Public Presence
May 7, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister May 7, 2020 In last week’s letter I suggested that the Great Ends of the Church (Book of Order F-1.0304) offer us sure guidance as we navigate our pathway …
Sure Guidance for a Traumatized Church
April 30, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister April 30, 2020 Let’s be honest. The church has been traumatized by its incapacity to fulfill an essential function, namely, to gather God’s people together for worship, …
Jesus Incognito
April 23, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister April 23, 2020 One of the most important roles of church leaders is to help their congregations discern where and how God is present and at …
Easter in the Valley of the Shadow of Death
April 16, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister April 16, 2020 This year Easter arrived amid the deadliest viral outbreak in more than a century. Death is everywhere at hand, and we don’t yet know …
Don’t Touch Me!
April 9, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister April 9, 2020 As Jesus proceeds from disciple to disciple with basin and towel, he gets stopped by Peter. “Don’t touch me!” Peter in effect protests. …
Disagreements in a Time of Crisis
April 2, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister April 2, 2020 Helping congregations handle internal disagreements graciously is one of the most critical tasks of church leadership. Faced with disagreements about which foods are …
With Measured Steps
March 26, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister March 26, 2020 The Board of Pensions’ CREDO program gathers pastors for intensive eight-day seminars during which the thirty participants are led in a comprehensive, granular examination of …
A Message from Brian Wallace, Associate Minister
March 19, 2020 | Posted in Weekly Newsletter
Prudence or Panic?
March 12, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister March 12, 2020 Last week’s letter addressed the growing impact of the coronavirus epidemic on church gatherings. Registration for June’s General Assembly (GA) was supposed to open …
Congregational Health and Physical Contact
March 5, 2020 | Posted in Letters from the General Minister
A Letter to Pittsburgh Presbytery from Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge General Minister March 5, 2020 We are in a series looking at markers of congregational health, something we ordinarily term “congregational vitality.” Many measures of health can be adduced …