wfn.org | Partners in Mission Awards Given

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20-June-1997 
GA97121 
 
                     Partners in Mission Awards Given 
 
                           by  Midge Mack 
 
SYRACUSE--  For the third year the General Assembly Council staged a major 
celebration to   honor individuals, congregations and governing bodies in 
ten denominational program areas for their achievements in becoming 
"Partners In Mission For Christ."  The ceremony took place in two parts 
Thursday and Friday and included a musical presentation by the Glenn Draper 
Singers from Chattanooga, Tenn. 
 
   The awards in summary: 
 
* COMMITMENT TO PEACEMAKING AWARDS, stained glass doves, were presented to 
Ted Tate and Carol Drew of the Presbytery of Northern New York which joins 
61 others with 50% of their congregations participating in the commitment. 
Joan Runeyon and Larry Vilardo of the Presbytery of the Redwoods received 
doves for their presbytery's achievement of 75% of its congregations 
participating. Only six other presbyteries share this elite honor. 
Presentations were made by Gary Payton and Cathy Young of the national 
staff. 
 
* AN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION was given for the first 
time. It was presented to Dr. Robert Wood Lynn, scholar-in-residence at 
Bangor Theological Seminary, Portland, Me. by Dr. Douglas Oldenburg, 
president of Columbia Theological Seminary, recognizing Lynn's career of 
thoughtful reflection and service to educational institutions related to 
churches. 
 
* A THEOLOGICAL FUND AWARD was presented by Barbara Welsh of the Committee 
on Theological Education to Cimarron Presbytery for 100% participation of 
its 16 churches in the fund, known as the TEF 1% Plan. During 1996 2200 
congregations contributed to the fund. 
 
* SAM & HELEN WALTON FUND GRANTS went to seven new congregations whose 
mission plan is aimed toward the unchurched, promotes the Great Ends of the 
Church, and emphasizes favorable site acquisition. These were presented by 
The Rev. Douglas Wilson of the National Ministries Division to: Betty 
Meadows for The Church of the Hills, Duluth, Ga.; The Rev. Felipe Joto for 
Iglesia Presbiteriana Sion, San Sebastian, P.R.; Ken Oxendorf for Korean 
Presbyterian Church of Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, Fla.; The Rev. 
Bryan Mickle for North Lakeland Presbyterian Church, Lakeland, Fla.; John 
Handley for Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church, Oak Ridge, N.C.; Dale DePue for 
Santa Fe NCD, Edmond, Okla., and Linda Culvertson for South Bay 
Presbyterian Church, Torrance, Calif. 
 
* WASHINGTON OFFICE 50TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS were presented by Director 
Elenora Giddings-Ivory to Baltimore Presbytery's Public Policy Adovacacy 
Team, 15 persons who for six years have made monthly visits to the 
Washington Office for briefing on issues and advocacy visits to 
congresspeople. A second award went to the Rev. Robert H. White, Jr., 
executive of the Synod of the Northeast for his development of synod 
advocacy seminars and Washington Office seminars in the synods of 
Mid-America, Lakes and Prairies, The Sun, Lincoln Trails and the Synod of 
the Northeast. 
 
* MISSION SUPPORT AWARDS were presented by David McDonald of the National 
Missions Division to presbyteries giving the most and/or most per capita in 
several categories as follows: BASIC MISSION SUPPORT - Donegal for $526,576 
with $21.35 per member; CHURCHWIDE SPECIAL OFFERINGS - National Capital for 
$366,973 and Alaska with $13.38 per member; OTHER SPECIAL APPEALS - 
National Capital  for $218,037, and Southern Kansas with $8.45 per member. 
The two presbyteries whose members provided the highest number of dollars 
and most dollars per member to all categories were  Philadelphia 
$1,097,835, and Donegal, $38.15.  Women of Pittsburgh Presbytery topped the 
rest with $164,935, and Eastern Oregon had the high per member record, 
$5.78 in Women's Giving. 
 
