VOLUME 12, NUMBER 2 ~ JULY, 2013 PUBLISHED BY PRESBYTERY OF THE JAMES ~ 3218 CHAMBERLAYNE AVE., RICHMOND, VA 23227

the Nonprofit Organization

US Postage

P A I D

Permit # 911

Richmond, VA 23232

Camp Hanover’s Incredible International Adventurers

On the Inside Presbytery in Review ............................................ 2 St. Andrews celebrates 25..................................... 3 Richmond First publishes 200 yr. history ............... 4 Chuck Harvill new president of IADC ..................... 4 Seminary Day ....................................................... 5 Tower of Hope ...................................................... 6 Office Park Funding............................................... 7 POJ Youth Council ................................................ 8

Campus Bookstore opens at Union Seminary, Richmond

T he new campus bookstore serves as an academic bookstore for Union Presby-

terian Seminary, Virginia Union University and Baptist Theological Seminary. Located at 1101 Melrose Ave, (in the back of Richmond Hall), the hours are Tuesday-Thursday, 12 pm-5 pm. Friday, 12 pm– 6 pm. Saturday, 12 pm—4 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. The store also provides books, church sup-plies, and resources for local churches and clergy and carries bibles, general books. Fair trade items and other gifts. The store will provide services in-cluding special book orders as well as custom cler-gy and choir apparel. The store is managed by Anne McGinnis: 804-353-6815. amcginnis@upsem.edu.

POJ packed meals shipped to Haiti

S top Hunger Now is delighted to an-nounce that the meals packed at the

Presbytery meeting held at Salisbury Presbyteri-an Church on June 18, 2012 have been shipped in a container totaling 285,120 meals from the Richmond warehouse. The meals will be received by our in-country partner “Salesian Missions” in Haiti. The meals will support the holistic work of Salesian Mis-sions in Haiti. The Salesian work “Lakay/Lakou” is a three step program in Cite Soleil, Haiti, to socially and economically rehabilitate street chil-dren. Cite Soleil is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Haiti, and armed gangs are in control of most of the area behind the Salesian complex.

(See Stop Hunger Now, page 5)

By Doug Walters

E ach summer, Camp Hanover hosts a handful of international staff who serve

as counselors and activity leaders during summer camp. This year, six young adventurers have jour-neyed from Bolivia, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England to be a part of the summer camp team. They’ve endured the hot Vir-ginia sun and thunderous rain-storms to live, play and wor-ship in God’s creation, sharing their culture with our camp-ers. Jamie Taggart, Counselor, Northern Ireland I live in a small rural town in Northern Ireland with my mother, father and two broth-ers. I recently graduated from the University of Ulster with a BA (Honors) Degree in Business and Marketing. However, upon graduation, I came to the realization I wanted to pursue a ca-reer working with children and young people.

Working as a camp counselor will offer me a challenge, a new opportunity and the experience I am looking for. When I first arrived at Camp Hanover, I real-ized how friendly and accepting the staff are. Every person I met and talked to were genuine and keen to develop a relationship with me. I have been humbled by the sense of community within camp and honored to be a part of it. I have been living and training at Camp Hano-ver for two weeks now, and I can honestly say I have learned a lot and have experienced many “firsts.” During Staff Orientation, I went on my

Jamie Taggart

first canoe trip, and took my first ride down the Mudslide. I also obtained qualifications in First Aid, CPR and usage of an AED (automated electronic defibrillator). I believe the knowledge and training I have acquired has prepared me greatly for my role as a camp counselor. I still have a lot to learn in all aspects of camp life from both campers and the other staff members. With help from God, I hope I make a difference and provide an ex-perience to remember in the campers under my care this summer. Chloe Blackburn, Counselor, Scotland I’m thrilled to be working as a counselor at Camp Hanover this summer! I am from a wee town in the center of Scotland called Falkirk. I have just finished my first year at Edinburgh Univer-

(See Incredible Adventurers on page 7)

Chloe Blackburn

2 JULY, 2013

Published by Presbytery of the James

3218 Chamberlayne Ave., Richmond, VA 23277 ~ 804-262-2074 Editorial Rights Reserved. Submissions, corrections, letters or requests for additional

Copies should be sent to: Clifton Edwards, Editor Presbytery of the James, 3218 Chamberlayne Ave., Richmond, VA 23227.

LY, 2013

JULY, 2013

JULY, 2013

JULY, 2013

Blackstone Conference CenterBlackstone Conference Center

PRESBYTERY OF THE JAMES

Over 277 attend the Stated Meeting held at Blackstone Conference Center on June 18, 2013.

