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L-R, Don Myers, Scott White, Steven Hammond, Nancy Hammond; Back: Bill Payne Bob Lueck

Dear Friends and Colleagues

I'm very humbled to be installed moderator.  I was very moved by your laying on of hands with prayer at the end of the October presbytery meeting.  In my estimation our moderators and their ministries have been enormous gifts of God to the presbytery in recent years.  It will have to be through greater mercy, grace, and work of God that during my tenure the presbytery would advance, as it did in theirs.  I ask the good Lord to strengthen me for this service.

I bring you this good news: the annual PC(USA) Moderators Conference in Louisville that I attended last month was very well done.  I felt throughout that I was learning just what I needed to learn and the Spirit was definitely moving above and within this impressive group.  I am particularly thankful for our excellent GA Moderators, The Reverends Presa and Trinidad, and the Stated Clerk and various GA staff, who collaborated on presentations, workshops, and worship.  I brought a stack of materials home for continuing education.

For those who do not know me, here is my story in brief.  I was happily proceeding in my first career in Information Technology in Atlanta, GA, when matters of faith and church became of increasing importance, and a call was seen and heard.  In early 2000, after 13 years working in corporate America, I gave it all up cold-turkey to enroll at Columbia Theological Seminary, under the care of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.  Four years later with an M.Div and two years of pastoral internships, I entered the call process, and was blessed with all the "green lights" that there seemed to be for FPC/Escanaba and Mackinac Presbytery.  Nine years later I am still thankful, daily (really!), that I began at FPC/Escanaba and Mackinac Presbytery.  Partner in marriage Miriam has a strong music ministry.  

Rev. Scott White

We are proud parents of Elliot, Teresa, and Anthony-truly children of the church, and strong in faith, hope, love, and ministry.

If there is one thing I would say it is: you know, when the body is together God comes and blesses.  So, make every effort to attend and participate, as the Spirit leads, at Mackinac Presbytery meetings.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!

Scott White

Pat Megregian

Last night, it was really dark.  I live in the woods and even on a moonlit and starry night, it is dark, but last night there were black clouds in the sky, no moon or stars were visible.  You couldn't see the hand in front of your face.  I thought of the coyote, bobcat and cougar that are known to roam just past my fenced in yard and, with every sound I heard, I found myself moving more into the solitary light from my back porch.  I felt silly since I know the wild creatures in the woods are far more afraid of humans than I should be of them but I couldn't help my childhood fears of the dark get the best of me. 

I resonated with the scripture speaking of what the piercing light of God means to those lost in the deep darkness.  "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined." (Isaiah 9:2)

Advent is a time of deep darkness both in the time of year and in its emotional and spiritual sense.  It is a time of reflection on the past year, a time to look inside oneself to prepare for the light to enter our lives once again and shine itself upon us. 

Anthony de Mello, a Jesuit Brother, had been contemplating the darkness and why we are often unable to see what is happening around and to us even when it is right in front of our faces.  Read more;

Ken Visser

     At the Presbytery meeting on October 27, 2012 the moderator of Council, Steven Hammond indicated that Council leadership recognized that we were having some issues. His comments as posted on the Presbytery webpage as a document in preparation for the Presbytery meeting were as follows:  

The Council met with the Transitional Synod Executive, Raafat Zaki during the meeting who facilitated a discussion regarding roles, responsibilities and ways of working together during times of disagreement. There is work that remains to be done and the Council will be actively engaged during the next few months in:

• Adopting a guideline for Presbyterians during times of disagreement
• Creating an understanding of accountability within relationships and the pathways of accountability 
• Creating an informal "pastoral task force" that will work on healing and resolving current issues.

The moderators and General Presbyter had a conference call on October 15 to outline a plan. However, we have now heard from the Transitional Clerk of the Synod of the Covenant that the Synod has been asked to conduct an administrative review. That email is appended to this article.   

I was in contact with the Transitional Stated Clerk of the Synod. He indicated that the administrative team was meeting Sunday, December 2. I shared with him documents that I had, specifically summary notes of how the leadership team had intended to proceed. I talked with him on December 10. He thought someone from the team should have been in touch with me, but if not should be soon. His preliminary feedback is the team felt that they could work with us on our plan.   

However, in the meantime we have been asked not to proceed with our plan until after we've had more conversation with the administrative review team.  

Read more

Ruling elder and corporate attorney, noted for her non-anxious presence, intelligence, and humor, succumbs to cancer

by Emily Enders Odom
Communications Coordinator
Office of the General Assembly

When Bolbach was diagnosed with cancer in February 2012 following abdominal surgery, Parsons immediately called Presbyterians to prayer as she began treatment.

In an interview with PNS on June 26, during a break from her chemotherapy, Bolbach said, "I've been so uplifted by the outpouring of prayers by so many people. I'm astonished at how many people really care." She told PNS that she planned to mention her illness during her sermon during opening worship at the Assembly, where she preached on the same text referenced in her platform speech as candidate for moderator in 2010.

In a June 30 news story, General Assembly reporter Meg Flannagan wrote that Bolbach's focus from the text in 2010 was on the paralyzed man, suggesting that the PC(USA) was the paralyzed one suffering fatigue over constant battles, uncertainty and fear over the effective proclamation of the gospel in the 21st century.

"Two years later, I have a different focus and a different point of view," she said. "I do not believe the PC(USA) is paralyzed ... although we are light years removed from the 1950s during which denominationalism and church structure thrived, we are actively engaged and concerned with what God would have us do and be."

"At the heart of the gospel, at the heart of each community of faith that seeks to proclaim the gospel, is not structure or Form of Government. At the heart of the gospel lie disciples like these in Mark who are willing to take risks, willing to do whatever it takes to help others see Jesus. Not just [carry] those whom they like, but maybe even [carrying] those they don't know, those they don't like. Willing to go up to the roof, willing to cut a hole in it."

She continued, "Over the past two years, I have seen those disciples at work in every nook and cranny in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ... and over the past few months, I have felt those disciples.  Read more