wfn.org | Moderator to tour Presbyterian mission sites in Northeast

[PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org]

Note #6453 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

14-March-2001
01095

Moderator to tour Presbyterian mission sites in Northeast

Trip will include visits to state prison and senior adult programs 

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - The Presbyterian Church (USA) is sending General Assembly
Moderator the Rev. Syngman Rhee "up the river" next month.

Rhee, who presided over last summer's 212th General Assembly in Long Beach,
CA, is scheduled to visit the infamous Sing Sing state correctional facility
in Ossining, NY, as part of a four-day tour focusing on Presbyterian mission
projects and programs in the Northeast region of the United States.

The April 2-5 trip marks the second year for the "Mission USA" program,
sponsored by the denomination's National Ministries Division (NMD), which
hopes to make the outing an annual part of the moderator's regular schedule.
The tour includes stops at mission sites in Rhode Island, New York and New
Jersey.

Mission USA is designed to allow the moderator to experience directly the
PC(USA)'s "rich heritage" and "wide ranging involvement in mission,
specifically mission within the United States," said the Rev. Curtis A.
Kearns Jr., director of NMD. He said the tour is also meant to help affirm
the denomination's support for those involved in "important and meaningful"
missions.

"Given the General Assembly Council's current emphasis on evangelism and
discipleship, it's important that the church become acquainted with the
depth and extraordinary dimensions of Christian discipleship practiced by
Presbyterians here in the United States," Kearns said.

Rhee's visit to Sing Sing prison, located along the Hudson River, about 35
miles north of New York City, will explore prison ministry programs at the
correctional facility where the much used phrase "sent up the river" was
first coined to describe a prison sentence. The Mission USA tour will also
feature visits to the Navy Chaplains' School in Newport, RI, and the parish
nursing program at First Presbyterian Church in Metuchen, NJ.

"This year's moderator's tour provides glimpses of the depth and broadness"
of Presbyterian mission work in the U.S., Kearns said, "by showing examples
of how the church responds to Christ's challenge to feed the hungry, satisfy
the thirsty, clothe the naked, take care of the sick and visit the
imprisoned."

Also planned is a visit to a community reinvestment project in New York City
related to the church's Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI)
program, as well as stops at various senior adult programs supported by
Jarvie Commonweal Service's Grants to Organizations program. Rhee is also
scheduled to visit the Justice Works Community of Brooklyn, NY, and campus
ministry programs at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

Traveling with Rhee will be Vice Moderator Rebecca McElroy, Kearns and other
representatives of the General Assembly Council staff. Last year's Mission
USA program focused on the Pacific Northwest with stops in Alaska,
Washington, Idaho and California.

"In a day and time when the church often indicts itself by spending time and
energy on divisive issues," Kearns said, "it's good to be able to illustrate
through activities, like the moderator's tour of Presbyterian Mission USA,
that an infinitely greater amount of time and energy is invested in mission
programs that live out the Christian mandate to 'do justice, love kindness
and walk humbly with our God.'"

_______________________________________________
pcusaNews mailing list
pcusaNews@pcusa.org

To unsubscribe, go to this web address:
http://pcusa01.pcusa.org/mailman/listinfo/pcusanews