The Presbytery of the James held its 84th Stated Meeting on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, at Blackstone Conference and Retreat Center, Blackstone, VA. The meeting was hosted by SPIM (Southside Pres-byterians in Ministry), a group of small congrega-tions in the south side of the presbytery. The meeting was well attended and the “Southside” hospitality was marvelous. It demonstrated how congregations can host the presbytery meeting even if they do not have adequate space in their own building We welcomed new ministers to the presbytery: Rev. Jason Cashing, from Western New York Presbytery as pastor of the Gregory Memorial Church Rev. Arnold Lovell, from Salem Presbytery, to serve as Interim Pastor at River Road Church. Rev. Bobby Hulme-Lippert, from Greater At-lanta Presbytery, serving as pastor of the Grace Covenant Church. Rev. Syngman Rhee from Atlantic Korean American Presbytery, serving as pastor of Freder-icksburg Presbyterian Korean Church. We examined four inquirers who were approved to become Candidates to become Teaching Elders in the PCUSA: Kevin White, Three Chopt Church Michael Weiglein, Meadows Church Douglas Friesema, First Church, Charlottesville Sarah Dennis, The Presbyterian Church, Fred- ericksburg

We examined and approved for ordination Michael Clang, Brandermill Church who will be Assistant Pastor, St. Croix Reformed Church, Virgin Islands. We examined and commissioned Shauna McCranie as Commissioned Ruling El- der for the Wesley Church, Weems, VA. Attendance:

106 of 196 Teaching Elders attended: 117 of 196 Ruling Elders attended: 94 of 112 congregations represented:

In addition, the following actions were taken by the presbytery: 1. Approved the February, 2013, Presbytery

minutes. 2. Elected Rev. Jane Govan to the Committee on

Preparation for Ministry, Class of 2013. 3. Learned that Ruling Elder Jack Corley will be

nominated in October as the 2014 Presbytery Moderator.

4. Approved several ministers to become Mem-

bers at Large: Rev. Louis Williams (4/4/13); Rev. Andy Meyers (5/1/13); Rev. Nancy Sum-merlin (3/1/13); and Rev. Beverly Bullock, (4/1/13)

5. Honorably retired the Rev. Nancy Essig, Feb-ruary 16, 2013

6. Changed the powers of the Administrative Commission for New Hanover Church to as-sist in the strategy for the mission of New Hanover Church. The congregation has elect-ed and installed a new Session.

7. Approved a waiver for the Thyne Memorial Church concerning the rotation of Elders on the Church Session.

8. Approved the Fredericksburg Church selling bonds and establishing a line of credit of up to $500,000.

9. Approved the Tappahannock Church to bor-row $450,000 from the Presbyterian Loan and Investment Program at 3.5% interest for 20 years.

10. Approved for the Tappahannock Church a grant of $300,000 and a loan of up to $50,000 at 2% interest maturing seven years after dedication of the new church building.

11. Learned of the work of the new Stewardship Purpose Group and the Christian Educator Purpose Group.

12. Received counsel from the New Church De-velopment Purpose Group concerning need for a Presbyterian witness in light of some congregations desiring to be dismissed from the PCUSA.

13. Approved changes in terms of call for 2013 for ministers, annual reports from Validated Ministers, Members at Large, and Certified Educators.

14. Voted to recognize ECO (Evangelical Cove-nant Order of Presbyterians) as a Reformed denomination.

15. Validated the position of Director of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light.

16. Approved an Administrative Commission for the Crestwood Church which is seeking dis-missal. Powers of the Commission include G-3.03 (powers of the presbytery); and empow-ered to communicate official positions of the PCUSA regarding the reasons raised for dis-missal before the first congregational meeting.

17. Approved the following persons to serve on the Crestwood AC: Ruling Elders Tom Ed-monds (Second, Richmond); Mark Siegel (Bon Air); Kenna Payne (Westminster, Richmond);

Webb Moore (Second, Richmond). Teaching Elders: Brint Keyes, Member at Large; Janet Winslow, Bon Air; Janet James, Gayton Kirk.

18. Increased the Minimum Compensation Crite-ria for 2014 or continuing education from $850 to $1,000.

19. Elected Ruling Elder John Garrett to the Third Church Administrative Commission to replace Ruling Elder Marilyn Johns, who resigned.

20. Empowered the Moderator to appoint a three person team to conduct an administrative re-view of the work of the Third Church Adminis-trative Commission.

