May 14, 2008
 

The Rev. Dr. Ernest Jackson returns home
The Presbytery of New Harmony, after the required examination, welcomed back one of its own at the Sixty-Second Stated meeting, Tuesday, May 13.  The Rev. Dr. Ernest Jackson, product of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Dalzell, and former pastor to the Cousar and Mt. Lisbon Presbyterian churches in Bishopville, has returned as a member-at-large to the Presbytery.

Dr. Jackson has been a member of Trinity Presbytery (Columbia, SC) as he served the Lebanon Presbyterian Church in Ridgeway, SC for the past three years.   He is the parent of five and the grandparent of twelve.

Jack Humphries commissioned as Lay Pastor of Parkwood
Commissioned Lay Pastor, Jack Humphries was installed as the Lay Pastor of the Parkwood Presbyterian Church, Florence at the meeting of the Presbytery of New Harmony, May 13.  Previously, Elder Humphries had previously filled the pulpits at Jefferson and Rocky Creek Presbyterian churches. 

 Presbyterian Men Spring Golf Outing & Picnic, Saturday, May 31
The annual Spring Golf Outing and Picnic will be Saturday, May 31, at the Sumter National Golf Course.  The event will begin at 8:30 am, with worship.  Registration information will be sent to local churches.

Send in your registrations TODAY!  The registration form may be downloaded here.

In a disaster, communication will be a problem
In a disaster, we can expect telephones, radio, and television to be interrupted.  Your presbytery would like to insure we have communications after a disaster event.

If we can identify one, two, or three Amateur Radio operators for each church, who would relay information after a disaster, we could insure communications.  Please make this happen.  Ask!  Publish in your church newsletter or bulletin.

If you are an Amateur Radio operator, want to become an Amateur Radio operator, or know an Amateur Radio operator, who would help, contact:  Doug Macdonald, the Presbytery of New Harmony's Disaster Response Coordinator, KI4TTS, KI4tts@arrl.net, or (843)669-8837.

Four standing for General Assembly Stated Clerk position
The Stated Clerk Nominating Committee announced today that three challengers have stepped forward to stand for General Assembly Stated Clerk against the committee’s nominee, the Rev. Gradye Parsons.

Under the General Assembly’s standing rules, the 13 applicants who were not chosen by the committee had until May 7 to notify the committee of their intention to stand for the office

A successor to the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick — who declined to seek a fourth four-year term — will be elected June 27 during the upcoming 218th General Assembly in San Jose, CA. Nominations for stated clerk will formally be made on the second day of the Assembly, Sunday, June 22. 

The candidates standing against Parsons — who as Director of Operations for the Office of the General Assembly has for the past eight years served as one of Kirkpatrick’s top deputies — are the Rev. Edward H. Koster, stated clerk of Detroit Presbytery; the Rev. Winfield “Casey” Jones, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pearland, TX; and the Rev. William P. Tarbell, pastor of Saluda (SC) Presbyterian Church.

--complete article by Jerry L. Van Marter, PNS

Help with the Myanmar relief effort through PDA
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is readying to provide emergency assistance to survivors of the devastating cyclone in Myanmar.

While we understand that there is concern donations will get to those who truly need them, PC(USA) has confidence in PDA to work with trusted partners ACT and CWS to move relief aid into Myanmar only when they are confident the situation is secure. In addition, over one million refugees are expected to arrive in bordering countries. Relief aid may be needed to feed and clothe those forced to leave their homeland.

A special appeal card is available to share with your congregation, post in your church or link to from your Web site. Read more about the response in Myanmar/Burma.

Where might you find a South Carolina, Presbyterian elder?
There a certain places you might expect to find a South Carolina, Presbyterian elder.  You would expect to find several at church on Sunday morning, at a session meeting, or a presbytery meeting.   You would not be surprised to find one fishing or playing golf.

However, finding an eighty-three year old, Presbyterian elder, from South Carolina, on the sports page of the New York Times might surprise you.  That is exactly where Harold King, elder from the Darlington Presbyterian Church showed up over the weekend. 

The story originally seen locally in The Charlotte Observer, was first written in the New York Times entitled, "The Track That Defied the Writing on the Wall."  Click here to view the article.  While you are there, click on the "audio slide show" to hear Harold talk about Darlington.