Missionary Messenger-Fall 2022 by Communications Ministry Team

MissionaryMessengerVolume11|FALL2022 B R A Z I HARVESTLPROJECT Loaves & Fishes Offering

Cumberland Presbyterian Church Missions Ministry Team 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414 And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 23:22 For more information and resources visit our website at http://cpcmc.org/mmt P r ject B R A Z I HARVESTL Loaves & Fishes Offering

The Harvest Project is designed to feed families in need, both in the Mata de SJ Mission and among families in the town. The design of The Harvest Project calls for the Mata de SJ Mission to select fifteen needy families and use the Loaves & Fishes Offering to provide those families with food for at least two years (or until they no longer need help). The Mata de SJ Mission will give food each month, encouragement, and prayer to these selected families. Our hope is that through the relationship and food assistance, these families can use this assistance as a bridge to a more prosperous future.Your donation to the Loaves & Fishes Offering will be used to fund The Harvest Project in Brazil. The goal is that sufficient donations will be made that allow the Mata de SJ Mission to provide monthly food assistance to fifteen families for two years, starting in 2023.

he Loaves & Fishes Offering is an annual offering which the Cumberland Presbyterian Church receives from individuals and churches to express gratitude for all that God has done. This year the offering will go to The Harvest Project in Brazil. There are always leftovers after the harvest; ears of corn, shafts of wheat, puffs of white cotton, or strawberries on the edge of the field that were missed. As the verse in Leviticus observes, some of the harvest stays in the field. What remains, the “gleanings,” are important. Many of us have a little more than we need. After we spend our money taking care of our needs, we have “gleanings” left over. The Harvest Project in Brazil leans into this idea. The poor can experience God’s compassion through our gleanings, our extra. The gleanings should be used to help the poor. The harvest is larger than most realize and there is extra left in the field. Both we and the poor can be blessed by what we have.

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The Harvest Project

“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 23:22

The Mata de São João (Mata de SJ) Cumberland Presbyterian Mission is located outside of Salvador, Brazil. Salvador is a large city; Mata de SJ is not. There are about 50,000 people in Mata de SJ, a rural town on the edge of vast tropical farmland. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church started a mission church in Mata de SJ a few years ago. This mission church was born out of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church planted by Japanese CPs located in the countryside, 45 minutes outside of the town of Mata de SJ. As increasingly more people moved from the farms of the countryside into Mata de SJ, it became obvious that the CP Church needed to establish a church there.

By Rev. Dr. Lynn Thomas

MessengerMissionary FALL 2022 { VOL.11, NO.3 } 6-7 Brazil Harvest Project 8-9 Continuing to ENGAGE 11-13 A New Approach to CP Intercultural Ministries 15 Missions Conference 16-18 CP Women’s Ministry CONTENTS MM

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In this issue you will also find information about the ENGAGE process, the new approach to intercultural ministries and liaisons, the women in Brazil, and much more about women’s ministry. May the Lord bless you and keep you. Presbyterian Church

MISSIONS MINISTRY TEAM of the Cumberland

This year’s Loaves & Fishes Offering will help people living in poor communities in Brazil to be fed properly while Christian relationships are built. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Salvador and Mata de Sao Joao are eager to share God’s love and the Gospel message with the poor and the sojourner. You will read more about it in the introduction letter, the Bible study, and the “Harvest Project” article on page six.

ART DIRECTOR Sowgand Sheikholeslami ext:211 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Milton Ortiz ext:234 PUBLICATIONS MANAGER Matthew Gore ext:221 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jinger Ellis messenger@cumberland.orgRebeccaKristiCONTRIBUTORSext:230Lounsburyext:263T.J.Malinoskiext:232MiltonOrtizext:234LynnThomasext:261Zahrteext.2648207TraditionalPlaceCordova,TN38016-7414phone901.276.4572fax901.276.4578 VISIT US ON THE WEB http://cpcmc.org/mm To read the previous issues of The Missionary Messenger visit us http://cpcmc.org/mm/atmm-archivesMember • Associated Church Press Made Possible, In Part, By Our United MISSIONARYOutreachMESSENGERFALL2022 { VOL. 11, NO. 3 } M M THE FEAST OF HARVEST “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 23:22

he Feast of Harvest, also called the Feast of Weeks, First Fruits, or Pentecost took place on the 50th day of the grain harvest. It was a great celebration. It was supposed to be a festival of joy. It involved mandatory and voluntary offerings, including the first fruits of the wheat harvest. The purpose was to show joy and thankfulness for the Lord’s blessing of harvest. One important requirement of the feast was that, when people reap the harvest, they were required to leave the edges of the field untouched and not gather any gleanings after the harvest to provide for the poor and the sojourner. So, the poor and the sojourner could also experience joy and thankfulness like anybody else. This was the purpose according to Deuteronomy 16:11: “And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there.”

