wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Black caucus meeting examines justice, spirituality

[Deeanna Alford <dalford@CTR.PCUSA.ORG>]

 03277
July 2, 2003

Black caucus meeting examines justice, spirituality and African connection

Participants urged to help church partners slow spread of AIDS

by Evan Silverstein

BALTIMORE, MD - Over the years the Rev. Doris Glaspy has attended many
annual conventions of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus and realizes
just how far both the event and the organization have come.

"The conference really, really has improved over the years and I like the
direction that we're going in," said Glaspy, pastor of Roseville
Presbyterian Church, a 190-member African-American congregation in Newark,
NJ.

Glaspy was recently among 700 African-American Presbyterians from across
the country - ranging from young to elderly - that turned out for the
association's 36th annual convention here, June 25-29.

NBPC revelers, some clad in traditional African robes and crowns, were
treated to a steady lineup of noted speakers, diverse workshops and
spirited worship sessions, while celebrating their common faith in Christ
and the unique contributions of African-American ministry in the
Presbyterian Church (USA).

"I think the Rev. Curtis Jones (as caucus president) has done an excellent
job along with others around him who see the need to move this caucus in a
new direction," Glaspy said. "It's a focus on, I won't say the plight of
the black church, but I'll say the needs of the black church."

The convention focused on African-American church growth, the NBPC's
historic traditions of devotion to racial and social justice, and
re-affirming the group's mission connection to Africa and its commitment to
helping ease the spread of AIDS there.

Many attending echoed Glaspy in commending Jones and other recent caucus
leaders for their strong guidance, crediting them with transforming the
convention from a gathering in search of meaning into a driving and
visionary force for the ministry of African-Americans.

"It makes black churches feel a part of the Presbyterian Church," Glaspy
said when asked about the conference. "To say to the larger church that
we're here and we certainly want to make an impact on the ministry of
Christ where we find ourselves."

Under Jones the NBPC, which is one of five racial-ethnic caucuses
affiliated with the PC(USA), has flourished into an association of about
800 African-American Presbyterians.

Membership had stalled at about 300 before Jones became the group's
unpaid, part-time president and director about two years ago. He recently
was appointed the first full-time, paid executive director of the NBPC.

"I want to say how blessed I think the whole church feels about the
tremendous ministry of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus," the Rev.
Clifton Kirkpatrick, the PC(USA) stated clerk, told the convention. "Let me
simply say on behalf of the General Assembly, a word of appreciation to
you. I do sense that every one of you (has) shared a real sense of renewal
of this caucus and its ministry."

Kirkpatrick said it "touched my heart" when he learned that half of all
convention-goers were young Presbyterians ranging between the ages of about
13 to 18 years old.

 "If every caucus and every interest group in this church would find that
kind of model," Kirkpatrick said, "what a blessing it would be and what a
turn around it would be" to the denomination's ongoing trend of declining
membership figures.

Organizers called the youth component of the convention vital to the
future of the caucus and said they work to include new programming each
year to attract additional young people.

Anthony Harley, a 15-year-old member of St. James Presbyterian Church in
Charleston, SC, didn't hesitate in explaining why he returned this year for
his second NPBC convention, held in a downtown hotel and the Baltimore
Convention Center.

"To me, I like the church services," he said. "I think they're good. I
like meeting new people. It's just a really good conference. It's nice to
come back every year and expect the best."

The Rev. Gayraud S. Wilmore, a founding NBPC member, retired professor,
author and civil rights leader, celebrated what he acknowledged as positive
developments within the caucus, but challenged the group to go even
further.

"We are not as active as we ought to be on the political, economic and
social frontier," Wilmore said in his presentation titled, Pragmatic
Spirituality. "To be as active as we were 12, 15, 20 years ago we may need
to be more spiritual and indeed we ought to be."

Jones, who announced in February that he was stepping down as pastor of
the 250-member Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Baltimore to become
caucus executive director, said of the conference: "I think it has gone
well. I think there are wonderful examples (of networking) and sharing
that's taking place. I think we have some major hurdles in front of us, but
nothing we can't handle."

To help bolster membership and outreach, Jones pointed out that a
challenge had been issued to all black Presbyterian churches during the
convention to encourage at least 10 percent of their members to join the
caucus.

The Rev. Jerry Cannon, pastor of CN Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church
in Charlotte, NC, was elected to succeed Jones as the association's
president.

Cannon's congregation was one of 40 PC(USA)-related African-American
churches noted during the event for having already increased membership by
at least 10 percent over the past year, an accomplishment hailed as
impressive at a time when the PC(USA) is losing members at an alarming
rate.

 "One of the things we want to continue to do is promote healthy
congregations and church growth," Cannon said. "Continuing to look at
leadership training development and the mission component of the church is
very key" especially the PC(USA)'s home-based care programs for assisting
AIDS victims in Africa.

The NBPC has been active in the PC(USA)'s recent campaign of partnering
with churches in Africa to support home-based care programs and other AIDS
assistance to address the disease that has infected up to 25 percent of the
population in certain pockets of sub-Saharan Africa.

This year's conference theme, For Such A Time As This (Esther 4:14),
underscored the immediacy for action and justice in helping those inflicted
or dying in Africa, the world's most AIDS-ridden continent.

"In Africa I don't know any family who is not affected by AIDS," said the
Rev. Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed
Churches, who was a plenary speaker. "Every single family is affected,
whether extended or the nuclear family. Many children become orphans. There
are a number of caregivers today who are only in their teens because their
parents are gone."

Overall, 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS around the world. More
than 20 million others have died. Fourteen million children have been
orphaned so far. About 800,000 infants are infected each year.

According to program presenters, Presbyterians can be part of the solution
in fighting the pandemic through education, advocacy, leadership,
fund-raising and support of the denomination's partner churches.

"It's going to take Christian leadership in Africa and the United States,"
said Dorothy Brewster-Lee, a physician who coordinates the Presbyterian
International Health Ministries Office. "So what's the challenge to the
United States and the cost to America? It's discipleship and stewardship."

During a power point presentation, Brewster-Lee promoted partnerships
among churches and between the Christian community and the private sector,
governments and other institutions.

She also outlined prevention, home-based care and orphan care, discussed
how poverty fuels the pandemic, and told NBPC members to "do the right
thing" by getting involved in the fight against AIDS.

In a first step toward re-affirming the NBPC's mission connection with
Africa, two members - the Rev. Otis Smith, of Northeast Georgia Presbytery,
and Elder Libby Brown, of the Greater Atlanta Presbytery - visited Malawi
about two weeks ago to hand-deliver the first AIDS home-care kits to a
PC(USA) mission partner there, the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian.

"Based on the critical crisis that we're enduring in Africa, we're
certainly facing one of the most serious pandemics ever," said Brown, who
addressed the convention about her trip. "The infrastructure (in Africa) is
not prepared to handle the burden of the disease. Persons in the home are
not equipped to handle it."

Brewster-Lee said one of the big needs is money for research and
prevention programs. She urged that faith-based groups, such as the
PC(USA), and the richest nations, such as the United States, should provide
much of the support.

She noted, however, that the United States ranks near the bottom in terms
of financial contributions to the battles against HIV/AIDS and other
medical scourges of the poor, such as malaria and tuberculosis.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to
pcusanews-subscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org or
pcusanews-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org

To contact the owner of the list, please send an email to
pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org