21. Approved the dismissal of the St. Giles Church to the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presby-terians and the settlement agreement pro-posed by the St Giles Administrative Commis-sion: a. St. Giles will pay a cash payment of

$250,000 to the Presbytery within three days after the Presbytery approves this agreement. (The next Presbytery Meeting is June 18, 2013. If this recommendation is approved there, the payment would have to be made before the close of business on June 21, 2013.) Upon receipt of this cash payment and fulfillment of the re-maining terms of this agreement, St. Giles will be provided a quitclaim deed to the property located at 5200 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226 and will be consid-ered dismissed to the ECO when the POJ receives a letter from the ECO accepting St. Giles. A formal letter indicating the vote of the Presbytery will be forwarded to the ECO within 30 days.

b. A service of dismissal shall be held mark-

(See Presbytery in Review on page 6)

P R E S B Y T E R Y I N R E V I E W

3 JULY, 2013

The six persons in the front are newly ordained and installed Deacons in the Fredericksburg Presbyterian Korean Church. Looking on are Rev. Carson Rhyne, General Presbyter and Stated Clerk of the Presbytery, Rev. Syngman Rhee, Temporary Pastor of the Church; and Elder Larry Moffett, Moderator of the Committee on Ministry along with two elders in the church.

I n 1988, the Rev. Tom Coye was serving a church in North Carolina when he be-

came interested in a New Church Development on “the Northern Neck” of Virginia. At first he thought the church would be located somewhere in Northern Virginia. He soon learned that the church would be built on a five-acre corn field in rural Lancaster County, on a peninsula of land that lies between the Potomac and Rappahan-nock Rivers, off Chesapeake Bay.

Beginning in 1984, a small group of local Presbyterians had been talking about—and tak-ing action on—forming a new Presbyterian church on the Northern Neck. At the time, there were three: Milden in Sharps (1888), Campbell Memorial in Weems (1889), and Wesley in Weems (1922). Under the pastoral leadership of the Revs. Balmer Kelly and John Lown, worship services were held, first in a parishioner’s living room, then at Wicomico United Methodist Church, and later in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Kilmarnock.

As time passed, demographic studies con-firmed that a Kilmarnock location would be best for the new church, the thinking being that even-tually people had to come into town to shop, and they would see the church. The Presbytery of the James purchased a parcel of land at 435 East Church Street in Kilmarnock. The Rev. Neal McCarter was called as Organizing Pastor. For a brief period following Neal McCarter’s time, the Rev. Nat Kirkland served as Interim Pastor. Then, on Pentecost Sunday, 1988, 62 charter members were present as St. Andrews Presbyterian Church was established. Shortly after, in July 1988, Tom Coye was installed as St. Andrews’ first—and so far, only—Pastor. At its 25th anniversary worship service on May 19, 2013, St. Andrews had 237 active Members. Over its 25-year history, St. Andrews has brought in 431 Members.

Within its first year after chartering, St. An-drews had set up a modular building on the corn field and was worshiping there. A choir was es-tablished, and a Vacation Bible School was jointly held with Campbell.

Ministry projects in the early years included offering a transportation service for residents of Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury in Ir-vington, forming a Recycling Task Force, serving as a food collection point for the local food bank, establishing a scholarship program, forming Shepherd Groups, and starting its own VBS. Oth-er early ministries were “Just As I Am” recorded hymn program for nursing home residents; par-ticipation in Meals on Wheels, the Salvation Ar-my, and the Interfaith Service Council; and hiring an Education Coordinator.

By 1993 St. Andrews had broken ground for a larger building that would include a sanctuary (allowing the modular building to become the Fellowship Hall) and the shell of a future office/education wing. That year, Nail & Sail, the sum-mer youth program offered jointly with Camp

St. Andrews celebrates twenty-five years

Hanover, began. (Nail & Sail will celebrate 20 years of operation this year.) The new building was completed in 1994, and its beautiful home-made needlepoint reredos cross and unique con-temporary stained-glass windows (there’s a crab in one!) were installed. In the next few years St. Andrews began a LOGOS program, hosted a pres-bytery meeting, began sponsoring interns from Union Presbyterian Seminary, started an early summer “Weekenders Worship” service, complet-ed the interior of the education wing, sponsored an art show, trained nine persons for Stephen Ministry, and hired an Administrative Assistant.

A MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) program was started in 2000 and St. Andrews’ involvement with the Pilgrimage program began. Soon Disciple Bible Study was being offered, radio spots (“The Church of Jesus is a Good Place to Be”) began, a Memorial Garden was established, and a Faith Community Nurse started serving. Later, a Family Ministry Chaplain was hired, the church took its first mission trip (post-Katrina clean-up in Missis-sippi), an addition to the Education Wing and ex-pansion of the sanctuary were completed, a hand-bell choir was formed, and a Caring for Creation Team was started. In 2008 St. Andrews complet-ed (with help from the other Northern Neck Pres-byterian churches) a Shower Trailer and delivered it to a Presbyterian Disaster Assistance camp in New Orleans. Recently, St. Andrews signed on with the Acts 16:5 Initiative, participated in a Habi-tat for Humanity Apostle-build, hired a Youth Leader, started Amazing Grace community conver-sations ministry, updated its website, and commis-sioned a Director of Outreach.