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by Rev. Dr. Milton L. Ortiz

Winter, Ralph D., Steven C. Hawthorne, Darrell R. Dorr, D. Bruce Graham, and Bruce A. Koch, eds. 2009. Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader. 4th ed. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.

IsolationPovertyand

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The Leviticus verse alone does not do justice to the idea of helping the poor. The story of concern and relational interest on the part of Boaz for Ruth is the real spirit of this verse. It is not enough to give our leftovers to the poor. We should also give ourselves and be friends to the poor. It is relationships that have the greatest impact on defeating poverty.

The verse in Leviticus 23 talks about gleanings from the harvest and how they should go to the poor. This verse is the basis for the Old Testament story of Ruth. Mahlon was a Jewish refugee living in a foreign land. His Jewish wife died. He then married a non-Jew, a Moabite. Her name was Ruth. Then Mahlon died and Ruth and her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi, moved to Bethlehem. They were widows and poor. Because of Levitical Law they could go into the fields after harvest and gather the gleanings. They went to the field of a man named Boaz and gathered his leftovers. Boaz noticed them. One thing led to another, Boaz fell in love with Ruth, and they were married.

Leviticus 23:22 ESV By Rev. Dr. Lynn Thomas

Prayer: Lord of the harvest, we come to you knowing there is always more in the fields than we need. Give us wisdom to know we can share from the excess we often do not see. As we look around the field and see those in need, it inspires us to ask their names. Give us a passion to be their friend. Amen

STUDYBIBLE

The beauty of the Loaves & Fishes Harvest Project in Brazil is the project gives food to the poor but does not stop there. The Harvest Project adopts a family and, from the hands of a church member, gives the same family food each month. The project adopts a select group of families and, through a church, interacts with them month after month. People in the church get to know the family. They encourage and pray for them. They become friends with the poor. The poor need healthy and stable friends.

The Ruth story has many levels of importance, but one is how Ruth went from poverty to prominence. Boaz saw the poor in his field. He knew who they were. He knew Ruth was a loyal daughter-in-law to Naomi. He knew their story. He knew who the people were in his field picking up the leftovers. Myers’ point is the poor must be known before their lives can be changed in meaningful ways. Poverty, says Myers, is in reality “relationships that don’t work” (Winter et al. 2009, 607–9) The poor need help, they need the gleanings, but they will never leave the field of poverty until they have relationships with healthy, connected, selfless people.

ryant Myers, who worked for thirty years with the humanitarian organization World Vision International, notes Christians talk a great deal about the poor. The poor, Myer explains, are often nameless people who need help. We hand them food, clothes, and medicine. The result can be that the poor become nameless people who are helpless that need handouts. Myer states the poor need much more than handouts.

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T he Loaves & Fishes Offering will help the Cumberland Presbyterian mission in the town of Mata de São João, Brazil. Our missionary in Brazil, Rev. Dr. Josue Guerrero explains: The CP mission in Mata de São João, a small city, has an average attendance among adults and children of 50 people. Of those who attend there are five families with very scarce economic resources, some of them without stable incomes. These families, over the course of each month, must wait on God believing God does not forsake their beloved children. Through the generosity of some kind-hearted brothers and sisters of the church, some of the basic needs of some of these families have been assisted, as far as possible through food offerings. Through the evangelistic work of the mission, other families have been contacted and approached. They have been given the opportunity to listen and learn of Christ and receive his blessings. Through these outreach contacts, doors have opened so that others can receive from the Lord his unconditional love. Within these families there are some who do not have the economic resources to feed their children or feed themselves. For this reason, the CP mission in Mata de São João, will use the Loaves & Fishes Offering as a response from the Lord to meet the food needs of persons in our mission and community.

In the years 2023 and 2024, the CP mission of Mata de São João (Mata de SJ), through the Loaves & Fishes Offering, will provide basic food and nutrition to fifteen low-income families belonging to the Mata de SJ Mission as well as families in need in the community that are not part of the mission. This program is called “The Harvest Project” and is based on the verse in Leviticus 23:22 (below). Based on past giving to the Loaves & Fishes Offering, the fund total at the end of 2022 should be enough to feed fifteen families for two years.

