3 - 5 PM
29 January 2006

Crossroads Presbyterian Church
Waterford Connecticut

The highlights of the year include the following:

1. Reconciling Dialogue Project moved from development to implementation 
2. Interactive presence at Presbytery of Southern New England meetings
3. Outreach presence at three regional Pride events (New Haven, Providence, Hartford)
4. Annual Fall Educational and Spiritual Event (Marvin Ellison speaks on same-sex relationships at Westminster and preaches at Wilton)
5. Education and Service to our Sponsoring Churches
6. Successful fund-raising, 2005

Plowshares Institute is directed by Rev. Bob Evans, member of the Presbytery of Southern New England, and Alice Evans, elder at First Presbyterian Church, Hartford.  Plowshares has worked at the international level to transform intractable conflicts and was nominated by members of the South African parliament for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. The Reconciling Dialogue Project officially began September 10 with a capacity building session for Presbyterian Promise Board members and invited guests.  This was followed on October 29 at First Presbyterian Church, New Haven with an LGBT-focused conversation and further capacity building session. Planning is now well underway for a March Pastor's Retreat, which has been endorsed by the Presbytery of Southern New England's council, and for the start-up of two or more congregational dialogues. The Pastors' Retreat will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Hartford. 

2.  As a study and advocacy group of the presbytery, Presbyterian Promise staffs a table with educational resources at every presbytery meeting where interactive tabling is allowed. During 2005 we purchased appropriate display equipment and will attempt to develop creative and focused exhibits that will be more inviting and have more impact. As a study and advocacy group we submit a report to the presbytery's annual meeting (a la old Chapter 9 and Chapter 13 organizations), which provides us with an opportunity to interpret and clarify our work. 

3.  Presbyterian Promise has seen its consistent presence at regional Pride events as a means of outreach and welcome for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people seeking a church community.  The "payoff" or benefit of this presence is not always readily evident; we cannot quantify the number of people who are attracted to our sponsoring churches because of our presence.  Nonetheless, the group remains committed to this presence and making this outreach.  In 2005 we were present at the June New Haven Pride (as part of the ecumenical Welcoming Congregations of New Haven table). A couple of weeks later we were once again part of the Rhode Island Pride Event. Our presence was strengthened by an ad in the Rhode Island Pride Program. Finally, we were an energetic presence at the September Hartford Pride Event again this year, and as in Providence, had an ad in that Pride Program. The Hartford ad featured an image of Hartford Presbyterian Church, our sponsoring church in the city. Though folks from the New Haven area helped in the outreach during the day, Keith Rhoden was able to strengthen the local representation from Hartford and West Hartford churches this year.

4.  In 2003 and 2004, we held annual spiritual retreats.  In 2003 the retreat featured Chris Glaser and was held at the Sanctuary at Shepardsfield; in October, 2004 our retreat featured Carrie Jackson and was held at First Presbyterian Church, Stamford.   We co-sponsored the Stamford retreat with Presbyterian Welcome. This year's annual event featured Rev. Marvin Ellison, professor of Christian Ethics at Bangor Seminary, and involved two events in different parts of the presbytery.  On Oct. 22, 2005, Rev. Ellison reflected on the ethical and personal issues related to same-gender relationships and marriage at Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, CT.  The audience was comprised primarily of members of the church, but also included a number of others from other churches. On Sunday, Oct. 23, Rev. Ellison preached at Wilton Presbyterian Church's and held a talk-back for interested folks following the service.

5.  Education and Service to our Sponsoring Churches:

A.  Marvin Ellison's seminar on ethical and persons issues concerning gay marriage at Westminster Church in West Hartford in October as well as his preaching at Wilton Church highlighted our educational/pastoral efforts in 2005.

B.  Copies of the Covenant Network video "Turning Points" were purchased by board member Cheryl Molina and sent in the fall, 2004 to all sponsoring churches. We continue to encourage churches and pastors to use them with their congregations. 

C.  Our periodic newsletter, Presbyterian Promise News, is one of the most highly respected communication pieces in the TAMFS network. The News is an occasional piece and is our primary tool for educating, communicating, announcing events, etc.  Copies of our current newsletter are available. The newsletters are also posted on our excellent website which is created and maintained by our webmaster and print editor Ralph Jones. 

6. Presbyterian Promise fund raising is done primarily through special appeals to our membership and through our newsletter. Our emphasis is on our Advent fund-raising letter which normally goes out in early December. In 2004, that appeal featured a matching grant offered by one of our board members and resulted in total contributions of over $7,000. In 2005, three supporters pledged $5,000. This appeal has raised over $8,000. Budget details appear in the Treasurer's Report.

Respectfully submitted,

Dick Hasbany, Co-Moderator

The Board will have at least one appointed director from each Sponsoring Member."

The Nominating Committee is composed of the following three members:  Dan Blackford, Mary-Starke Wilson and Pat Wales. The committee offers the following names to fill positions on the board:
 
 

A Conversation
with the Revs. Bob Evans, John Webster and Paul Terry

• Bob Evans, of Plowshares Institute, is one of the leaders of the Reconciling Dialogue Project
• John Webster, is a past moderator of the Presbytery of Southern New England and the initiator of the Presbytery Peace, Unity and Putiry group.
• Paul Terry is pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Cranston RI and a member of the PUP group. He recently led the Presbytery in bible study.

Some of the key point from the conversation include:

• Reconciliation is about gaining understanding rather than about achieving agreement.
• It requires working very hard at the listening.
• It involves building a support community for those who have felt pain.
• It challenges us to find ways for congregations to reach that level of understanding and community.
• The integrity derives less from "right theology" and more from an existential placing ourselves under the authority of scripture.