyterian clergy in Minnesota are once again responding to a frightening situation. This time in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a city already marked by years of violence and trauma.
“We will not remain silent in the light of federal government actions,” said Meghan Gage-Finn, senior associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Gage-Finn and other Presbyterian leaders began speaking out after Renee Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother of three, was shot and killed by a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in downtown Minneapolis on January 7, 2026.
Westminster Presbyterian Church, which Gage-Finn describes as “a spiritual home to
the city,” is located just a mile and a half from where the shooting took place.
“This is happening where we live and work,” Gage-Finn said.
Continue reading...
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Take Your Sweetheart to Hear Pepper and Sassafras at the Steeple Coffee House on Valentine’s Day - February 14th!
Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, grand prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, teams up with multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Wendy Sassafras Ramsay in this dynamic acoustic duo.
Rodgers, also the founding editor of Acoustic Guitar magazine, delivers masterful band-in-a-box guitar work while Ramsay, harmonizer extraordinaire, adds flute, clarinet, guitar, accordion, and her quirky originals to the mix. Ramsay also plays in the alternative rock band Starting Off Red. For this Steeple performance, they'll be joined by John Dancks (The Cadleys) on upright bass.
Pepper and Sassafras were finalists for Best Duo at FreshGrass and have been featured on the public radio show Folk Alley. Along with performing original music, Rodgers and Ramsay - and Dancks - play together in the acoustic Grateful Dead collective Dead to the Core. For more information check out pepperandsassafras.com.
The collaboration between Rodgers and Sassafras makes music that is witty, humorous, and accessible. You don’t want to miss this performance!
Where: Steeple Coffee House is in the United Church of Fayetteville at 310 E. Genesee St. in Fayetteville, NY. The venue is Accessible. Plenty of free parking behind the church with entries from E. Genesee St., Chapel St., and Walnut St.
When: Saturday, February 14th - Show starts at 7:30 PM and runs until 9:30 PM. Doors open at 7:00 PM
Cost: Suggested donation is $15-20 (cash) includes refreshments
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Urge Congress to Prevent Unauthorized War - Support the War Powers Resolution
Congress is preparing to vote on a War Powers Resolution (S.J.Res. 98 and H.Con.Res. 64 ), a measure that would reaffirm Congress’s constitutional authority over decisions of war and require the President to seek congressional approval before continuing or expanding U.S. military action. War Powers resolutions exist to prevent unilateral military escalation and to ensure that decisions involving armed conflict are subject to democratic debate, accountability, and oversight.Recent U.S. military action in Venezuela has raised serious concerns about escalation, civilian harm, and the absence of congressional authorization. Our church partners and ecumenical faith leaders in Venezuela report heightened fear and uncertainty among communities already struggling with profound economic hardship, political repression, and humanitarian need. They are calling on the international community to prioritize restraint, respect for human life, and solutions that do not deepen violence or suffering.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has long affirmed that war must be a last resort and that decisions of war and peace require transparency, accountability, and democratic participation.
In her recent statement, Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), expressed deep concern about the use of U.S. military force and warned against actions that bypass constitutional processes and risk further violence. She lifted up the church’s longstanding commitment to peacemaking, emphasized the sanctity of human life, and called for diplomatic, collaborative, and nonviolent approaches rooted in international law, accountability, and care for those most harmed by conflict. She urged prayerful attention to the voices of those directly affected and reminded the church that faithful witness requires resisting escalation and choosing the difficult work of peace.
Read more...
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How to contact our Lead Presbyter, the Rev Greg Garis
Email: leadpresbyter@cayugasyracuse.org
How to contact our Assistant to the Lead Presbyter, the Rev. Mary Anderson
Email: asst.presbyter@gmail.com
How to contact our Stated Clerk, the Rev Ben Fitzgerald-Fye
Office Phone: 315-291-0360 (call or text)
Email: statedclerk@cayugasyracuse.org
Mail received at:
Scipioville Presbyterian Church
Attn: Pastor Ben
3428 State Route 34B
Scipio Center NY 13147
More information is linked below:
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Our Address: PO Box 438, Syracuse, NY 13214
Click Here for Staff Contact Information
Click Here for a list of Live Streams from our churches
Click Here for a list of Past Editions of Presbytery Matters
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Are you hiring?
If your church is hiring, please send an announcement and job description to Communication Coordinator Sarah Buckshot at caysyrnews@gmail.com
Please Note: Hiring announcements will run in Presbytery Matters for 3 weeks and then moved to our website. If you have a hiring announcement from 2023 and are still looking to fill it in 2024, please send a new announcement.
Thank you, Sarah Buckshot, Communications Coordinator.
| | Around the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | | |
‘Are we a nation of cruelty or a nation of compassion?’
US Senator Chris Coons, a Presbyterian from Delaware, speaks about faith at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.
With the nation deeply divided and at a turning point, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a Presbyterian from Delaware, posed a question during a talk Monday at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.: “Are we a nation of cruelty or a nation of compassion?”
Coons, who attends First & Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware, appeared as part of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church’s McClendon Scholar Program. His talk, “Living Out One’s Faith in Difficult Times,” and a question-and-answer session with the church’s senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. Sarah Johnson, can be seen here. Coons is introduced at the 12:09 mark.
Coons said he began the day Monday walking around his house singing “This is the Day.” His wife asked, “what’s gotten into you?”
“I said, ‘hopefully, a Spirit-filled message to share with some friends — some Presbyterians, congregants at home who might be watching, and all of you,’” he said.
What’s happening in the nation and in the world is hardly unprecedented, Coons said. “From this exact space, folks went to Selma to march. In the sanctuary that preceded this spot, a president in the midst of the most bloody and divisive war in our history sought refuge,” he said. “Having given up on any other source of inspiration, he at long last turned to the Lord.”
Continue reading...
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Newly released how-to guide can help Presbyterians embrace congregation-based community organizing
Presbyterian Hunger Program promotes building “collective power” to solve community problems
Churches interested in grassroots organizing as a way to help their communities and boost congregational vitality have a new downloadable resource from the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
The ministry has released a free, eight-page guide, “Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO): A Call to Do Justice, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly.”
The guide is a primer on CBCO, which is defined as “a grassroots, faith-rooted approach to building collective power and addressing systemic injustices within local contexts.”
The guide includes tips on getting started; examples of victories won by groups, such as the Missoula Interfaith Collaborative and Justice United Seeking Transformation in Pensacola (JUST Pensacola); and a list of CBCO networks.
The Rev. Phil Tom of the West Kensington Ministry in Philadelphia said congregation-based community organizing allows congregations to be more impactful than working alone and can be utilized by churches of any size.
Continue reading...
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P.O. Box 438, Syracuse 13214
(315) 632-5698
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"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them
bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
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