“The Harvest Project” will involve a two-year commitment to these

Loaves

& Fishes Offering

I HARVESTL

By Rev. Dr. Lynn Thomas and Rev. Dr. Josue Guerrero

P r ject B R A Z

Missions Ministry Team missionaries in Brazil will work with the pastor and leadership of the Mata de SJ Mission to assure all that “The Harvest Project” has the administrative structure to feed people in food distress. Between the missionary, pastor, and program facilitator, the Mata de SJ Mission will be well positioned to change lives in these families. Your donation to the Loaves & Fishes Offering will go to the CP mission work in Brazil. It will be used to feed families in need. “The Harvest Project” is an extension of the mission and ministry of the Mata de SJ Mission congregation working in the town of Mata de São João. All donations to the Loaves & Fishes Offering will be wired in their entirety by the MMT to Brazil to support the Harvest Project.

families. Should, during the two years, their economic situation improve and they no longer need assistance, leaders in Mata de SJ Mission will replace them with other families in need.

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Leviticus 23:22 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner:

The Mata de SJ Mission’s Harvest Project will purchase food each month from wholesalers and prepare boxes for each of the families they serve. Thefood boxes will reflect the size of the family and their unique dietary needs. The boxes will be delivered on the same day each month. The Mata de SJ Mission will have assigned people from the church who are responsible for food purchase and delivery. On the day the food is delivered to each family, the family will be encouraged and prayed for by those who bring the food. The goal is to help families in need and to show the love of Christ both within and outside the mission.

Loaves & Fishes Offering

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Reverend Dr. Christopher Fleming and Reverend Kristi Lounsbury began developing this process in early 2019, shortly after both were hired. After a long two years of their own discovery, discernment, development, and discussion, ENGAGE attempted a pre-launch with a presbytery. However, it was quickly confirmed this was not the appropriate approach. Originally planned to be a congregational approach from an interested congregation, much was learned from this first attempt.

By Rev. Kristi Lounsbury

DevelopmentDiscernmentDiscoveryDiscussion

ContinuingENGAGEto

In January 2022, ENGAGE was officially launched working with two churches in the Little Rock, Arkansas area. Sherwood CP Church and Crossroads CP Church have had two unique discoveries and discernment

Although each “D” has been named individually, it is important to note that the four “Ds” are much like Macrame ropes that continually weave back and forth, creating a clear design or pattern when completed. Likewise, the four “Ds” of ENGAGE will weave back and forth, crossing over one another, creating a design unique for a particular project. Likewise, congregations are as unique as the ENGAGE process will be to their situation. Not one approach or process will be the same. The resources used and, most certainly the outcome, will be different for each congregation. However, the process of using the four “Ds” will remain the same.

What does ENGAGE do? It depends. How does ENGAGE work? Who does ENGAGE? ENGAGE depends upon the needs of a specific congregation. ENGAGE is a unique process using four D’s.

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The Shiloh CP Church, Virginia, Illinois, recently had an introductory presentation also. After eleven years of successfully providing leadership for the church without a minister, the elders have reached out to go through ENGAGE to appropriately discern plans for the church. Although the presentation was given to the whole church, as the leadership of the church the elders will be the ones to actively pursue ENGAGE. It will be exciting to see what plans God has for this church as well as many others in the future!

If you are interested in learning more about ENGAGE, with the possibility of joining the waitlist for an introductory session, please contact Rev. Kristi Lounsbury at klounsbury@cumberland.org.

Fleming and Lounsbury continue to serve as facilitators and resource persons for the two congregations, spending time discussing possible goals, dissecting the mission statement, and having round table discussions. The Crossroads CP Church has plans to become more involved in the community, to promoting their congregation in the community, and to create more of an online presence. The Sherwood CP Church, a musically inclined congregation, is planning to promote their Sunday evening Jam Session in addition to looking for ways to strengthen themselves as a worshiping community.

processes. Continuing into the development process, each congregation has begun working on their plan of action.

The Missions Ministry Team, Discipleship Ministry Team, and Trinity Presbytery are collaborating on a weekend event for youth in 2023. The Youth Evangelism Conference (YEC) will be held February 17-20, 2023, during President’s Day weekend, in San Antonio, Texas. The event theme is Against The Grain encouraging youth to exemplify, the passion, love, and trust that it takes to follow Jesus at one’s school, home, community, and church and how that can be countercultural or “against the grain” of expectations.Throughout the weekend youth will have opportunities to worship, participate in small groups, enjoy activities, and engage in community service projects throughout San Antonio. The Stone Oak Cumberland Presbyterian Church is the host church and will be providing meeting and fellowship space. Jerrod Gunter is scheduled to be the keynote speaker and will help youth to answer the call to be countercultural.