With God’s grace, the corn field on the North-ern Neck that became the location of St. Andrews

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Kilmarnock, Va.

Presbyterian Church has proved to be fertile ground of a different type — the type of which Je-sus spoke.

Vision Statement:

“Seeking, Celebrating, Serving Christ”

Sung to the tune of

“I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art” (Toulon)

(#457 in the Presbyterian Hymnal)

Especially written for this celebration.

Sixty-two people, nineteen-eighty-eight,

They had the vision that their church would grow.

Twenty-five years, we’ve been blessed by God’s grace,

Reformed, Reforming, we have grown in faith.

Worship is basic to all that we do,

Music and art important from the start.

With Bible, voices, bells, and sometimes drums,

The Word and Sacraments are rightly done.

We welcome groups to use our church’s rooms:

Why keep a church closed six days out of seven?

Our VBS draws more than 90 kids,

Amazing Grace is helping Christians meet.

Buckets and kits we make for PDA,

We roll up sleeves and open heart and purse.

New Orleans, Joplin, saw our mission teams,

In the community we serve on Boards.

Youth Education’s a priority,

And our adults have many ways to learn:

Classes on Sundays, Forums, and workshops,

Disciple Bible Study every week.

We want to seek, to celebrate, to serve,

To know Christ from the Bible’s sacred words,

Newly ordained, installed deacons Fredericksburg Korean Church

4 JULY, 2013

Just when you think you’ve seen or heard it all . . .

While the POJ office was being remodeled in Novem-ber, 2012, a car ran into a utility pole (picture above). In April they finally came to take down the pole which was in a precarious position over the street. As you can see by the pictures at the bottom, they sawed the pole off, leaving the bottom in the ground and sawing it off n e a r t h e t o p a n d l e a v i n g t h e t o p a t t a c h e d t o t h e wires. They took out the middle of the pole. The top and bottom are still there.

Union Presbyterian Seminary Seeks evangelism professor

T he professor of evangelism will have deep experience in various kinds of

evangelistic practice and substantial knowledge of societal and generational patterns that affect church affiliation in the United States. She or he will have demonstrated commitment to and expe-rience in teaching the practice(s) of evangelism within the context of the Reformed tradition in ways that engage diversity in age, ethnicity, gen-der, and culture. The successful candidate will have an MDiv degree but need not have a PhD degree. He or she will be ordained or affiliated officially in some other way with an ecclesial body. Candidates should address the two following questions: What sparks your imagination about this position in evangelism: and, What experience do you bring to this vision? This information should be submitted to April Swofford, Adminis-trative Assistant to the Richmond Academic Dean by mail to: Union Presbyterian Seminary, 3401 Brook Rd., Richmond, VA 23227 or electronically to: aswofford@upsem.edu.

Chuck Harvill new president, Interfaith Adult Day Care

Ann and Chuck Harvill

F ollowing a brain hemorrhage, Chuck Harvill spent his weekdays at Interfaith

Adult Day Care for more than 10 years. Members of the Board elected Chuck to serve as president of IADC. He was honored, gratified and scared. He felt compelled to accept the offer and do what he could to assist those who need the services that helped him for much for so many years. “His history with the place provides him a unique perspective and those involved with the center a comforting sense of reassurance about it’s new president,” said the Rev. Sarah Nave, pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church and a member of the Board. The Daycare Center was opened in June, 1991 by 10 area founding churches: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, High Street United Methodist Church, Washington Street United Methodist Church, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Christ and Grace Episcopal Church, Third Presbyterian Church and Covenant Presbyterian Church. IADC if fully licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Petersburg. The mission of IADC is to help senior and/or disabled adults, ages 18 and up, and their families by providing a safe, supportive day care to help maintain independ-ence and provide respite for their caregivers. Currently IADC has 17 clients, one of which has been with them for 19 years. The services are pro-vided from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. interfaithadc@yahoo.com.

