From Presbyterian News Service:

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) today announced that Anna Kendig has been selected as the Robert W. Bohl Racial Ethnic Intern. Ms. Kendig was selected from a pool of candidates that emerged from a search process that began in early March. Ms. Kendig graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in May and will work with PPC in the coming weeks learning various aspects of religious publishing.

Marc Lewis, PPC President and Publisher, says, “We are proud of the Robert W. Bohl Racial Ethnic Internship and believe the internship provides racial ethnic seminary students and recent graduates with an opportunity to serve the church in a unique manner. We were impressed with the individuals who showed interest in the internship and believe that service to the church through work at PPC can be an excellent expression of an individual’s ministry. We are excited about Anna’s interest in publishing, her keen insights about worship and cultural communities, and her demonstrated commitment to the life and mission of the PC(USA).”

The ten-week internship was established in 1999 in honor of the Reverend Robert W. Bohl, Moderator of the 206th General Assembly in 1994 and former chair of the PPC Board of Directors. Bohl is a retired pastor who served several churches during his ministry, including Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. He served the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through his leadership on the boards of numerous organizations affiliated with the denomination.

Upon hearing news that PPC had selected an intern for 2009, Bohl commented, “One of the things that I am most proud of is my time serving on the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. It is my belief that the best way we attract bright people to consider religious publishing is to introduce them to hands-on experience in the world of publishing. The internship program does exactly that, and it pleases me that PPC has selected Anna Kendig as the intern for this summer.”

Ms. Kendig will spend much of her time working in the marketing and editorial departments of PPC. The denominational publisher will publish eighty titles by the end of the year and has recently launched The Presbyterian Leader, a new online resource center for all leaders of PC(USA) congregations.

Ms. Kendig says, “I am extremely pleased to be interning with PPC this summer. As a multiracial seminary graduate, I hope to be able to supply a unique perspective while at PPC; as someone new to the publishing world, I hope to learn much. Having benefited greatly from the publications of Westminster John Knox Press and The Thoughtful Christian, I am looking forward to using my training in theology, ministry and global society to contribute to the further blessing of the church through PPC’s important work.”

A Magna Cum Laude graduate from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, Ms. Kendig earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Spanish. While studying at St. Olaf College, she received the Spohn Memorial Award for Excellence from the English Department and became a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Ms. Kendig served as the pastoral intern at Second Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Illinois, where she preached, lead worship, and assisted in adult education. In addition, she was the worship assistant for special worship at McCormick Theological Seminary, planning and assembling worship teams. Prior to attending McCormick Theological Seminary, Ms. Kendig was a summer intern with Hispanic and Youth Ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Claremont, Minnesota, and a youth ministry coordinator at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis.

The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation is the official denominational publisher of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is a completely self-sustaining agency of the General Assembly. With a publishing heritage that dates back more than 170 years, PPC publishes under four imprints: Westminster John Knox Press, Geneva Press, The Thoughtful Christian, and The Presbyterian Leader. It publishes approximately 80 books each year, produces four issues each of These Days and Theology Today, and maintains a backlist of more than 1,700 titles that are sold throughout the world. These works seek to glorify God by contributing to the spiritual and intellectual vitality of Christ’s church. To that end, PPC publishes resources that advance religious scholarship, stimulate conversation about moral values and inspire faithful living.

From Phil Tom, the Associate in the Small Church and Community Ministry Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA):

The Presbyterian News Service published a story today about Rev. Robert Hattle, a tentmaker in Topeka, Kansas.  You can read the story about Rev Hattle at
http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09400.htm.

During the past few months, I have met tentmakers in Northern California, South Dakota, Iowa, South Carolina and other places across the United States.   In addition to doing a great job in ministering with their congregations, these tentmakers also serve as farmers, accountants, doctors, and ranchers. As the Rev. Marcia Clark Myers, director of the PC(USA)’s Office of Vocation says in the above article, tentmaking is not only a viable model of pastoral ministry, it is also becoming a model of choice for more clergy serving smaller membership churches.

Continue reading…

-From Byron Wade, the Vice Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA):

I know for myself I tend to worry a lot about the church – that is my particular congregation I serve. I think the saying is true that the church is a “jealous mistress.” Hardly a day goes by that I am not thinking about the hopes, failures, and dreams for this congregation. I worry about a lot of things – older congregants that statistically don’t have much longer to live; how to introduce others to Christ and bring them in to our community of faith, analyzing long-standing barriers to growth in ministry, etc. Always something to think about. However when it comes to the larger catholic church, I really believe that we have some real things to worry about, especially through the eyes of those who are newly trained and ordained into ministry. 
As mentioned before, I was at a Lilly-funded Pastoral Resident consultation which you can read here with pastoral residents from a variety of denominations. As one of thier assignments before the consultation each of them had the opportunity to answer three questions on reflections of ministry. The one question that was asked was “Name one thing that worries you about the church.” I took the liberty to quote directly from some participants that will give you some insight as to where their worries are:

“I worrry that the church can easily become self-absorbed and curved in on itself.”

“The church has to nurture its malleability and its ability to accomodate (instead of assimilate) new members . . . I do not mean that the church should reject its traditional practices (as those are also desired and needed) but be more willing to be a “both/and” instead of an “either/or” church.”

Continue reading…

Gordon Stewart, the pastor of Shepherd of the Hill in Chaska wrote this op-ed in the MinnPost, the an online newspaper.  Please note, that the views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

Empathy and law, life experience and the judge’s bench. Are they oil and water, or are they the necessary complements that make for a greater approximation of justice?

The question has been raised whether Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s experience and a sense of empathy will impair her ability to render judicial decisions based solely on the law. Those who insist on keeping her Latina experience out of judicial considerations learned well what law-school professors tell their first-year students to dampen any idealistic expectations: that the law is about the law, not about justice. 

Continue reading at MinnPost.