By Rev. T. J. Malinoski and Rev. Nathan Wheeler

T his year the Missions Ministry Team has diversified the denomination’s approach to intercultural ministries within the United States. For nine years, the Reverend Johan Daza served the Ministry Council as a staff member assisting the church-at-large in the cultural diversity reflected in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Rev. Daza has accepted a call to serve the Mennonite Central Committee, an ecumenical organization providing programs and projects in Colombia and Ecuador by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. The emphasis on Cumberland Presbyterian intercultural ministries continues to be a priority. Moving forward to address these needs, the office of Evangelism and New Church Development is working with three liaisons who are committed to serving and focusing in the areas of intercultural ministries. Rev. Diann White, Rev. Iwao Satoh, and Jonathan Calheiros bring experience, passion, and commitment to their respected areas of ministry. The following pages introduce us to their gifts and qualities in their own words. Each covets your prayers and support. Feel free to contact them or myself at TMalinoski@cumberland.org, 901.276.4572. ext.232 with questions, ideas, and for additional information.

Against The Grain A Youth Event in 2023

CumberlandtoPresbyterianInterculturalMinistries

Registration begins in November with an early registration fee of $100 per participant through December 31st, 2022. This fee includes two meals, the keynote, general supplies and administration, and a t-shirt. Lodging, travel, and some meals will be on your own. Check cpcmc.org/yec for registration and additional information.

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A ApproachNew

By Rev. T. J. Malinoski

For example, as recently as this year, a large Japanese auto plant opened in Huntsville, Alabama. Hundreds of Japanese employees and their families are coming to Huntsville. Still, there are very few Japanese-speaking pastors or church leaders here in the southern United States. During the third week of May, I visited Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee, as well as Huntsville, Alabama, to hold meetings. Since this was my first visit after the pandemic, I met people I had not seen in many years and met new people in each area. Especially in Memphis, we were able to hold a meeting at Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Bartlett. We hope Japanese people in the area will become familiar with the church’s location and will gather at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Sundays.

TheologicalfromgraduatedMemphisseminaryin2008.Then,GodrevealedmycallingtoministertoJapanese-speakingpeopleintheUnitedStates.ImovedtoLouisvilleandhaveservedtheJapanese

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My name is Peter, Iwao Satoh. (“Iwao” means Peter in the Japanese language). I am a member of Cumberland Presbytery as well as a presbyterial missionary sent by Japan Presbytery. I was born and raised in Japan. I currently live in Louisville, Kentucky, with my wife, True, our daughter, Fumika, and our son, Tabito. I am serving as a pastor of Louisville Japanese Christian Church of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination and as part-time Japanese Ministries Consultant of the Mission Ministry Team. I have been a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church since I was a small child. I was baptized at Koza Cumberland Presbyterian Church on August 4, 1988, when I was twelve years old. I graduated from seminary in Japan and was ordained March 25, 2001, by Japan Presbytery. I had been a pastor of Sagamino CP Church and presbyter of Japan Presbytery until April 2010. I also studied and

Immigrant mission work is largely dependent on the regional distribution of the ethnic group and their migration. Now, however, I am feeling the abundant work of the Holy Spirit among native Japanese speakers in the United States. I have been given the grace to baptize more than 20 people in the past 10 years since I came to the States. These people have received salvation from the Lord Jesus through the work of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The challenge with immigrant missions is half of these people have already migrated to other areas. But, that is part of the joy of being able to experience the expansion of the Kingdom of God. This could be an opportunity for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church to expand its missionary work in Japanese. Please pray for our Japanese mission work of Cumberland Presbyterian Church, centered in Louisville but extending throughout the Midwest and South. I believe that as we become a team praying all together, we can together do the work of this Kingdom of God. May God’s blessings be upon you all!

JapaneseMinistry

By Rev. Peter Iwao Satoh

New Church Development of Cumberland Presbytery since May Statistics2010.show the percentage of Christians in the Japanese-speaking population is less than 1%. However, the great news is about half of all Japanese who become Christians have stayed abroad, where they have met other Christians and gone to church. There are a great many Japanese who become Christians in the United States. Currently, the Japanese population is growing in the southern part of the United States. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to come to faith.

By Jonathan Calheiros

My name is Jonathan Calheiros. I am a candidate for ministry and currently enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Memphis Theological Seminary (MTS). In response to God’s call, our family moved from Colombia in South America to the United States in 2019. We knew God was directing us to Tennessee, so after living in Florida for a few months we moved with our family to Memphis in January 2020. Reverend Doctor Milton Ortiz and his wife, Francia, kindly received us in their home as we looked for jobs and settled in the region. We were received with much love by Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Bartlett, Tennessee. My wife and I began serving on the worship team at Faith right away and have continued to do so since our arrival. During the period in 2020 when our country was in a lockdown, our family actively served in the weekly online services at Faith. We led worship songs and our sons, Aaron and Samuel, also participated by creating Lego stop motion videos. As a family we have had the opportunity to minister through music in various CP churches located in Texas, Tennessee, and Florida and we have also organized two events for kids at Faith CP Church and Christ Church in Lutz, Florida. Since our arrival in Memphis, we have sensed the Lord leading us to begin an intercultural congregation in this city. To pastor a church where different ethnicities and cultures come together to worship the Lord and serve their community. Within the vision the Lord has given us, we have also felt a strong call to minister to immigrant families and to empower them through workshops, activities, and networking opportunities that can assist them in their process of starting a new life in America. We recently felt the Lord was leading us to initiate this mission, and He gave us a unique strategy on how to start it.

