Charleston Atlantic Presbytery’s newest New Church Development, Parkside, held its first worship service on Sunday, September 8, 2019 in the historic Saint Barnabas sanctuary in Charleston. Join them for future Sundays at 10:30 am at 45 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC. Learn more about Parkside on their website.
The next stated meeting of Charleston Atlantic Presbytery will be held Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 9:30 am at Zion-Olivet Presbyterian Church, located at 3347 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405 (They share space with Advent Lutheran Church). An orientation for commissioners will be held at 9:00 am. A free full breakfast will be served from 8-9am. Please elect your elder commissioners and ensure your church is represented at the meeting. Pre-registration is now closed. If you have not registered, please arrive early.
It is important that all elder and minister commissioners from each church download the HANDBOOK and SUPPLEMENT and read them thoroughly prior to the meeting so that they can actively participate in the meeting. All commissioners have voice and vote at the meeting and may ask questions or pull an item from the consent agenda for more discussion. Please see the “Standing Rules” on page 2 of the handbook for more information. You may submit a motion or amendment in writing to the Stated Clerk using the form on page 3. You are also encouraged to contact the Stated Clerk, Associate Stated Clerk, Moderator, or Committee/Ministy Team/Commission chairperson if you have questions prior to the meeting.
We will share presbytery joys in video form during the meeting. If you would like for your church or event to be included, please send photos taken since our last presbytery meeting (May 21) along with a brief one-line description to dblackwelder@capresbytery.org by Wednesday, September 18.
Thanks to All Who Made the 2019 STEPS a Success!
Our 12th annual STEPS event was a time of learning, worshiping, and fellowshipping together. Workshops covering a wide variety of topics were offered three time during the day. The Rev Gail Nelson inspired us with her sermon “Mountain Top Experiences” based on II Kings 2:1-10 and Mark 9:2-8. The choirs of Harbor View and St James offered special music during our morning worship. We ended the day with an Iona Worship service under the direction of Barbara Loehr-Fox and the Rev Pat Jones officiating communion. We are so grateful to Jason Pedeaux for providing music for both of our worship services. Many, many thanks to our host church, Mount Pleasant Presbyterian, who graciously provide their staff and campus for us. Mitch Snead, who is celebrating 20 years on staff at the church makes sure the classrooms, fellowship hall, and worship spaces are ready. Michael Hardee is the man with all of the technology answers. Julia Royall and Pamela Spivey, members of the Mount Pleasant Church, provide many volunteers to help with registration, food, giving campus directions, and whatever other tasks need to take place to make the participants welcome. And of course, last but not least, the 2019 STEPS Planning Team: Sue Mathews (co-chair), Pat Jones (co-chair), Laurey Hartwell Harrell, James Rogers, Marilyn Muckenfuss, Evelyn White, Martha Trussell, Bill Johnston, and Kim Trimboli. This event wouldn’t happen without their dedication and service. Mark your calendars for August 29, 2020! If you are interested in serving on the 2020 STEPS Planning Team, contact Pie Mikell. Planning for 2020 will begin soon!
If you would like to view the morning worship service go HERE.
Some of our workshop leaders have sent resources from their presentations:
Kevin Garvey – A Culture of Generosity
Kevin Garvey – Communicating and Soliciting Different Generations
The Spring 2019 Stated Meeting of Charleston Atlantic Presbytery was held Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at First Presbyterian Church, Moncks Corner.
ReCAP
On arrival, commissioners and guests were greeted warmly by church members and offered a delicious selection of breakfast items. The Rev. Sam Martin, Moderator, opened the meeting in prayer, the Rev. Timothy Schoonover of First Presbyterian Moncks Corner gave a welcome and invited one of the church elders to give a history of the church. New commissioners and guests were introduced. In particular, a group of visitors from the Can Bay Presbyterian New Church Development were recognized and invited to speak about recent events at Cane Bay NCD. Earlier this year, the congregation and their organizing pastor parted ways, realizing they had different visions for the future. With the guidance and assistance of a new advisory team from the presbytery, the NCD is “doing a reset.” They have found a storefront to lease that will afford them exclusive space for office, worship and activities, rather than renting space for Sundays only. A retired PC(USA) minister in the group has agreed to preach. The group asked that the presbytery approve the four year lease being proposed by the Shepherding Team, to be voted on later in the meeting.
