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23-July-1997 
97287 
 
    Presbytery and Synod News 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--The 1997 Synod of Living Waters Interim Ministry Seminar 
will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Nashville, Tenn.  It will be held 
concurrently with synod-sponsored workshops for Committees on Ministry and 
Committees on Preparation for Ministry. 
    Speakers will include the Rev. John Mulder, president of Louisville 
Presbyterian Theological Seminary; the Rev. Houston Hodges, editor of 
"Monday Morning" and a retired presbytery executive; and the Rev. Lucy Rupe 
Watt, executive presbyter for Winnebago Presbytery. 
    The seminar will include discussions on how each presbytery in the 
synod relates to its interim ministers and how demographics and lifestyle 
information can be used effectively during interim periods. 
 
HARRISONBURG, Va.--"From Ashes to Alleluias: The Book of Job" is the theme 
of Shenandoah Presbytery's Presbyterian Women fall gathering and presbytery 
leadership school, Sept. 20 at Massanetta Springs Conference Center. 
    Keynote speaker for the combined events is Gay Mothershed, vice 
moderator of the 1996 General Assembly and a former Christian educator in 
the presbytery.  Bible study will be led by the Rev. Rebekah Glass, pastor 
of Buena Vista (Va.) Presbyterian Church.  The program will also include 
some 27 workshops on a variety of topics of interest to leaders of 
Presbyterian Women, church school teachers and administrators and 
congregational leaders. 
 
COLUMBUS, Ohio--With the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) currently celebrating 
"A Year with Latin Americans," the Ecumenical Parish Program of the Synod 
of the Covenant is bringing persons from that part of the world to churches 
in the synod this fall. 
    The seven visitors are the Rev. Alberto Roldan, a theology professor 
from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who will be hosted by First Presbyterian 
Church of Bryan, Ohio, in Maumee Valley Presbytery; the Rev. Claude 
Labrunie, a pastor and retired theology professor from Vitoria, Brazil, who 
will be hosted by First Presbyterian Church of Athens, Ohio, in Scioto 
Valley Presbytery; the Rev. Osmundo Ponce, a native of Guatemala who is 
professor of Christian education at the Presbyterian Reformed Theological 
Seminary of Gran, Colombia, who will be hosted by Albion (Mich.) 
Presbyterian Church in Lake Michigan Presbytery; the Rev. Jaime Portillo, a 
Lutheran pastor from San Salvador, El Salvador, who will be hosted by First 
Presbyterian Church of Mineral Ridge, Ohio, in Eastminster Presbytery; the 
Rev. Joseph Remy, a hospital chaplain from Haiti who will be hosted by 
Brighton Presbyterian Church in Zanesville, Ohio, and Duncan Falls (Ohio) 
Presbyterian Church in Muskingum Valley Presbytery; the Rev. Pedro 
Arana-Quiroz, a pastor from Lima, Peru, who will be hosted by First 
Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Mich., in Detroit Presbytery; and Ingrid 
Astudillo, a church music and youth worker from Caracas, Venezuela, who 
will be hosted by Fort Street Presbyterian Church in Detroit. 
 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--The Alabama Fall College and University Retreat has been 
scheduled for Oct. 3-5 at Camp Lee in Anniston, Ala.  Keynote speaker is 
the Rev. David Palmer, associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church in 
Athens, Ala. 
    The retreat, with the theme "Safe Home," is co-sponsored by the 
presbyteries of Sheppards and Lapsley, North Alabama and South Alabama and 
the Alabama Presbyterian Campus Ministry.  The three presbyteries of 
Alabama have covenanted with each other to insure a Presbyterian campus 
ministry on every public college and university campus in the state. 
 
LINCOLN, Neb.--Plans are shaping up for the annual "Presbytery Day" event 
of Homestead Presbytery. 
    It will take place this year Nov. 8 at Camp Calvin Crest and its theme 
will be "Ministry of Homestead Presbytery Churches in the 21st Century." 
Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Eugene Turner, director of the Office of 
the General Assembly's Department of Governing Body, Ecumenical and Agency 
Relations. 
 
BAINBRIDGE, N.Y.--Susquehanna Valley Presbytery is sponsoring a small 
church membership celebration, "Building the Foundations of Ministry," 
Sept. 20 at First Presbyterian Church of Hancock, N.Y. 
    Workshops include "Bible Study through Drama," "Starting Up a Youth 
Group," "Lively Worship," "Music" and "How to Talk to Your Congregation 
about Money and Still Live in Town." 
 
POMPANO BEACH, Fla.--Tropical Florida Presbytery is planning a 
mission/study trip to its partner, Presbytery of the Peninsula in Yucat n, 
Mexico, in late October. 
    For several years the presbytery has sponsored study tours that have 
visited churches, preaching stations, mission projects and new church 
developments in the capital city of Mrida and in other parts of Yucat n. 
That trip this year is Oct. 21-25. 
    A new feature of the annual visit this year is an opportunity to work 
on one of several building projects in the presbytery.  That group will 
depart Oct. 19. 
 
LOS ANGELES--A delegation of 10 religious leaders from El Salvador and the 
United States, including two Presbyterians from the Synod of Southern 
California and Hawaii, traveled to Washington recently to press the case 
for fairness in the treatment of the ABC class of Guatemalans and 
Salvadorans who applied for political asylum under terms of the 1990 
settlement of a lawsuit alleging political bias and discrimination. 
    A federal law passed in 1996 jeopardized asylum rights granted in the 
1990 settlement.  The delegation sought a Department of Justice grant of 
"delayed enforced departure" to Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Nicaraguans 
impacted by the federal legislation until the implications of the new law 
and possible remedial action can be considered. 
    The Presbyterians participating in the talks included the Rev. Donald 
L. Smith of the synod staff and the Rev. Frank Alton of Immanuel 
Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. 

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