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On May 8th of 2020, we began what we have called “Church at the Park.” We bring our instruments and chairs to Shelby Farms every Sunday at 6:00 PM and lead worship and share a message with the people who come to join us at the park. People from different nationalities have come to join us and a few weeks ago we had a bilingual service (Spanish and English) for the first time. We are so excited about the work that God is doing in our midst! We look forward to sharing with you in the near future all the wonderful things that God continues to do through this ministry, and the testimonies of the families that are blessed through it. We are thankful to the Lord for our denomination that has walked beside us in our call and provided us with the assistance needed to fulfill the mission that God has for us.

LiaisonPortugueseSpanish/

LiaisonLatino

By Rev. Diann White

As a child, my family and I lived in Australia for six years and Jamaica for one year. My experience living in other countries helps me understand some of the obstacles our cross-cultural brothers and sisters face and allows me to empathize with the sacrifices they have made in leaving their families and the familiarity of their country to start anew in the United States.

Iwas ordained as a minister in 2013. I also assist medical device companies to meet FDA requirements to market products. My husband, John, and I live in Bartlett, Tennessee with our labradoodle, Max. My first call was to a Latino church, Cristo Salva, where I served for three years as Associate Pastor. Although I do not speak Spanish, God used me as an English-speaking advocate for church members. One of the first things I learned in my cross-cultural ministry was that Latino churches are typically comprised of people from different Latin American countries with diverse cultures. I realized that I needed to recognize and appreciate the differences between members. For example, Mexican tamales are different from Guatemalan tamales (but both are delicious). I also learned how insular many of our Latino communities are, which is not surprising given they are living in our very different culture and often lack fluency in the English language.

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For the past six years, I have served as Intercultural Ministry Coordinator for West Tennessee Presbytery, a position jointly created by the Missions Ministry Team (MMT) and the presbyterial New Church Development Taskforce. In this capacity, I have served cross-cultural churches in the Memphis area by encouraging participation in presbyterial and denominational events, and aiding members with problems that typically involve schools, medical concerns, and legal issues. I preach, perform sacraments, and work closely with the candidates and licentiates from these cross-cultural churches. To allow me to effectively communicate with Spanishspeaking members, God has provided me with an excellent interpreter and ministry partner, Francia Ortiz. Together, we have led women’s retreats and programs for Latino churches in Tennessee and Alabama. We have also led women’s conferences at Latino churches in France and Spain. I have been honored to welcome church members into my home for fellowship and have developed strong relationships with them as I help them assimilate. I have organized Vacation Bible Schools for children and youth, Easter and Christmas parties, caroling at assisted living facilities, and retreats for families. Additionally, I have provided backpacks with grade-appropriate school supplies and uniforms for children of low-income families. To fund all these activities, I solicit donations. For instance, members of other Cumberland Presbyterian churches have contributed money, meals, and time. Similarly, collegiate volunteers from Louisiana and Mississippi State Universities and Rhodes College have been instrumental in helping to develop, implement, and fund a summer day camp. Not only have these events ministered to the recipients, but they have also offered many volunteers an opportunity to build cross-cultural relationships. It has been a tremendous blessing to see the way this ministry has united so many different people. My cross-cultural ministry has taught me that God can and does use whatever gifts we have to serve others. Now, the MMT is expanding my responsibilities as Latino Liaison. In this role, I am looking forward to supporting some churches outside of West Tennessee and working more closely with women’s ministries.

God uses this ministry to edify and awaken the church and communities of Brazil. Leadership is working in the name of Jesus Christ! Thank you to those who have made this ministry the project of the Cumberland resbyterian Women’s Ministry. Your gifts to this project have continued to spread God’s love to the women and families of Brazil.

WOMEN’SMINISTRYINBRAZIL

GROWING!IS

Ministry continues to grow in Brazil. There are weekly prayer meetings in Mata de São João, and monthly children’s worship under the direction of the women’s ministry. At the church in Salvador, there was a special program on International Women’s Day. And at JK there is a quarterly women’s worship and evangelism in rural and downtown areas through women’s ministry.

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At the end of the day, the women gave brief testimonies about what they appreciated and learned during the retreat and how they could apply it in their lives and families.