Worship included communion and a sermon by the Rev. Peter Bynum, who expounded on the parable of the mustard seed. Seeds “live and wait and live and wait,” he said, and even forgotten seeds can one day emerge from the ground, grow and bear fruit. The offering collected to support youth attendance at the Youth Triennium was seen as a way to help sow and nurture the seeds of discipleship.
An outstanding example of seeds bearing fruit was the ordination of Colin Kerr as a minister of the word and sacrament. It is rare that the presbytery ordains a new minister; usually they are ordained by the congregation of the church they will serve, or, sometimes, their home church. Because Rev. Kerr will be the organizing pastor of the Parkside Presbyterian New Church Development, the presbytery is the ordaining body. A charge to the Pastor was made by Rev. Will Deitrich.
During the business portion of the meeting, special presentations were made concerning the Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina, Hands of Christ, S.T.E.P.S. and the recent mission trip to Puerto Rico.
The Committee on Representation asked for a received affirmative votes on the nominations of Rev. Ashley Sanders to serve on the Nurture Team and Rev. Stephanie Dion to serve on the Shepherding Team. Elder Jim Deavor reminded all present that the COR needs nominations to all teams, committees and commissions of the presbytery.
The Commission on Ministry, in addition to asking Colin Kerr (right) to share his faith journey, also introduced Elder Robert Norris (left) who has been commissioned as a Commissioned Lay Pastor (also know as a Commission Ruling Elder) to serve Sea Island Presbyterian Church.
The Shepherding Team presented four resolutions for vote, all of which were approved without dissent:
1. The “Third Amendment to the Agreement of Purchase and Sale” plus the “Assignment of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale,” were approved as one resolution necessary to move forward with the sale of the presbytery office building on Highway 61 in preparation of moving the office to the Park Circle property.
2. The resolution to approve the request of the Cane Bay NCD Advisory Team to enter into a lease for a space to be used for program, worship and office space, was approved.
3. The resolution to allow Rev. Mike Fitze to negotiate an agreement with the St. Barnabas Lutheran Church for the Parkside NCD to use the building and facilities of that church for office, worship and program activities, was approved.
4. The resolution that Dorchester Presbyterian Church be authorized to apply for and enter into a construction loan in the amount of $500,000 secured by a mortgage on church property–spoken to by Rev. Jeff Kackley of Dorchester PC–also was approved.
All other agencies of the Presbytery reported by written reports in the Commissioner’s Handbook. After reports of the standing committees on Attendance and on Resolution of Thanks were approved, the meeting closed with prayer and with a benediction by the newly ordained Rev. Kerr. Then an excellent lunch was served by First Presbyterian Church of Moncks Corner.
The next presbytery meeting is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 21 at Zion Olivet Presbyterian Church in North Charleston. Commissioners are reminded and requested please to obtain, to either print or download and to read the Handbook prior to the meeting. Anyone, not just commissioners, may obtain the handbook and visitors to presbytery meeting always are welcome.
Submitted by Catherine Byrd, Stated Clerk
For more information read the HANDBOOK and SUPPLEMENT.
Please enjoy the Spring 2019 Presbytery Joys Video HERE. Thank you to all the churches who submitted photos!
Today’s CAP Mission Blogger is Cassie Oliver from Methodist Theological School in Ohio, representing St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Charleston:
“Today is our last day here on the island. This week has been one of the best times that I have had. We have seen life breathed back into a school that will be used now for mission team housing as well as other ministries that the church can do!
I just finished reading Dorothy Day for school and one of her general themes to live like Christ is Radical Hospitality. I have seen this displayed over and over again this last week. The welcoming congregation of Primera Iglesia Presbyterian in Aguada, with the food and the help in all the work we did. These people on the island are just so lovely and amazing people. We had a common saying that kept coming up all week, ‘it is normal’ but nothing about this week has been normal. We had 8 people representing 6 Churches throught the presbytery.