First Church Richmond Publishes 200 Year History by James C. Harlan and Jane W. Peters

F irst Presbyterian Church, Richmond, which celebrated its 200th anniversary

in 2012, has published an exceptionally hand-some volume celebrating its long history – Foot-prints of the Saints: A Narrative History of First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia, 1812 – 2012. The volume was authored by R. Jackson Sadler, Jr., the church’s 11th pastor, who served from 1974 – 1999, in collaboration with long-time First Church member, F. Claiborne John-ston, Jr., who served as chair of the church’s 200th Anniversary Committee. The book is a 350+ page volume, containing many historic photo-graphs, and a variety of appendices. First Church, which was the first organized Presbyterian church and one of the earliest churches in Rich-mond, was founded in 1812 in the east end of Richmond near the James River. It has relocated five times over its history, on each occasion mov-ing “west” to accommodate the changing de-mographics of Richmond and of its congregation. It has occupied its present site at the northeast-ern corner of Cary Street and Lock Lane, since 1940. The authors believe First Church to be the most “migratory” mainline church in Richmond, if not Virginia. The story of First Church, as told in this volume, is in part the story of Richmond, in part the story of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and in largest part the story of its pastors and members who have labored faith-fully over the years to inspire, nurture and serve to the glory of God. The volume pays special

attention to the work of many individual members over its long history.

The book, which is a hard-cover volume with dust jacket, is a beautifully constructed “coffee table” quality book, that would be of great interest to Richmond area Presbyterians, whether or not affiliated with First Church. The book was designed and printed by the Dietz Press, in Petersburg, Vir-ginia, and published by First Church. Copies, which are only being sold by First Presbyterian Church, may be purchased in the church office during the week at $40.00 per copy.

JULY, 2013 5

D u r i n g t h e first stage of the program, the Sale-sians get to know the youth who live on the streets, e s p e c i a l l y t h e y o u n g w o m e n who are working in prostitution. Between 200-300 students come to the second stage house, “Lakou,” every day, be-cause it is a safe place where they can get what is usually their only cooked meal of the day. Students at Lakou participate in workshops to learn trades, and are also invited to stay over one night per week. The third stage, “Lakay,” consists of dormitories, classrooms, and workshops where the Salesians house and care for 150 students: educating them, teaching them a trade, feed them three meals a day, and taking steps to reconcile the students with their families. Thank you for so generously donating your time as a volunteer with Stop Hunger Now and we are sincerely grateful for your dedication and for sharing our vision of a world without hunger.

(Continued from page 1) E ighteen months ago Madeline’s House, the Southside Virginia shelter for

battered women and children which serves twelve counties, received warning that they would need to leave their secure location at Fort Pickett be-cause the land was to be sold to the U. S. State Dept. for construction of a training facility. At that same time the Presbytery of the

Madeline’s House, Southside Va. shelter

2013-14 Planning Calendars

2013-14 Presbyterian Planning Calendars can still be purchased and picked up at the Presbytery office for only $12. (We cannot mail them because of the ex-pense.) If ordered from PC(USA) they are $20.20 in-cluding postage.

Seminary for a Day—Union, Richmond Campus

Saturday September 28, 2013

9 am-4 pm

S eminary for a Day began on the Rich-mond campus in 2012 as a bicenten-

nial celebration event, designed to open the seminary up to the church. Enjoy a full day of keynote addresses and workshops, connec-tions with old friends and new, and a taste of what seminary education is like. The day fea-tures the faculty and staff of UPSem in Rich-mond. There will be workshops in the morning and afternoon; choose one workshop in the morning and one in the afternoon. Union Presbyterian Seminary exists in three different forms: the campus in Rich-mond, the campus in Charlotte, and the Ex-tended Campus Program. The curriculum at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte is designed especially for second-career stu-dents who continue full or part-time work while pursuing theological study. The fellow-ship of the student cohorts along with the leadership and support of the faculty and staff is a particular strength of the program. Register by September 17 in order to in-sure you will receive a lunch. $25 includes lunch. www.upsem.edu/safaday.

How to Talk to Your children about Faith without Feel-ing Like a Fraud. Talking about faith with our children is tough - and as a result, most of us just don't. Part of it is that God exceeds human lan-guage. Part of it i s that Christian God-talk has often hurt people as much as helped them. And part of it--maybe most of it--is that we simply don't have the vaguest idea how to communicate God's grace with our children in a way that feels honest to where we adults are spiritually. This workshop will explore concrete steps that families and congregations can take to give young people a faith vo-cabulary as we share faith across generations. Led by: Kenda Creasy Dean, Ph.D. Kenda is an ordained elder in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference (United Methodist) and professor of youth, church, and culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she works closely with the Institute for Youth Ministry. A graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary, she served as pastor in suburban Washington DC and as a campus minister at the University of Maryland-College Park be-fore coming to Princeton Seminary. She is currently appointed as the coordinating pas-tor of Kingston United Methodist Church in Kingston, New Jersey. Kenda is a leader in the field of youth spirit-uality and the vocation of youth ministry, having written a number of books in the field and lecturing across the country.