By Sara Truque and Priscilla Cerqueira

On March 26, leadership training was provided for the women’s ministry team on “Leadership and Strategies to Facilitate Women in the Ministry.” This activity was a great blessing for the team. It allowed each one of the members to recognize themselves as an important part of the development of the ministry in each church and to develop their leadership. The key is to put into practice their tasks in the service of the Lord. On April 21, the first Iglesia Presbyteriana Cumberland women’s retreat was held. There were 46 women of different ages in attendance, the youngest was fifteen. The theme of the retreat was “Levanten el vuelo (Rise Up!),” based on Isaiah 40:31. Through the conference, the women learned to apply the scripture to their lives by understanding the importance of moving forward despite difficulties with the certainty God is always there during tribulation. The women were also guided to always remain firm in the Lord, and to make decisions based on biblical principles.

God allowed the women’s ministry in Brazil to grow in 2022, thanks to the support of the Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry and the willingness of the churches in Mata de São João and Salvador. God put on the hearts of the missionaries and pastors to work in this ministry and lead the women in activities that provide leadership for this coming year.

By Rev. Dr. Lynn Thomas

The Correas shared their ministries in Colombia, they are both ordained CP pastors. First, they were church planters, starting a successful church in Cali, Colombia. Then they worked as pastors of the Central CP Church, which was the first church established in Colombia by the CP mission program. It is the “mother” church of all the work in Colombia. They later moved to Armenia, Colombia and pastored the Armenia CP Church. They shared the challenges of walking away from a strong church and a comfortable ministry to be missionaries in Guatemala. They know the road ahead will be challenging. They felt God wanted them to use the last quality years of their ministry in missionary service.

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The Missions Conference started Sunday afternoon and consisted of missionary presentations. People from seven different Cumberland Presbyterian churches from middle and east Tennessee attended. The Conference concluded Sunday night with a mission focused worship service. Three missionaries flew to the United States to attend the Missions Conference. Rev. Socorro Delgado Pejendino (missionary in Guatemala), and Reverends John Jairo and Esperanza Correa (new missionaries to Guatemala). They shared about their work and call to missions. The Correa’s live in Colombia but will be moving to Guatemala in September.

Socorro spent time sharing about the four churches and missions we have in Guatemala, as well as the Children’s Hot Lunch program and the medical clinic. As one participant stated at the end of her presentation, “I have never heard a more inspirational testimony.”

Socorro shared about her profession of faith and her call to ministry. Both she and her husband worked together in ministry in Colombia as pastors for 35 years. She then shared the pain of his unexpected death from COVID-19. Her testimony concluded with sharing about her return to Guatemala as a single missionary and the ways God has sustained and blessed her.

On Sunday June 12th , 2022, the Missions Ministry Team led a Missions Conference at Knoxville First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, Tennessee. The Mission Conference format is a new way to give CPs the opportunity to meet missionaries. In the past, missionaries visited CP churches over several weeks and months. There were many challenges and expenses related to missionaries driving church to church. In addition, finding times during the week when people can meet to learn about missions was a difficult task.

The Missions Conference concluded with a worship service and a Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering. The offering received was over $3,000. This offering, plus other donations given between March 1 and June 12 exceeded $118,000. A generous donor agreed to match all donations to the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering up to $50,000 contributed during this time. We are blessed to report that we exceeded the matching goal and are grateful to all for the offerings to our missionaries. All donations given to the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering are used to support CP missionary salaries and benefits.

TOANDCONFERENCEMISSIONSGIVINGTHESTOTT-WALLACEMISSIONARYOFFERING

Cathy, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for your love, laughter, exuberance, and encouragement. You are greatly appreciated!

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hat can we say about such an amazing person!?

Cathy Littlefield has served as the Interim Director of the Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry. In the brief time I have known her, it is obvious to me how much she loves Women’s Ministry and all that it offers for the women of this denomination. In attending events with Cathy, the care and compassion she has for the other women is evident, as well as the returned love for her. Whether it was in-person or via zoom, she greeted each person by name recalling the momentous events they had been part of over the years: sharing memories of hard work in service projects, laughter from silly times and good jokes, and sadness from the loss of loved ones. There is determination to continue creating these great memories for generations to come.

By Rev. Rebecca Zahrte

LittlefieldCathy

Cathy said that one of her favorite memories of Women’s Ministry “was a retreat at Camp Peniel and another Region was the host. They split us up into groups of eight and we sat in a circle and closed our eyes. There were six to eight ladies that stood behind us and they would whisper encouraging Bible verses in our ears. Each lady had a different Bible verse to whisper. By the time each lady had whispered, we were all in tears. It was a very touching and moving experience.”

This memory to me embodies the person I have come to know as Cathy Littlefield. Often quiet and unassuming, but loud with encouragement and moving to those around her.

For the past year

Why are we changing? Great question. We are excited to say because of the larger group of female elders and clergy in our denomination we felt it important that no one should ever feel the need to choose between being a delegate to General Assembly or an attendee of Convention.