* 25 NEW CHURCH DEVELOPMENTS came into being during 1996. The Rev. Curtis 
Kearns, director of the National Missions Division presented each a 
certificate bearing the first verse of Psalm 177 - "Unless the Lord builds 
the house, those who build it labor in vain."  This is the seventh year for 
NCD awards and they were given to: 
 
    Celebration Presbyterian Church, Redmond, Wash.; Spirit of Life 
Presbyterian Church, Apple Valley Minn.; New Hope Presbyterian Church, St. 
Charles, Mo.; Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church of Princess Anne, Virginia 
Beach, Va.; Central Valley/Highland Mills New Church Development, Central 
Valley, N.Y.; Cooper Mountain Presbyterian Fellowship, Beaverton, Oreg.; 
Community Presbyterian Church, Federal Way, Wash.; Southern Korean 
Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Lisle, Ill.; Eastfield Presbyterian Church, 
Easton, Mass.; Good Shepherd, Easton, Mass.; 
 
   Also Nashua Presbyterian Church, Nashua, N.H.; Presbyterian Church of 
Jackson Hole, Jackson, Wyo.; Providence Presbyterian Church, Greenville, 
S.C.; Palms Korean Presbyterian Church, Twenty Nine Palms, Calif.; Upland 
Taiwan Presbyterian Church, Upland, Calif.; United Church of Angel Fire, 
Angel Fire, N.M.; Santa Fe, Presbyterian Church, Edmond, Okla.; Trinity 
Church PCUSA, Houston, Tex.; Podowon, Presbyterian Chukrch, Drexel Hill, 
Penn.; Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Tarpon Springs, Fla.; Shalom 
Presbyterian Church, Los Alamos, Calif.; Taiwanese American Presbyterian 
Church of Ventura County, Camarillo, Calif.; Woodlands Presbyterian Church, 
Hot Springs Village, Ark.; Trinity Presbyterian Church, College Station, 
Tex.; The Anchor Presbyterian Church, Penns Park, Penn. 
 
 
* THE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AWARD was presented by Sandra Hawley of the 
General Assembly Council to John B. Nisbet, III of Cookeville, Tenn., 
assistant district attorney general in the 13th Judicial District of the 
State of Tennessee for outstanding work serving families, youth, elders, 
institutions, congregations, governing bodies related to the criminal 
justice system. 
 
* HIGHER EDUCATION AWARDS went to Dr. Oscar Remick, chancellor and 
president of Westminster College, New Wilmington, Penn., and to Dr. Donald 
W. Shriver, Jr., president emeritus and professor of Applied Christianity 
at Union Theological Seminary, New York, N.Y.  Since 1988 the Assembly has 
honored individuals who have rendered distinguished service in higher 
education. In addition, Dr. F. Dale Bruner, professor of Christian Theology 
at Whitworth College, Spokane, Wash., the Rev. Lawrence E. Doerr, campus 
minister at the University of Nebraskda, Lincoln, Nebr., Dr. Evelyn Bonner, 
head librarian at Sheldon Jackson College, Sitka, Alas., and Dr. Isabel W. 
Rogers, professor of Applied Christianity at PSCE, Richmond, Va. 
 
* ECUMENICAL SERVICE AWARDS for the past 18 years are given to honor 
ecumenical involvement. This year's recipients are the East Liberty 
Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Penn., the Synod of Lincoln Trails, and 
the Cristo de Valle Presbyterian Church and the South Albuquerque 
Cooperative Ministry. Plaques were presented by Eugene McKelvey of the 
General Assembly Council. 
 
* PHEWA MINISTRY AWARDS recognizes ministries that are models for others, 
reflecting the denomination's commitment to serve "the least of these." 
Awards were presented to Eliot Presbyterian Church, Lowell, Mass., Calvin 
Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Penn., and the Martinez House of 
Neighborly Services, Albuquerque, N.M. by the Rev. Tim Hart-Anderson of the 
National Ministries Division. 

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