1993 Global Exchange to Central
and Eastern Europe
1993 Global Exchange to Central
and Eastern Europe
1999 Global Exchange
to the Middle East
1996 Global Exchange
to Southeast Asia
Presbyterian Women
of First Presbyterian Church in Marquette, Michigan began their
informal partnership with women in the congregation of St. Andrews
Church in Nairobi, Kenya in 1998. It began when Tabitha Wambura
Mutu, the wife a Northern Michigan University faculty member,
joined Gloria Christopherson's circle. Following the 1998 bombing
of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Tabitha learned St. Andrews,
near the Embassy, was ministering in various ways to victims
of the bombing. First Presbyterian in Marquette offered financial
support for this ministry and a global partnership was born.
In September 2000, nine women and the pastor from Nairobi visited
the congregation in Marquette. All 40 members of the church's
PW and other congregation members were involved in hosting this
two-week visit. The visitors stayed with church families and
enjoyed meals with various church groups. They participated in
a PW in the Presbytery retreat and visited historic sites, local
schools, hospitals and social service organizations. They also
heard discussions on technology, HIV/AIDS, family planning and
Habitat for Humanity.
In July 2002, four people from the Marquette congregation traveled
to Kenya to visit their new friends. Members of the Women's Guild
of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa warmly welcomed the
visitors, and members of Marquette's PW were amazed at the Guild's
numerous projects. In Mombassa, they completed a new conference
and training center, which funds from the 1999 PW Birthday Offering
helped to furnish. They are also building a home for orphans
living with AIDS, but in the meantime they have rented a cottage
and pay all the expenses
to house, feed, clothe and provide medicine for eight children
and the two women who care for them.
Whether in the United States or in Kenya, sharing cultural insights,
customs and mission concerns during their visits, the women of
both churches discovered they were much more alike than different.
The laughter, tears, love, joy and music were things they all
had in common.
Get Involved
Participants for the 2002 Global Exchange to Africa have been
selected and are now charged with the task of raising funds to
cover the expenses for this trip. Each woman must raise $3,500
to participate. Consider investing in the participant from your
synod and help PW establish more global partners in the countries
they visit this October.
To learn more about these women, contact the moderator for PW
in your presbytery or synod.
Synod of Alaska-Northwest
---Lynne Snyder, Dottie Villesvik
Synod of the Covenant
---Dawn Marie Otto Hayes, Joyce Ann Bowen Smith
Synod of Lakes and Prairies
---Linda "Kitch" K. Shatzer
Synod of Lincoln Trails---Joy L. Haning
Synod of Living Waters---Andrea R. Jeans
Synod of Mid-America---Sandra C. Browder
Synod of Mid-Atlantic---Catrelia Steele Hunter
Synod of the Northeast
---Alpha O. Brown, Dorothy B. Shaw
Synod of the Pacific
---Beth Appel, Jimmye Jackson
Synod of Puerto Rico---Irma Zayas-Rivera
Synod of the Rocky Mountains---Sheryl L. Flyer
Synod of South Atlantic---Celia Regina Bezerra
Synod of Southern California and Hawaii
---Marti A. Napier, Jean Vieten
Synod of the Southwest---Beverly Jane Phillips
Synod of the Sun---Martha Jean Hodges
Synod of the Trinity
---Betty L. Grunstra, Kristen York Gerling
|
Global Partnerships
by Louise Davidson
Since its inception, Presbyterian Women
has been almost synonymous with mission. Mission schools, mission
projects and mission personnel in the United States and in countries
around the world have benefited from the support of women in
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and all its predecessors. Prior
to the 1983 reunion of the Presbyterian Church in the United
States (PCUS) and the United Presbyterian Church in the United
States of America (UPCUSA), United Presbyterian Women (UPW) organized
what they called Global Experiences. In order to visit ecumenical
partners and share stories of faith, mission and ministry with
women across the world, UPW traveled to Central Europe, India,
Nepal and Central America in the 1970s, and the Asian Rim in
1980. Following reunion, women visited South Africa in 1984 and
China in 1987.
In 1988, those experiences took on the name Global Exchange and
a trip was organized every three years. Members of Presbyterian
Women have visited Australia (1990), Central and Eastern Europe
(1993), Southeast Asia (1996) and the Middle East (1999). In
October 2002, PW will travel to East and West Africa. To make
this a true exchange, PW invites women from the countries they
visit to attend the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women,
held the year following each Global Exchange. These international
guests also travel to presbyteries and synods, sharing their
stories and concerns in churches across the PC(USA).