Another factor was the rising cost of the Convention for both the CPWM and our attendees. We recognize that many of our younger working women who expressed interest in attending could not afford the cost of the Convention and a week’s vacation.

The women met annually at “Convention” to make decisions and share in happenings on the mission field. The first time they met in conjunction with General Assembly meetings was after the partial merger of 1906. In a burgeoning and reorganizing denomination, it was necessary to keep costs at a minimum and create a place for those that remained to work together. Over the decades we have once again changed, so we once again face decisions on ways to meet the needs of our people.

We give honor and gratitude for our past and are enthusiastic about looking toward our future. We continue the amazing work of CPWM and the structure of CPWM while prayerfully attracting more women who perhaps in the past did not feel they could participate. We pray that this opportunity will open doors and hearts to continue building upon the amazing legacy that our foremothers worked so diligently for. To join us on this sensational journey, join your local CPWM or start one! Make sure to follow us on our social media for all our latest information and updates. You can find us on Facebook: Women’s Ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church or on Instagram by following us at woosleywomen.

CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN

FALL 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 17

he Woman’s Board of Foreign Missions first met on May 25, 1880, in Evansville, Indiana. Seventy-five women heeded the call to gather and form an organization that would support the mission field. Today we know this organization as the Cumberland Presbyterian Women’s Ministry or CPWM.

This past June we had an amazing time in Albuquerque, New Mexico and are looking forward to a time of celebration in 2023 in Denton, Texas. Here Convention will honor its rich history meeting with General BeginningAssembly.in2024CPWM will host a denomination-wide retreat biennially (in the even years). Convention will also begin to be held biennially (in the odd years) beginning in 2025. These events will be held at a different place and time from General Assembly.

ChangesCPWM

By Rev. Rebecca Zahrte ’s Ministry

Women

Email: sarah.reyes@kellerisd.net; CPWMsecretary@cumberland.org

By Rev. Rebecca Zahrte

Serving as President of the Cumberland Region, she has enjoyed getting to know women from all over the region, as well as having the opportunity to serve on the Presbytery Council and learning about the regional operation. She has served as a Sunday school teacher, VBS director, and children’s church teacher while at Garfield. But, her heart is with the Women’s Ministry. She sees the opportunity for many good things to be accomplished through their work. She retired from the local public school system where she worked for fifteen years as Family Resource Youth Services Center Coordinator . After retiring, she was the Director of her local Chamber of Commerce for five years. She enjoys volunteering and is presently working with a local ‘Sober Living Home’ for women in her county. “There are so many ways to serve God in our communities and these women need God in their lives.” She has been so moved by their life stories and their testimonies. Contact information: (270) 925-6164; PO Box 403 Hardinsburg, KY 40143.

Sarah Holland has been the Minister of Music at St. Timothy Cumberland Presbyterian Church for almost eighteen years. She serves on the Worship Committee and is an ordained elder. Sarah began attending St. Timothy at the age of seven. Sarah also attended more than ten mission trips to Mexico where she helped build homes and helped her dad run a medical mission. She has loved this church family since she was a child and is passionate about the music programs at St. Timothy.

Secretary: Sarah Holland

18 MISSIONARY MESSENGER FALL 2022NEW OFFICERSCPWM

Email: veebooks@yahoo.com; CPWMpresident@cumberland.org

President: Veronica Ent Veronica is a member of Garfield Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Garfield, Kentucky. She has worked with CPWM for about fourteen years. She served as president and worked in other capacities as needed. She loves the work of her local groups and believes they make a difference in the communities they serve.

Sarah was married last November to Michael Holland, who she has known since seventh grade. She is the mom of two amazing kiddos: Esperanza and Cruz Reyes and the proud stepmom of one son, Jacob Holland. She is also the mom of two cats, Timone and Pumbaa. Contact information: (817) 917-6608; 11741 Ficus Dr., Fort Worth, TX, 76244.

We also want to welcome aboard President-Elect Debbie Beals and Secretary-Elect Rev. Lisa Oliver. Thank you for your willingness to continue the excellent work of CPWM.

Sarah has taught music in public education for seventeen years, currently teaching elementary music at Shady Grove Elementary in Keller ISD. She runs an after-school choral program with over 120 students. Sarah was honored to be recognized as the Teacher of the Year in 2015. She also is the assistant director of the Keller ISD 5th and 6th Grade Honor Choir. Sarah currently serves as the Vice President of Elementary Music for the Texas Choral Directors Association where she helps run the TCDA Convention and the Elementary Honor Choir.

