wfn.org | General Assembly Backgrounder: The Year with Education

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11-May-1998 
98171 
 
    General Assembly Backgrounder: 
    The Year with Education 
 
    by Alexa Smith 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Educating Presbyterians about the depth and breadth of the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s educational ministry is the thrust of the 
"Year with Education." 
 
    The third in a series of celebrations of different aspects of 
Presbyterian mission, the "Year with Education" is organizing to "focus on 
how Presbyterians can give more energy, intelligence, imagination and love 
to the mission of education, nurturing the community of faith and serving 
the public good," as the mission statement adopted by its planning team 
spells out. 
 
    It has a five-pronged focus: 
 
      * Christian education, celebrating the work in congregations, church 
        camp and conference centers and other church-related organizations 
      * global education, noting the 417 PC(USA)-related educational 
        institutions in 80 countries and the high percentage of mission 
        personnel engaged in education work 
      * public education, focusing on the challenges in contemporary public 
        schools 
      * higher education, looking at the church's mission with 67 
        denominationally related colleges and universities, as well as nine 
        racial/ethnic schools 
      * theological education, emphasizing the work of 11 PC(USA)-related 
        theological schools. 
 
    The Rev. Duncan Ferguson, coordinator for the Office of Higher 
Education and staff to the planning team, said the "Year with Education" is 
"an integrated part of the church's mission.  Wherever they are located - 
Africa or Latin America, Asia or North America - Presbyterians have been 
setting up educational mission," Ferguson said. 
 
    The idea to celebrate education as one of the distinguishing marks of 
the Reformed faith tradition came out of a 1994 General Assembly mandate. 
It was contained within "On Being Faithful," the denomination's report on 
higher education.  The celebration runs through June 1999. 
 
    The "Year with Education" Resource Guide suggests marking the year in a 
variety of ways, including becoming partnered with churches in other 
countries and sharing correspondence among children and youth; inviting 
international students from nearby seminaries to speak, preach and worship 
in local congregations; honoring congregation members who are public school 
teachers; and establishing scholarship programs for needy students through 
middle governing bodies. 
 
    "We want this to be a grassroots event," Ferguson told the Presbyterian 
News Service,  "and it has caught on out there ... [with] lots of 
congregations, middle governing bodies and groups, like the Association of 
Presbyterian Church Educators [APCE]. 
 
    "It's our job," he said of the planning team, "to [provide] resources." 
 
    Liturgical aids, a Bible study ("Jesus as Teacher" by Sara Covin 
Juengst), an Extra Commitment Opportunity guide and other materials are 
available.  A "Year with Education" Conference, "Signs of the Times," will 
be held July 19-24 at the Montreat (N.C.) Conference Center. 
 
    Elizabeth Andrews of Atlanta, Ga., and David Wasserman of Dallas, 
Texas, are the moderator and co-moderator of the "Year with Education." 

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