Rev. Dr/ Shannan Vance-Ocampo discusses the theology of belonging with Erin Weber-Johnson, lead editor of the transformative new book, Pathways to Belonging.

The editors have generously offered a 40% off code for ordering directly from the publisher’s website with a discount : PATHWAYS
https://wipfandstock.com/9798385203321/pathways-to-belonging/#:~:text=Description,%2D%2Dincluding%20our%20faith%20communities.

PSNE 2025 Summer All-Presbytery Book Study
Schedule and Information:
Our summer book study will begin on Tuesday June 17th and run for five weeks, meeting at 12:30PM for an hour over zoom. After five weeks together in community, the second half of the summer will be spent reflecting and developing your own story of belonging, along with an opportunity to share that journey prayerfully with a spiritual companion.

Register: https://psne.breezechms.com/form/pathtobelonging

In this episode of Connecting our Conversations, Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo is joined by Rev. Kathryn Beilke for a discussion on how our faith calls us to care for God's creation, and address the growing plastic pollution crisis.

Together, they explore:

• The accelerating production of plastics and its impact on the current climate and public health crises
  
  
• How practices like fasting from plastics can raise consciousness and catalyze permanent lifestyle changes
  
  
• The PC (USA)'s overture calling congregations to move from disposable to sustainable practices
  
  

Rev. Kathryn Beilke is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and served for a decade as Pastor of a progressive congregation, but the moral and spiritual urgency of our current ecological crises prompted her to leave the pulpit and dedicate herself to effective environmental solutions. Believing that state and local action can spark meaningful change, Rev. Beilke worked with municipalities navigating New York State’s Climate Smart Communities initiative before joining Beyond Plastics as the Development Manager. While she is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), she believes in centering a diversity of traditions and indigenous perspectives in her work. She enjoys gardening, camping, hiking, biking, and paddle boarding with her family.

About Beyond Plastics:
Launched in January 2019, Beyond Plastics is a nationwide project based at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont, that pairs the wisdom and experience of environmental policy experts with the energy and creativity of grassroots advocates to build a vibrant and effective movement to end plastic pollution.

Additional Resources:

Plastic Jesus
https://www.creationjustice.org/plasticjesus.html

Overture from the 226th General Assembly
https://www.pc-biz.org/search/3001145

Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.

The PSNE's All-Presbytery Antiracism Training with Rev. Dr. William Yoo is coming up on March 1, 2025.

In this episode of Connecting our Conversations, Rev. Nancy Baseel and Rev. Kevin White chat with Rev. Dr. William Yoo about the PSNE’s upcoming Antiracism Training, where Dr. Yoo will be our keynote speaker. We talk a bit about Dr. Yoo’s historical work and how that intersects with the Church in our time and place, and get a preview of what we can expect at the training. Registration link below.

Dr. William Yoo is the Associate Professor of American Religious and Cultural History at Columbia Theological Seminary, where he is also the Director of the M.Div. Program.

He is the author of What Kind of Christianity: A History of Slavery and Anti-Black Racism in the Presbyterian Church (winner of the 2023 Award of Excellence from the Religion Communicators Council), and most recently Reckoning with History: Settler Colonialism, Slavery, and the Making of American Christianity.

“As a teacher, preacher, and scholar, Yoo focuses on the history of racism in American Christianity. He is a professor and public theologian who interprets the most challenging and urgent issues of racial justice with clarity, depth, honesty, and precision.” (WJK bio).

Dr Yoo has a deep commitment to researching, studying, writing about and engaging the histories of settler colonialism, racial injustice, and slavery through the lens of Christianity; and his work invites the alignment of the Gospel with the work of liberation through an honest assessment of the church’s role in these forms of oppression in the United States.

Rev. Nancy Baseel and Rev. Kevin White are the co-chairs of the Presbytery of Southern New England’s Antiracism and Equity Team. Rev. Nancy Baseel is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Hartford CT; and Rev. Kevin White is the pastor of Calvin Presbyterian Church, Cumberland RI.

PSNE Antiracism Training is Saturday, March 1 at New Haven Korean Presbyterian Church. Click here for the registration link.

Participation is open to anyone in the Presbytery!

This training fulfills the antiracism training required once every three years by the PSNE Antiracism Policy for all active Teaching Elders, Certified Ruling Elders, Inquirers and Candidates under care, and those engaged in Presbytery ministry service (serving on commissions, committees, teams, pulpit supply, etc – see page 5 of the policy).

Read the PSNE Antiracism Policy here.

In the fifth episode of the Matthew 25 series, Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo is joined by the PC(USA)'s Luciano Kovacs, World Mission's Area Coordinator for the Middle East and Europe, and Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, Director, Humanitarian and Global Ecumenical Engagement, for a discussion on the intersectional focus on Militarism, and how the Presbyterian Church can transition from charity to systemic advocacy.

Together, they explore:

• Militarism’s direct connection to poverty and the decline in resources for humanitarian and development work
• The PC(USA)’s engagement and advocacy efforts around ceasefire, military aide and Christian Zionism
• The role of the Presbyterian Church in confronting these challenges and fostering peace

Luciano Kovacs serves the national offices of the Presbyterian Church USA as the World Mission’s area coordinator for the Middle East and Europe. Most recently, Kovacs served as executive director for North America and global program director for advocacy and solidarity at the World Student Christian Federation. He also served as social justice director for Jan Hus Presbyterian Church in New York City. Before that he was Jan Hus’ assistant director, then director of homeless outreach and advocacy. During his career he has also worked at the International Turin Center in Turin, Italy and as the European regional secretary of the World Student Christian Federation. Kovacs has a “Laurea” degree in foreign languages and literature from the University of Turin. He took additional courses in history, sociology pedagogy, cultural and post-colonial studies. He continued his education at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, University College Dublin and University College London.