The women who have participated in the Global Exchange testify
that they have had life-changing experiences in these travels
and some have formed life-long friendships with their international
sisters. However, once each Global Exchange and the following
Churchwide Gathering conclude there has been no way to maintain
these new friendships beyond letters and email. Enthusiasm for
these new relationships eventually wanes as information about
the experiences and concerns of women in other countries takes
precedence.
In February, 2001 the Mission Committee of the Churchwide Coordinating
Team of PW (CCT/PW) began to explore the possibility of maintaining
these special global partnerships and an exciting idea took root.
Why not encourage PW to form partnerships with women in churches
worldwide? The Worldwide Ministries Division (WMD) coordinator
for Global Education/Leadership Development, David Maxwell, offered
whole-hearted support for this idea. Seeking a way to help churches
worldwide develop women leaders, Maxwell suggested PW could help
identify women outside the United States who might qualify to
receive funds for leadership development. The Mission Committee
concluded a model was needed for partnerships between Presbyterian
Women in churches, presbyteries and synods and women in churches
around the globe.
As a first step, synod representatives to the Churchwide Coordinating
Team of Presbyterian Women gathered information about existing
partnerships. A survey showed that few partnerships were purely
between PW and women in a partner church outside the United States
(more often involving entire congregations or presbyteries),
however, all partnerships were described enthusiastically as
special opportunities to share stories of faith and mission.
So, the next step will involve talking with the staff of the
Worldwide Ministries Division responsible for facilitating global
partnerships. Some PW groups may wish to expand an existing relationship
in their church, presbytery or synod, while others may be ready
to establish something brand new. In either case, the PW Purpose
will be embodied as women throughout the United States "support
the mission of the church worldwide" and expand their "inclusive,
caring community of women . . . that witnesses to the promise
of God's kingdom."
Louise Davidson is moderator of Presbyterian Women in the
Synod of the Covenant. She has been asked by the Mission Committee
of the CCT/PW to develop a model for international partnerships
for Presbyterian Women.
 One
of the international visitors to the Churchwide Gathering of
Presbyterian Women in 1997 was Nene Amogu, a Nigerian woman who
is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN). She
was so profoundly affected by her experience, seeing the many
ordained women, that she returned to Nigeria determined to attend
seminary and become ordained herself. With great joy, she returned
to the United States to attend the 2000 Gathering and reported
she had succeeded in doing this. She had been called to work
on the Women's Desk of the PCN and was attending the Gathering
to find ideas for her ministry. She had hoped another woman from
her church might have come, but she had not been granted a visa.
However, she assured her friends in PW that she would be back
in 2003 with a number of women from Nigeria.
 Presbyterian
Women of First Presbyterian Church in Marquette, Michigan began
their informal partnership with women in the congregation of
St. Andrews Church in Nairobi, Kenya in 1998. It began when Tabitha
Wambura Mutu, the wife a Northern Michigan University faculty
member, joined Gloria Christopherson's circle. Following the
1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Tabitha learned
St. Andrews, near the Embassy, was ministering in various ways
to victims of the bombing. First Presbyterian in Marquette offered
financial support for this ministry and a global partnership
was born.
In September 2000, nine women and the pastor from Nairobi visited
the congregation in Marquette. All 40 members of the church's
PW and other congregation members were involved in hosting this
two-week visit. The visitors stayed with church families and
enjoyed meals with various church groups. They participated in
a PW in the Presbytery retreat and visited historic sites, local
schools, hospitals and social service organizations. They also
heard discussions on technology, HIV/AIDS, family planning and
Habitat for Humanity.
In July 2002, four people from the Marquette congregation traveled
to Kenya to visit their new friends. Members of the Women's Guild
of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa warmly welcomed the
visitors, and members of Marquette's PW were amazed at the Guild's
numerous projects. In Mombassa, they completed a new conference
and training center, which funds from the 1999 PW Birthday Offering
helped to furnish. They are also building a home for orphans
living with AIDS, but in the meantime they have rented a cottage
and pay all the expenses to house, feed, clothe and provide medicine
for eight children and the two women who care for them.
Whether in the United States or in Kenya, sharing cultural insights,
customs and mission concerns during their visits, the women of
both churches discovered they were much more alike than different.
The laughter, tears, love, joy and music were things they all
had in common.
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