Just wanted to thank the churches in the presbytery that have prayed and supported this team and the work we have done. Now to head back to the 20° in Ohio.”
Today’s CAP Mission Blogger is Holly Horsman from Palmetto Presbyterian Church:
“Today was our last work day and the improvements are startling. Even so. with all the painting, scraping, pressure washing, sweeping, bulldozing, I wish there was another team ready to come in on Monday and push the project forward. The neighborhood has noticed that something positive is happening and we have been stopped and thanked repeatedly. This property has such potential.
After lunch we headed off to Crash Beach for a much needed break…palm trees and blue water
We have been so well taken care of by the faithful members of the Presbyterian Church of Aguada who have worked beside us, fed us, thanked us. Many have visited and/or lived in the States but choose to live in Puerto Rico happily, but maybe with less of the things I take for granted. They are people of faith.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to return to Aguada and stay on this property while working on another project?
Tomorrow we start the journey home. God is so good!”
Today’s CAP Mission Blogger is Allison Hubbard from James Island Presbyterian Church:
“As Jeff said, it was Groundhog Day. Today was more of the same – painting, scraping, and pressure washing. It is incredible to see what a difference we have made in just three days! The dirty beige walls of the school are the whitest white you’ve ever seen, where there were layers of peeling pain hanging there is… less, and the gazillion miles of railing is about halfway done. While there is still so much to do, the school already has made a huge transformation. Danielle from PDA visited and was very excited to see the progress. Catherine and Cassie went to a prayer breakfast this morning where they sang songs and prayed with locals from the congregation. The congregation thanked them numerous times for coming to help them! We also have survived our first waterless day, and we did it without whining. However, we are looking to a good night’s rest and having water in the morning!”
Today’s CAP Mission Blogger is Catherine Byrd, First (Scots) and CAP Stated Clerk:
“Yesterday we heard from “Pastor Danille” the disaster coordinator for the Presbyterio del Noroeste, and Raisa, the administrator of the Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana en Aguada where we are working. Tom reported in yesterday’s blog how the school on the church property was damaged by Maria and is no longer viable as a school in the current economic climate anyhow. Clearly there is much interest in the neighborhood about activity on the long unused site. Bobby and I were asked about it several times as we painted portions of the outside wall.
It’s a big wall! Wall part II on Wednesday.
While we painted the wall, Allison, Holly, Antonio, Cassie and Tom painted a gazillion yards of iron railing. Only another gazillion yards to go! Allison also stood on a scaffold and scraped paint off a damaged ceiling.
Our fearless leader, Jeff, ran the power washer, constantly. I suspect he is having a blast.
We have water for Jeff to blast because the church is allowing us to use their reserve tanks. On days where there is not municpal water, this means no water to flush toilets in el bano. At the end of the day today they filled up trash cans with water and placed them in the bathroom. Wednesday will be a waterless day.
Why no water? The hurricane damaged a dam which only now is under repair. More than a year and a half later recovery continues.”
Today’s CAP Mission Team blogger is Tom Thornton from Summerville Presbyterian Church:
“Monday, we went to the church outside of Aguada and started our project. A lady from the NW Puerto Rico Presbytery explained that we would be helping with repairs to the adjacent school that the church used to run. It was an elementary school that once had an enrollment of 400. About seven years ago there was an economic depression when the territory was unable to pay its bills because it was too deep in debt. This led to the emigration of many skilled people who had lost their jobs. Over several years the enrollment of the school shrank to 80, and they had to close the school. After Hurricane Maria the emigration has continued. The school building was severely damaged by the hurricane so has not been in use. They have decided to use the facility as a center for community services after repairs are made. They are remodeling several of the first flight rooms as offices for these agencies. The PDA has approved the project, this is what we are helping with. This morning we removed acoustic tiles from the ceilings of the second floor rooms and moved furniture from the first floor rooms to the second floor. This afternoon we pressure washed walkways and walls and scraped and painted metal handrails.”
Elders from the church volunteer their time to work with the CAP team
