Passage to Ponder -   Philippians 1:27-30 

by Rev. Kevin Bowers, Bethany Presbyterian Church Lafayette

Rev. Kevin Bowers at a penguin colony in Simon Town, South Africa

It is imperative that as we seek God's will for our lives that we do so in partnership or conversation with others attempting to do the same but from a different theological perspective.  When we think about the dark days of Christianity, those days for which the church has to apologize, we often think in terms of events that happened well before our life time; the crusades, or defense of slavery.  Apartheid resulted in horrifying offenses against humanity and this is not ancient history.  Apartheid ended officially in 1990 but was not really put to an end until 1994 and the effects of it still linger today.  The especially horrifying component of apartheid is that it grew out of, was fostered by, and defended by Christians, fellow sisters and brothers who are a part of our Reformed heritage.  It was said that the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa was Parliament in prayer.  If the only voices to which we listen are those expressing the same theological conclusions we have drawn then we are on a slippery slope that can lead to devastating consequences.  We may never agree but it is imperative that we are in serious dialogue with those of differing theological opinions in an attempt to defend against straying so far from God's will that injustice is done. 

We must be willing to forgive and to be reconciled to one another.  Apartheid was not only perpetrated by the church it was resisted and defeated by the church.  When apartheid ended there were people of theological traditions that opposed apartheid, and were the sworn enemies of those theological traditions that championed apartheid, that were all of a sudden faced with the challenge of how to be reconciled with their Christian sisters and brothers that for generations they considered to be enemies.   It is only because people in the church were willing to ask for and grant forgiveness that South Africa is so far along its way to being well healed today. 

The church must not cease to lift up the Biblical mandate to share the resources God has entrusted to our stewardship.  South Africa is a country of extreme wealth and extreme poverty; it is the best of the first world with the worst of the third world on top of it.  Approximately one quarter of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day.  When I shared this observation with someone upon my return she asked "Why can't those people in that country learn to share?"  "Why can't people in our country learn to share?" was my response.  As citizens of the Kingdom of God we must continue to lift up and model for the powers and principalities of our earthly context what it means to be good stewards.  
 
Finally we have been working in this Presbytery toward becoming a Missional Church.  Visiting the J.L. Zwane Memorial Presbyterian Church in the township of Gugeletu, Cape Town I saw an example of what it means to be a Missional Church.  The pastor of that congregation shared with our group stories of their work within their community to fight the effects of poverty and HIV.  They are truly making a difference in that township.  He shared that when that congregation baptizes a child, a frequent occurrence in this community of faith, and takes a vow to raise that child in the faith that the vow extends beyond spirituality.  There are so many children orphaned by HIV each year that the likelihood is considerable that the congregation may need to take on the task of literally raising that child.  Would that we all had such a sense when we took this vow. 

If you are interested in learning more about this trip please check out the blog I composed while there.   http://pkponder.blogspot.com/

Photos provided by Kevin Bowers.

Thank you for your ministry and your service...

• January 31, 1970 - Rev. Michael Dunkelberger, Honorably Retired
• February 1, 2009 - Rev. Jean Sparks, Pastor First Presbyterian Church Plymouth
• February 5, 1984 - Rev. William Hudson, Pastor First Presbyterian Church Merrillville

If you have been omitted or your information is incorrect please accept my apology. Help to update your records by sending your current information to vicki@ourpresbytery.org.   

NOTES FROM THE STATED CLERK

Linda L. Long

Parity between ruling elders and teaching elders is one of the foundational principles of being Presbyterian. Each year we review the balance between active teaching elders and ruling elder commissioners elected by session to the Assembly.

On paper, we have balance. Although we have approximately 132 teaching elders on presbytery rolls, typically there are 60 +/- teaching elders attending Assembly. With 87 congregations plus ruling elders serving in elected positions of presbytery, it is reasonable to expect parity. But the reality is that many congregations don't elect a ruling elder commissioner, so our actual attendance often reflects an imbalance, with more teaching elders present than ruling elders - sometimes 2:1.

This year, will your session elect a ruling elder commissioner to attend Assembly and engage with people from other congregations? If you notify the presbytery office of your congregation's elder commissioner, we can make sure they receive information about all Assembly gatherings.

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If you haven't already done so, Clerks should be gathering information for the Annual Statistical Report. The Office of General Assembly collects this data online for presbyteries to use in planning and accountability. Clerks also answer the Annual Clerk's Questionnaire to tell about aspects of worship, ministry and missions. Both are found at http://oga.pcusa.org/section/departments/communication-development-and-technology/stats/   Call Gladys at 574-223-5678 if you need help with access or details. The sooner, the better-deadline for your entry is February 20th-but enter your data earlier to avoid slowdowns.

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Clerks' Conversations and records review dates and places: 

• April 13th at The Presbyterian Church, Wabash, 9:30 am Eastern Time
• April 20th at Central Presbyterian Church, Lafayette, 9:30 am Eastern Time
• May 4th at Immanuel, Schererville, 9:30 am Central Time

Board University's Tax Tips Web Module for active and retired teaching elders, as well as churches, is now available. The module is prerecorded, so you can access it 24/7 and as often as you like.

Featuring Board of Pensions Education Specialists Raymond Bonwell and Rod Sewell, this educational Web module is designed to help you understand 

• recent tax law changes that affect how 2012 income is reported for tax purposes;
• income exclusions with housing allowances;
• ways church treasurers and business administrators can protect the tax-free status of life insurance payouts; and
• the increased contribution limits for 2013 for 403(b)(9) retirement savings plans. 

So check out the Tax Tips Web Module  to get a jump start on your taxes!