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1-Aug.-1996 
 
 
96265            News of Presbyteries and Synods 
 
                      by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
ALBUQUERQUE--At its meeting in Albuquerque just prior to the General 
Assembly, the Worldwide Ministries Division of the General Assembly Council 
approved four new international partnerships and renewed another. 
     The new partnerships are between 
       *  New York City Presbytery and Northern Natal Presbytery of the 
          Reformed Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa 
       *  Shenango Presbytery and the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church 
       *  Washington Presbytery and the Central South West Bethel 
          Presbytery of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Jesus 
       *  West Virginia Presbytery and the Presbytery of Nyeri of the 
          Presbyterian Church of East Africa. 
     The renewed partnership is between Shenandoah Presbytery and the 
Illubabor Bethel Synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Jesus. 
 
OKLAHOMA CITY--The Rev. Howard Clinebell, founding president of the 
American Association of Pastoral Counselors, will be featured speaker at 
the Annual Clergy Conference of Indian Nations Presbytery.  The conference 
is Oct. 23 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital here, and is sponsored by the 
Oklahoma Health Center CPE Program, a joint educational ministry of the 
presbytery and the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. 
     Clinebell's presentation, "Pastoral Ecotherapy: The Crucial Role of 
Congregations in Saving a Healthy Planet," will be his first public 
presentation of material based on his new book, "Ecotherapy." On Oct. 24 he 
will present a workshop for professional counselors and counseling pastors 
titled "Ecotherapy: Healing Ourselves by Healing the Earth." 
 
HATTIESBURG, Miss.--"Recharging Yourself and Your Teaching: A Sunday School 
Teachers' Retreat," sponsored by the Christian Nurture Committee of 
Mississippi Presbytery, will be held Oct.  11-12 at St. Mary of the Pines 
Conference Center in Chatawa, Miss. 
     The retreat will include workshops on such topics as deepening 
relationships with God, teaching basics, relating the Bible to everyday 
life, storytelling, preparing for Advent and how to lead effective 
discussions. 
 
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio--Young people of First Presbyterian Church in Warren, 
Ohio, have a history of service projects.  The most recent effort of the 
Eastminster Presbytery-related group is the making of quilts for babies 
born with AIDS. 
     The teenagers, along with their adviser, Carole Rummell, recently 
completed seven quilts.  The quilts were displayed for church members 
before being sent on to a project named ABC Quilts, which is endorsed by 
but not affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). 
     "It's always nice to do things to help others," said Todd Nadenichek, 
a high school sophomore who worked on the project.  "Newborns with AIDS 
have a shorter life sentence than the rest of us.  It's good to know they 
will have their quilt for as long as they're with us." 
     Those participating in the quilting project were Erin Adair, Shawn 
Ash, Lynette Devanny, Susan Devanny, Elizabeth Hesselman, Karen Hesselman, 
Bekki Kemp, Lauren Klamer, Nadenichek, Rummell, Michele Smith, Drew Sparks, 
Doug Wherry and Ben Wireman. 
 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--The Nurture Division of Sheppards and Lapsley Presbytery 
is sponsoring training events for church educators and officers Aug. 24 at 
Riverchase Presbyterian Church here. 
     Educators will learn about teaching various age groups, the 
Presbyterian Youth Connection, and ideas and resources for adult education 
programs. 
     Church officer training will cover such topics as resources for 
officers, Presbyterian polity, practical aspects of church leadership, 
Presbyterian doctrine and personal spirituality. 
 
CLEMMONS, N.C.--Two groups of workers representing 12 congregations in 
Salem Presbytery will travel to Mexico in August.  They will build a second 
floor onto the Christian education building of the Templo Presbiteriano del 
Divino Maestro in the town of Jos‚ Marˇa Morelos. 
     A group of 10 will go down Aug. 3-10 and 13 others will go Aug. 10-17. 
     Participating churches are Church of the Covenant, Faith Church, 
Guilford Park Church, and St.  Paul Church, all of Greensboro; First 
Presbyterian Church of Burlington; First Church and Parkway Church of 
Winston-Salem; First Presbyterian Church of Thomasville; North Wilkesboro 
Presbyterian Church; Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church; Pine Hall Presbyterian 
Church; and Prospect Presbyterian Church in Mooresville. 
 
YATESBORO, Pa.--Alba Luz Arrieta Cabrales, a Presbyterian international 
peacemaker in Colombia, will visit Kiskiminetas Presbytery Sept. 20-26.    
     She is president of the Presbyterian Reformed Theological Seminary of 
Gran Colombia and Venezuela, where she also teaches Christian education. 
The seminary serves leaders and pastors in the urban and rural areas of 
Colombia and Venezuela. 
 