Kenda Creasy Dean

‘‘The Pulpit Leads the World’’: Four Centuries of Preaching in America. The American church has a strong and unique tradition of preaching that has in-fluenced the nation for more than four centuries. This workshop will look at many of the movements and voices of that tradition and the ways in which they have shaped the American church and its cultural con-text. Led by: Beverly Zink-Sawyer, Ph.D. Beverly is the Samuel W. Newell, Jr., Professor of Preaching and Worship at Union Presbyterian Seminary. An ordained minis-ter of the Presbyterian Church (USA), she served churches in Pennsylvania and Tennessee for fifteen years. She is a grad-uate of Dickinson College, Princeton Theological Semi-nary, and Vanderbilt Universi-ty. During the 2000-2001 academic year, she was a Lilly Faculty Fellow of the Associa-tion of Theological Schools. She is the editor of Series 3 of the Abingdon Women’s Preaching Annual (Abingdon Press), the author of From Preachers to Suffragists: Woman’s Rights and Religious Conviction in the Lives of Three Nineteenth-Century Ameri-can Clergywomen (Westminster John Knox Press), and one of the authors of the 2008 New Proclamation Commentary (Fortress Press). Her research and writing focus on the role of preaching in shaping American culture and on the history of women in the American church.

Beverly Zink-Sawyer

K E Y N O T E S P E A K E R S

Pictured, a left to right, are Rev. Rod Spencer, pastor of Pryor Memorial Church; Emily Marshall, Executive Director of Madeline’s House; Margaret Vaughan, elder at Mattoax Presbyterian Church; Bernice Haw-kins, Vice Chair of Madeline’s House board; Rev. Nan-cy Essig, retired pastor of Burkeville Presbyterian Church; Rev. Peter Smith, pastor of Blackstone Presby-terian Church.

James was soliciting proposals for use of proceeds from the sale of their Glen Allen property. The Presbytery purpose group SPIM (Southside Presbyterians in Ministry) applied for funds to help Madeline’s House relocate. They were awarded $100,000 to match funds raised locally. A mid-summer move is planned. Representatives of SPIM recently presented the first matching check.

6 JULY, 2013

Tower of Hope Rises at Forman Christian College By Robert Johnson, Executive Director, Friends of Forman Christian College

I n the rural areas of Pakistan, it is typical to see literacy rates among women that

hover around 20%, with the lowest rates of under 10% in the west of the country. Even in the cities, functional literacy does not rise above 40% for women (UNESCO says that Pakistan is 113th out of 130 countries in literacy). Yet, studies have re-peatedly shown that the more education a wom-an has, the more benefits accrue to everything from her family to her nation. Forman Christian College has, since its dena-tionalization in 2003, strived to extend quality higher education to able women throughout Paki-stan. However, with less than 150 women’s dor-mitory beds, the college was unable to offer dor-mitory space to a fraction of the women who wanted to attend. Families are protective of their daughters in Pakistan, and many fathers from

conservative areas (the areas with the fewest colleges in their area) refuse to let their daugh-ters go away to school unless they are assured

their daughters can live on campus. The U.S. Agency for International Develop-ment (USAID) has awarded Forman Christian Col-lege $6 million dollar grant to build a six-story “tower of hope” dormitory for women on the campus. Construction has already begun, but the grant did not include money to buy furniture to fill the building. So, Friends of Forman is asking individuals, churches and groups to help us fur-nish rooms in order to welcome young women from all over Pakistan to campus. Our goal is to have 50% female students in our

university program by 2015. Attaining this goal is completely dependent on filling this hostel with furniture! Please consider how you, your group or church can help us with one or more rooms of furniture to welcome women to a new future of hope in Pakistan.

Flo Sthreshley celebrates ninety-one in style

Saturday, April 13 was Flo Sthreshley’s 91st birthday. Her family took her out to lunch and then they attended a lecture on African Art at Ashland’s Gallery Flux. To top things off, they finished with a historic tour of Ashland’s Woodland Cemetery by motorcycle. Her son Charles is the one receiving driving instructions from Flo. What’s the plan for 92?

ing the event in which both the Presby-tery and St. Giles shall participate. The date will be within 30 days of the action of Presbytery approving the dismissal.

c. All Active and Baptized Members desiring transfer to the ECO shall be transferred to the ECO as part of the Service of Dismissal held to mark the occasion.