The European Union (EU) has opened its borders to Ukrainian refugees, and they are arriving in Spain, where the CP Church has a presence with mission churches and our missionaries, Reverends Wilson, and Diana Lopez. The “Renacer CP Church” in Madrid has been accepting donations and is using them to purchase medicines, clothing, food, diapers, and other basic needs for the Ukrainian refugees. Because of your generous donations we have already sent over $5,000 to help them with their missions. We have received an additional $44,182 and are working with the Lopezes on the best way to use the funds.

Reverends Lee & Leslie Attema began a relationship with pastor James Jones of the Living Word Church in Ontario Village, Belize, in 2018. The church’s desire to become affiliated with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was welcomed. Many of those who attend the church do not have vehicles. The school bus has a route to pick up the church attendees whenever there is something going on at the church. The bus is a lifeline for the Living Word Church. This gift to the congregation will eliminate the worry of monthly payments and maintenance needed to keep this vital ministry up and running. We are happy to report that $3,725.00 was collected for this project. The funds were presented by Kristi Lounsbury and a group of volunteers who traveled to Belize in July 2022. We also received $3,300 in additional donations for the mission trip.

Stott-Wallace

Repairs for School Bus in Belize

By Jinger Ellis

Builders Fellowship

Disaster Relief

1st Call - April 2022 - The Rock of Salvation Cumberland Presbyterian Church (La Roca de Salvacion) is located outside of Birmingham, Alabama - to date we have received $8,155.23 to help them modify a recently purchased building.

We have received $170,533.78 in donations from January 1st to date. Of this amount, $118,483.91 was received from March 1 to June 12. We are happy to report that we have exceeded this short-term goal and received the generous matching gift of $50,000 plus an additional $8,000. We are so appreciative of all the offerings received for our missionaries.

FALL 2022 MISSIONARY MESSENGER 19

UPDATEFINANCIAL

20 MISSIONARY MESSENGER FALL 2022 Financial Data: Amount needed from Second Mile: $5,000 Amount received to date: $750.00 GIVING NEWS/ Second Mile forProjectMissions

• UBFM founder and director is a Cumberland Presbyterian, Rev. Dr. Tommy Clark, minister at the West Nashville Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

• UBFM’s mission is to serve food and provide essential supplies, to connect by building relationships in caring for, praying for, and getting to know neighbors on the streets, and to create and sustain disciples among the volunteers and the people they encounter.

• Funding goes directly to food and essential supplies. No administrative costs.

• Provides over 200 meals a week to individuals affected by poverty and homelessness in Nashville, Memphis, and Des Moines. Additional mission points include Dubuque, Colorado Springs, and Chicago. Food is purchased, prepared, and delivered by volunteers by bicycle.

Additional needs for fall/winter: hand warmers, tarps, gloves, hats, scarves, blankets, sleeping bags, socks, sweatpants, undergarments for men and women (all sizes), and coats for men and women (all sizes).

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• Funding will purchase canned refried beans, white rice, taco seasoning, ground beef, shredded cheese, aluminum foil sheets, packets of hot sauce, ten-inch tortillas, and water.

• Additional needs in spring/summer: sunscreen, insect repellant, shorts for men and women (all sizes), t-shirts for men and women (all sizes), socks, sweatpants, and undergarments (all sizes).

A meal consists of two burritos, a bottle of water and a small dessert.

Urban Bicycle Food Ministry (UBFM) – Project #34482 Contact T. J. Malinoski at tmalinoski@cumberland.org (901) 276-4572 ext. 232.

Additional information:

• UBFM is a non-profit 501c3 organization.

• The Ministry started in 2012 providing meals and essential supplies: blankets, jackets, handwarmers, insect repellent, sunscreen, and sleeping bags.

• History and Theology of UBFM: https://www.ubfmnash. org/historyandtheology Website: https://www.ubfmnash.org/

•

Contributions: Please make check payable to the Missions Ministry Team indicating for “UBFM” and mail to 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414.

• $19.84 feeds 25 people.

Who: youth from 7th grade up Where: San Antonio, Texas When: February 17-20, 2023 Cost: $100.00 per person through December 31, 2022 information and registration: cpcmc.org/yec

ADDRESS CHANGE: Send new address and label from a recent issue to the Circulation Secretary at the address below.

Against Grain

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414.

THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER (ISSN 08868344), (Publication permit number: PE14376) is published quarterly by the Missions Ministry Team of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church,8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, TN 38016-7414. Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, Tenn. The magazine is sent free of charge to each household in the denomination.

The

POLICY: THE MISSIONARY MESSENGER is published for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by the Missions Ministry Team. Opinions expressed by the individual writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editors.

A Youth Event in 2023 Looking for help on how to be a follower of Jesus at school, on your team, at home, and in your community? The for you! other youth around the denomination for a weekend in San Antonio, Texas to learn more of how to be countercultural with your faith.

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