wfn.org | PHEWA HONORS COMMUNITY AND URBAN MINISTRIES

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

GA99043 
22-June-1999 
 
                           PHEWA HONORS 
                  COMMUNITY AND URBAN MINISTRIES 
 
 
FORT WORTH - The Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association 
(PHEWA) Monday honored one ecumenical ministry and two congregations for 
their achievements in community and urban ministries.   It also recognized 
one individual for his contributions to the denomination 
     The United Ministries of Greenville, S.C., won the 1999 Community 
Ministries and Neighborhood Organizations(COMANO) Award for their 
innovative approach to "changing neighborhoods one individual at a time." 
The Rev. Elizabeth Templeton, Executive Director of United Ministries, 
accepted the award saying, "This is the biggest external award we have ever 
received."     
     United Ministries, Templeton noted, has three components: "Survival, 
Stabilization, and Barrier Removal."  Survival programs deal with immediate 
needs such as obtaining food, heat, and medications.  Stabilization 
programs provide case management services for families moving into homes 
through the ministries' "Adopt-a-Home" program.  Barrier Removal programs 
assist with employment readiness, help homeless women, and provide adult 
education opportunities. "Everything we learned we have learned from our 
program participants," Templeton said.  "I encourage you to listen." 
      The Old First Presbyterian Church of San Francisco, Calif., and 
Betania Presbyterian Church of Phoenix, Ariz., jointly won the 1999 Urban 
Network of Congregational Leadership Award.  Old First was recognized for 
its "vast array of ministries to its community."  These include a weekly 
tutorial program for neighborhood children, a senior citizens program, a 
health and wholeness ministry, support for people living with AIDS, and a 
ministry with run away youth.   
     Old First has been committed to urban ministry throughout its 150 year 
history.  The Rev.  Tim Hart-Andersen, pastor, accepted the award.  "Yes, 
we are proud of our urban ministry, but I am most excited and proud of the 
congregation's worship life," he said, citing music, dance, the arts, and 
rhythms as key worship components.  "Our congregation is willing to be 
hospitable: gays, bi-sexual, transgendered all are welcome and our lives 
have been enriched by all of them," Hart-Anderson said. 
     Betania Presbyterian Church was honored for "welcoming those new to 
its community, who come from Mexico, Central and South America, into the 
church's fellowship."  Alicia Jacobo and Lupe Trujillo accepted the award 
for the congregation.  The congregation offers English as a second 
language, literacy and citizenship classes, a Parish Nurse program, youth 
programs, including a community children's choir, job training, food and 
clothing banks, and recreational classes for children and youth.  "We 
started our community center, which actually is the church, when we had 50 
to 70 members, Alicia Jacobo reported.  "We felt we had a responsibility 
for all these people coming to this country."  Now the church's membership 
is 120.  
     The Rev. Dr. C. Howard Wallace of Dubuque, Iowa, was honored by the 
Presbyterian Network on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse "for his pioneering 
efforts in the denomination's response" to alcohol and other drug abuse. 
One of the founding Board members of the Presbyterian Network on Alcohol 
and Other Drug Abuse, Wallace was instrumental in getting the denomination 
to adopt its current statement (1986) on alcohol and alcohol abuse. 
 
Peggy Rounseville 

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