ANAHEIM, Calif.--Members of Los Ranchos Presbytery recently hosted a visit 
by 12 persons from Chonbuk Presbytery in Chonju, Korea.  The visit by the 
Korean Presbyterians followed a trip to Korea by four representatives of 
Los Ranchos to sign the Partnership Memorandum of Understanding between the 
two presbyteries. 
     In October, the Rev. Rob and the Rev. Adele Langworthy will return to 
Korea to represent Los Ranchos as guest speakers for the "Spirituality 
Week" program at the Margaret Pritchard Nursing School. 
 
DALLAS--Churches in Grace Presbytery received an offering on July 14 
designated for the rebuilding of burned black churches in the United 
States.  "I hope this will help affirm the unity in the body of Christ, one 
Lord, one faith, one baptism," said the Rev. Cynthia Weeks Logan, parish 
associate at First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, which first suggested the 
presbytery-wide offering. 
 
EIGHTY-FOUR, Pa.-- "Celebrate! Power-Filled Worship for the Whole Family!" 
is the theme of Washington Presbytery's "Presbytery Day 1996" gathering, 
Oct. 4-5 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Burgettstown, Pa. 
     Keynote speaker is Glaucia Vasconcellos Wilkey, associate for worship 
in the Congregational Ministries Division in Louisville. 
     Some of the workshops to be offered include the Presbyterian Youth 
Connection, dealing with sensitive issues, the art of visiting, welcoming 
strangers through media, prison ministry, children's sermons, spiritual 
prayer, liturgical dance, and art and worshipful giving. 
 
 
SAGINAW, Mich.--Lake Huron Presbytery has elected the Rev. Valerie Fargo as 
its associate executive presbyter.  A graduate of McCormick Theological 
Seminary, Fargo was ordained by Lake Huron Presbytery in 1988.  Since then, 
she has served a variety of interim pastorates in the presbytery and has 
been active on several presbytery committees. 
 
MORGANTON, N.C.--First Presbyterian Church of Asheville will be the scene 
Aug. 4 for a stewardship rally sponsored by Western North Carolina 
Presbytery.      
     The rally is designed to promote good stewardship and help church 
leaders raise money for their own churches' budgets and raise financial 
support for the presbytery.  Keynote speaker is former General Assembly 
moderator the Rev. J. Randolph Taylor. 
 
BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--The Rev. Danelle McKinney recently became the first 
woman minister ordained by Dakota Presbytery, the Native American 
presbytery of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. 
     McKinney, who graduated from Dubuque Theological Seminary, said she 
"felt honored because my family history, on my dad's side, is intertwined 
with Dakota Presbytery."  Her father is the late Rev.  Herbert Crawford. 
 
GREENVILLE, S.C.--The Rev. Sara Juengst, author of the "1996-97 HORIZONS 
Women's Bible Study," will be keynote speaker at "Foothills Fest '96," the 
educational ministry training event of Foothills Presbytery.  The event is 
slated for Aug. 17 at Westminster Presbyterian Church here. 
     The fest will include more than 30 workshops for teachers, pastors, 
youth advisers, Christian education committee members, Presbyterian Women 
Bible study moderators and all church members. 
 
SAN JOSE, Calif.--San Jose Presbytery's Mission Fair on Sept. 14 will focus 
on the Presbyterian Church's "Year with Latin Americans."  The fair will 
take place at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Cruz. 
     Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Sherron George, for 23 years a 
Presbyterian missionary in Brazil and coordinator of the Latin Americans 
emphasis in the Worldwide Minstries Division. 
 
LINCOLN, Neb.--Four Presbyterians active in Homestead Presbytery were 
recently given the presbytery's Outstanding Senior Presbyterian award.  The 
award is presented to church members age 70 or older who continue to give 
outstanding service to their church and presbytery. 
     The recipients this year were Lois M. Hansen, First Presbyterian 
Church, Norfolk, Neb.; Don H. Jones, First Presbyterian Church, York; 
Flossie Helmke Ukema Moorhead, First Presbyterian Church, Lincoln; and 
Ellen G. Wielage Smiley, Eastridge Presbyterian Church, Lincoln. 
 
HARRISONBURG, Va.--The Rev. Edward A. White, senior consultant with the 
Alban Institute, will lead a professional development workshop for members 
of Shenandoah Presbytery Sept. 18 at Massanetta Springs Conference Center. 
     The workshop will address such issues as models for strategic 
planning, identifying the marks of a healthy congregation, healthy 
pastor/parish relationships, empowering the laity and what to do about 
congregations that resist change. 

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