Welcome to the
Presbytery of New Harmony
The Mission of the Presbytery of New Harmony is to strengthen, nurture, and sustain its congregations and ministers, and to participate in the wider mission of the church through its higher governing bodies.
The Presbytery of New Harmony, a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is situated along the northeastern coast of South Carolina. We have 7,534 members across 12 counties in South Carolina. The presbytery office, located in Florence, supports 65 congregations and 80 resident ministers.
Please feel free to browse our website to find out more about us.
If you cannot find what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us at the addresses listed below.
Presbytery of New Harmony
2352 Presbyterian Road
Florence, SC 29501
Phone 843-662-8411
Email us.
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Happening In New Harmony Presbytery
(Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be by ZOOM.)
New Harmony Pastoral Leaders
July 1, 10 am.
Presbytery office Closed for
Independence Day
July 2.
Vital Congregations Initiative Pastoral Cohorts,
Grand Strand
July 7, 2 pm.
Cultivation and Empowerment
Committee
July 9, 5 pm.
Committee on Preparation for Ministry
July 13, 9:45 am.
Committee on Ministry
July 14, 2 pm.
Old Bethel Presbyterian Church
Administrative Commission
July 16, 11 am.
**All future meetings of committees will be by
ZOOM until you are notified otherwise**
New Harmony Presbytery's
Office Hours Monday - Thursday, 9 am - 5 pm.
Presbytery Staff is working from home. You may contact them through the Presbytery phones and choosing the extension of the person you are trying to reach or by email.
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August 18 Stated Presbytery Meeting
Moved to ZOOM.
The New Harmony Presbytery meeting, set for Tuesday, August 18, will be by ZOOM. Please have your Session commission a Ruling Elder who can fully participate by ZOOM, who knows how to use ZOOM or is one who could be easily taught, and has a computer with a camera and microphone. Training Sessions will be provided prior to the meeting and online registration will be required of all Ruling Elder commissioners as well as all Teaching Elders prior to the meeting!
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Guiding Council Continues to Recommend Not Resuming In-Person Activities
Your Guiding Council met Thursday, June 27. With the rising cases of the Coronavirus, they continue to strongly advise that in-person worship and activities NOT resume at this time. They know that resuming in-person worship and activities is a decision of the Session and not the presbytery or its council; they affirm this in our Presbyterian polity and Constitution. They also know that there are Sessions that have either resumed in-person worship and/or activities or have decided to do so in the near future, utilizing the Guidelines recently distributed; they would, of course, urge err on the side of more, rather than less, precautions and safeguards. Please let them know if there are ways that they can be of assistance and support
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21 Day Racial Equality Challenge
Day 1 (Friday, June 19). Read the PC(USA) churchwide anti-racism policy, "Facing Racism: A Vision of the Intercultural Community," at facingracism.org.
Day 3 (June 21). Watch an updated version of the Clark doll experiment, which explores how early-in-life ideas of racial inferiority and superiority are internalized.
Day 5 (June 23). Read the resolution of the 223rd General Assembly of the PC(USA) on environmental racism.
Day 6 (June 24). Watch the Presbyterian Hunger Program's webinar, "Impact of Environmental Injustice on Low Income and Communities of Color."
Day 7 (June 25). Read what youth at the 2016 Triennium learned about environmental racism.
Day 9 (June 27). Choose a resource on the Doctrine of Discovery to read from facingracism.org.
Day 10 (June 28). Watch the PBS documentary "Unspoken: America's Native American Boarding Schools."
Day 16 (July 4). Watch the TED Talk "How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them" by Verna Myers.
Day 19 (July 7). Notice the structures and practices in your church. Raise questions about how they help or hinder racial equity.
Day 21 (July 9). Act: Commit to doing the challenge again. Invite someone to join you.
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Guidelines for Reopening In-Person Worship
Moderators and Clerks,
Attached are the Guidelines for reopening in-person worship and activities, which are slightly revised from the draft you recently received. These Guidelines were unanimously adopted by your Guiding Council to assist and support your Session in its plans for reopening.
We are aware that some Sessions have set a date for reopening or are planning or conducting outdoor worship, using the draft Guidelines sent to pastoral leaders a couple of weeks ago, to make preparations. Many other Sessions are not rushing to reopen but continuing to provide worship and activities through means other than in-person and inside. The Guiding Council reaffirms, once again, that it is the Session that determines when and how a congregation reopens to in-person, inside worship and activities. However, the Guiding Council continues to advise and encourage this not yet happen.
We have just past the surge in cases and deaths for this area, but with the reopening of many businesses, there is a concern on the part of medical and health experts that cases and deaths could easily spike. Additionally, we are aware that many of our members are in vulnerable categories. Thus, the Guiding Council encourages that each Session take this time to develop a strategic plan for your congregation and context for the time it does reopen to in-person, inside worship and activities. The attached Guidelines are to assist and support those Session plans in a way that ensures the safest way to do so at the time determined by the Session.
Please reach out to me or Julie should you need any assistance and support. We are grateful for your leadership and continue to pray for you and your congregation.
God bless. Gavin
Rev. Gavin D. Meek
Transitional Executive Presbyter/Stated Clerk
New Harmony Presbytery
Gavin@NewHarmonyPres.org
Office 843.662.8411
Cell 646.546.0522
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Questions Churches Should Answer
Before People Return
Ken Braddy, Director of Sunday School for Lifeway Christian Rewources, outlines 24 questions churches should answer before congregations return to "normal" worship. Click on this link to learn the questions.
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Weekly Coronvirus Update from PCUSA
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