(Continued from page 2) d. St Giles shall retain all of the personal property now held by it, including all op-erating and endowment funds.

e. St. Giles shall retain the name St. Giles Presbyterian Church but shall drop the PCUSA portion.

f. Original copies of session minutes and other historical documents related to the church’s life as a church in the Presbyter-ian Church (U.S.A.) or its predecessors

will be turned over to the Presbytery for transmission to The Presbyterian Histori-cal Foundation, and the Presbytery and St Giles will receive copies.

g. The Teaching Elders of St. Giles shall be treated as follows; Rev. Keith Hill will be transferred to ECO. Rev. Sarah Marsh be permitted to continue as a PCUSA Teach-ing Elder and a member of the Presbytery of the James. Once St. Giles has been dis-missed to the ECO she shall be permitted to labor outside the bounds of the Presby-tery of the James providing the approval of the ECO allowing her to labor within the bounds of ECO. The Administrative Com-mission made this recommendation to the Committee on Ministry at their May meeting and the COM concurred with al-lowing Sarah to labor outside the bounds subject to the presbytery approval of the transfer of St. Giles. St. Giles agrees to continue paying Sarah’s medical and pen-sion dues to the Board of Pensions of the PCUSA.

22. Voted to dissolve the St Giles Administrative Commission with thanks and appreciation for their good work.

Respectfully submitted,

H. Carson Rhyne, Jr.

Stated Clerk

2013 MEETINGS OF THE PRESBYTERY Saturday, October 19, 2013

Bethlehem Church, Old Church, Mechanicsville, VA

2014 MEETINGS OF THE PRESBYTERY

Saturday, February 15, 2014—Need invitation Tuesday, June 17, 2014—Need invitation

Saturday, October 18, 2014—Need Invitation

P R E S B Y T E R Y I N R E V I E W

JULY, 2013 7

Groundbreaking for the Tappahannock Presbyteri-an Church Worship Center was celebrated by 45 people who gathered on the site on the corner of Kino Road and route 360 on June 16, 2013. Con-struction is expected to begin July 1 and will pro-vide space for Worship and Community Outreach for these members who began worshipping to-gether 17 years ago. Front row, left to right: John Frischcorn, founding member and Building Com-mittee; Alice Roy, Clerk of the Session; Pat Morris, representing the congregation and her last hus-band, the Rev. Dr. Bill Morris; Carson Rhyne, Stat-ed Clerk of Presbytery of the James; Jo Dowdy, first member to sign the Charter; Emerson Hughes, founding member and Chair of the Build-ing Committee; Dave Jones, Treasurer; John Turner, Transitional Pastor. Back Row: Bob Carter, Site Engineer and other guests.

Groundbreaking for Tappahannock

Office Park funds at Work in Crozet Below, you’ll find some of the results of the grants of the Office Park Funds made in October, 2012. The Ta-bor Church received some funds in order to provide ministry to their community. This ad demonstrates some of the good efforts which they are having with these funds. Rev. Jewell-Ann Parton is the pas-tor. Contact the church for other details.

sity studying Spanish and Linguistics, and I hope to one day become a language teacher. Being a linguist, I find it so interesting to get to talk with the American staff and campers and listen to their accents. Aside from accent varia-tion, I have noticed that the weather here is very different from home and it has taken me a few days to acclimatize to the humidity. And while it does rain in Scotland, our rain tends to be colder and a little less forceful than the “tropical storms” we’ve experienced here in Virginia. Since the moment I have arrived at Camp I have experienced the welcoming and nurturing atmosphere which makes Camp Hanover such a special place for many campers. I have found it to be a nurturing environment where daily activities glorify and focus on God. I can’t wait to immerse myself even deeper in such an exciting and diverse culture where every-one is accepted and loved. I look forward to see-ing each staff member and camper grow in their relationship with God throughout the summer. Michelle Yelincic, Counselor, Bolivia I study Social Communication at the San Pablo Catholic Uni-versity in my hometown of LaPaz. In the short time that I have spent at Camp Hanover, I have met wonderful people who have already become close friends and team mates. I also improved in my English speaking abilities and find myself being able to speak more fluently and comprehend things about American culture more readily. I’ve also learned some very useful tips about camping and outdoor living. I can light a campfire with one match! I can’t be more grateful for everything I have learned from the Camp Han-over staff members and my new friends. In the weeks ahead, I would like to make a positive impact in campers’ lives and share with them about my Latin-American culture, my lan-guage, my own experiences as an international counselor, and especially about my relationship with God and how I have experienced God’s love. Beth Murray, Unit Director, Great Britain This is my second year at Camp Hanover, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else! My first summer here was 2012. I applied through Camp America, an agency that helps young people find jobs at summer camps all around America. When I learned I would be working at Camp Hanover once again, I was so excited, and I had good rea-son to be, I have never had such close friends, worked so hard, or met such incredible people.

Last year, I felt that this place and the people I met helped me grow in my faith, develop my relationship with God, and feel loved. When I return to England at the end of the summer, I will begin my studies for a degree in Theology. My goal is to become a minister. This place has an incredible pull on me. We have nothing like Camp Hanover back home. It’s a place away from all distractions, where every-thing else is stripped away, so you can focus on your faith and your relationship with God. I love what the camp experience does for all those that visit, work here or live nearby -- it imprints on your heart. Watching God at work in this place, watching our new staff learn why so many people love Camp Hanover so much . . . I simply cannot wait until our next group of campers arrives.