Rev. Dr. Laurie Ann Kraus serves the national offices of the Presbyterian Church USA as Director of Humanitarian and Global Ecumenical Engagement, in the ministries of Compassion, Peace and Justice. This work coordinates and supports holistic collaboration among the offices of disaster response, migration accompaniment, hunger and development, peacemaking and advocacy for the self-development of people (SDOP). Working alongside faith-based, civil society and ecclesial partners across the globe, this work seeks to accompany vulnerable people in the US and around the world; supporting and advocating their efforts to build sustainable and abundant communities for all, especially in times of disaster, violence, or food insecurity. Prior to her present assignment, Laurie served for 10 years as director of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Laurie is on the board and executive committee of ACT Alliance, a consortium of 155 world-wide disaster response, development and advocacy church and faith based organizations. She is a certified spiritual director and compassion fatigue/trauma-informed spiritual care provider.

In the fourth episode of the Matthew 25 series, Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo is joined by the PC(USA)'s Rev. Rebecca Barnes, Coordinator of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Rev. Dr. Alzono Johnson, Coordinator of the The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, for a discussion on one of the main pillars of the Matthew 25 church—Eradicating Systemic Poverty - and the pressing need for communities of faith to drive transformative change.

Together, they explore:

• Preexisting beliefs that alienate and invalidate others' struggles
• Intersectional approaches that drive sustainable change
• The spiritual foundations of community empowerment
• The pivotal role of churches in addressing poverty, including programs like Soul Fire Farm that are tackling hunger, homelessness, and educational barriers

Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson provides direction, coordination, strategic and theological vision to the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People ministry and its commitments to social, racial, and economic justice. He serves as the key liaison between the National Committee on Self-Development of People and the Presbyterian Mission Agency, and he promotes and interprets the ministry of SDOP to congregations, middle governing bodies, and ecumenical & community partners.

Rev. Rebecca Barnes became the Coordinator of the Presbyterian Hunger Program after serving for 5 years as the Associate for Environmental Ministries (within the PHP). Rebecca is a graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary where she earned a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Art in Religion in 2011, with a thesis titled: “A Fuller Experience of God’s Grace: How the Sacraments Invite Us to Relationship with, and Care for, the Earth.” While in seminary, she authored “50 Ways to Help Save the Earth: How You and Your Church Can Help Make a Difference,” which was reprinted for distribution to the Commissioners of the 2016 General Assembly of the PC(USA). She also previously served as a young adult intern for PC(USA)’s Health Ministries office and then in the PC(USA) Environmental Ministry program, then staffed Presbyterians for Earth Care and served as the Hunger Action Advocate at San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.

In the third episode of the Matthew 25 series, Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo is joined by Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, Director of the PC(USA)'s Center for the Repair of Historic Harms, for a discussion on one of the main pillars of the Matthew 25 church—Dismantling Structural Racism—and how we can apply our faith to advocate for change and break down the practices and mindsets that underlie discrimination and oppression.

Together, they explore:

• The primary ministry of Jesus, which was a ministry of healing
• Guiding others to an understanding that reparative justice is both necessary and possible
• Identifying opportunities to repair harm caused to marginalized groups

Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam is the first-ever Director of the PC(USA)'s Center for the Repair of Historic Harms, an office working to recognize, acknowledge, and repair the harm caused to Indigenous peoples, African Americans, and other marginalized groups. Rev. Ross-Allam was ordained as a minister by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities in 2013. He served as executive director of 21st Century Academy at Liberty Community Church PC(USA) and associate pastor for Social Justice at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, and is a doctoral candidate in Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary.

Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.

In the second episode of the Matthew 25 series, Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo is joined by Rev. Veronica Cannon and Rev. Nikki Collins for a discussion on one of the main pillars of the Matthew 25 church - Congregational Vitality, and what it means for churches to engage in ministry, including:

• Creating dynamic spaces for individuals to connect with God and each other
• Building inclusive, equitable communities by promoting awareness, understanding, and action
• How New Worshipping Communities can strengthen existing churches and bring the gift of diversity

Rev. Veronica Cannon is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Waxhaw in North Carolina, and the manager of the PC(USA)'s Vital Congregations Initiative, working alongside leaders of existing congregations to increase vitality through intentional spiritual practices that take them deeper into following Jesus Christ.

Rev. Nikki Collins is the National Coordinator of the PC(USA)'s 1001 New Worshiping Communities, movement of people committed to seeing the church come alive again, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Previously she served Cherokee Presbytery as Stated Clerk and Mission Coordinator. Before that she was the founder of Bare Bulb Coffee, a rich brew of full-service coffee shop, music and arts venue, and home to a diverse group of disciples committed to shedding light in the world.

Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.

In the first episode of the Matthew 25 series, Rev. Dr. Shannan Vance-Ocampo and Dr. Corey Schlosser-Hall explore the essence of being a Matthew 25 church, highlighting the call for deeper engagement within faith communities to address systemic injustices.

This conversation dives into the intersections of ministry, community needs, the vital importance of embodying Jesus’ teachings and much more:

• Acknowledging the role of intersectionality in ministry
• The church's historical commitment to community engagement
• Exploring the collective identity of faith and discipleship

Dr. Corey Schlosser-Hall is the Deputy Executive Director of Vision and Innovation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Prior to that he served as the Executive Presbyter(EP) for Presbytery of the Northwest Coast. A Ruling Elder, Corey grew up in the Dakotas and graduated from the University of Oregon He earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from the University of Minnesota and is an ICF credentialed leadership coach.

Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.Connecting our Conversations is hosted by the Presbytery of Southern New England, a regional governing body in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is our space for conversations that push the edges of our faith and help us deepen discipleship.