Michelle Yelincic

Beth Murray

I N C R E D I B L E A D V E N T U R E R S

Volunteers make an impact at Camp Hanover The months leading up to summer have been a busy time at Camp Hanover. Volunteer teams have tackled various projects to help get Camp Hanover ready for the summer camp season! Members of Three Chopt Presbyterian Church upgraded Nor-fleet Pavilion, adding weatherproof lighting and outdoor ceiling fans. With power washers in hand, the folks from Gayton Kirk scoured and scrubbed the pool, removing the algae that builds up through the winter so it could be filled with water ready for swimming. About 30 youth and adults from First Presbyterian Church of Richmond sorted, tossed, heaved and hauled debris and materials during a massive cleanup at the Pole Barn mainte-nance area. Wielding sledge hammers and crow-bars, they were able to sort and separate metal from discarded refrigerators, washing machines and other equipment so that copper, steel and alu-minum could be recycled rather than end up in a landfill. Volunteer “artists” from the Providence Gum Spring congregation spent their time sprucing up the Trading Post and Office with a fresh coat of paint around the windows and doors. Would you like to get involved at Camp? There are plenty of projects and volunteer opportunities to choose from, for individuals or groups, contact Camp Hanover at (804) 779-2811.

JULY, 2013

By Lyndsey McCall

“Tonight, we are young. So let’s set the

world on fire, we can burn brighter than

the sun.”

A t the last Middle School Retreat in April, our speaker, Lisa Salita, cleverly

used pop music references to connect the youth with the message of the Passion and Pentecost. The youth rocked-out during a can-dlelight service as we rekindled the spirit of Pentecost and together sang the familiar cho-rus of this popular “F.U.N.” song. The Middle School Event was another spiritually uplifting retreat led for youth by youth. We are looking for high school youth and adults to join our Youth Council, known as “YoCo,” that help plan and implement mean-ingful faith experiences for our participants. Being on Youth Council is a positive experi-ence that allows for a person to grow spiritu-ally and as, leaders in ministry. We want to create a diverse representation on the council in order to adequately represent the churches in our Presbytery. Join our group of faith-role models for our Presbytery, apply today!

Over the past year, the Youth Ministry Pur-pose Group has been working on reforming our structure and vision for youth ministry in the Presbytery. Recently we hosted a “Brain-storming Conversation” with youth leaders from among our Presbytery. What I heard resonate from this meeting, were two particular needs: First, spending time to bond and swap ideas among youth leaders is needed. So, the YMPG is planning to make this a part of the regular schedule. Anyone is welcomed to join our group and we would like to encourage YOU to do so. Interested? Contact Lyndsey McCall or Sarah Dennis, lyndseym@pbyjames.org. Second, that there is a great need for youth ministry at the small church level. A group in-spired by the connections made at the Confir-mation Retreat are organizing a small church youth group. They will be developing over the summer hoping to have their first kick-off event in the fall. If you want to get connected with this group originating from Grace Covenant and Woodlawn Churches please contact Katherine Laybourn at klaybourn@verizon.net. This summer, please keep us in your prayers

as we venture to the Presbyterian youth event, “Triennium” in Purdue, Indiana. Spots are still available; if you have a youth interest-ed please contact Barbara Flynt, our Registrar from Southminister Church. bbflynt@verizon-.net. We are at an exciting time in the life of Youth Ministry in our Presbytery. We are tak-ing the extra time for intentional conversa-tions and adding new voices to our dialogue. We would love to hear your story! Have your story heard and join the Youth Ministry Dialogue! Contact Lyndsey McCall, Youth Minister Coordinator. Lyndsey-@pbyjames.org.

2013-14 Schedule Rally to Serve I ............... Sept. 20-21, 2013 High School Event ............... Dec. 7-8, 2013 Confirmation Retreat ....... Feb. 21-23, 2014 Rally to Serve II ................... March 9, 2014 Middle School Retreat .... April 26-27, 2014

Mission Trip ........................................ TBA Massenetta ................ June (Week 2), 2014 Montreat ................................... July, 2014

Confirmation RetreatConfirmation Retreat Middle School RetreatMiddle School Retreat

October Rally to ServeOctober Rally to Serve

Youth Council members Youth Council members.

Thank you to all congregations that continue to be active and support our ministries by attending our events and/or encouraging your youth to participate on youth council. As well as, a special thanks to the Keynote speakers and musicians that lead during this past year. 8

Like us on Facebook “Presbytery of the James *Youth Connect”

Holiday EventHoliday Event

Youth CouncilYouth Council