The Presbytery of San Jose

Relationship with a Presbytery in northern Mexico has been in the process of exploration for some time.  Through the initiative of Don and Anita Wolf, members of the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos, and of the Rev. Hans Frick, Presbytery Refugee Ministry Coordinator, visits have been exchanged with members of the Presbiterio del Norteoeste Frontera of the Iglesia Presbiteriana Nacional de Mexico.  As given in a proposal approved by the Presbytery in October of 1997, the purpose of the relationship would be to bring people together in friendship, to exhange ideas, to understand culture, to exchange service across the shared border.

Concern for women who confront violence within relationships thought to be safe has spurred the Committee on Justice and Mission to sponsor training for Deacons and Stephen Ministers next fall.  The Saturday seminar will be organized by Kathryn Scott, a member of the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos who recently attended an event put on by the Presbyterian Church (USA) designed to educate church members about such violence.  The PC(USA) "train the trainers" event was given financial assistance from the Presbyterian Women’s Birthday Offering.  Scott, a nurse and health trainer, joined people from across the country in receiving understanding from Seattle’s Center for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Prevention.

The Presbytery seminar will be held Saturday, October 10, 1998, from 9 am to 1 pm at the Presbyterian Church of Lost Gatos.  Speakers will be from local agencies:  Next Door Solutions and Asian Americans for Community Involvement.  Information from Scott, (408) 356-1246.

Vision Grants to encourage the ongoing health and growth of congregations within the Presbytery will be part of the Mission Budget beginning in January 1998.  At its meeting on June 25, the Presbytery approved in concept using twenty five per cent of the total unrestricted funds in the budget for such grants.  Specific criteria for the grants  are to be put in place.

Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,

Having returned from the General Assembly meeting held in Charlotte, North Carolina, I have now had time to reflect upon the outcome of that meeting and the decisions that were made.

By and large, this was a relatively peaceful General Assembly.  There were no issues that sharply divided the Assembly, and there are no overtures being sent to the Presbyteries that would result in the level of conflict that has been visited upon Presbyteries as a result of the Assembly meetings in 1996 and 1997.

There had been overtures from Presbyteries seeking to revisit the issue of Sexuality and Ordination; however the Assembly voted to take no action on those overtures.  The Assembly did issue an Authoritative Interpretation in response to questions regarding G-6.0106 (the so called Amendment B to the Book of Order).  The Interpretation, supported by liberal and conservative groups read:

Standing in the tradition of breaking down the barriers erected to exclude people based on their condition such as age, race, class, gender and sexual orientation, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) commits itself not to exclude anyone categorically in considering those called to ordained service in the church but to consider the lives and behaviors of candidates as individuals.

At this Assembly it was also formally announced that three Reformed denominations (the Presbyterian Church USA, the United Church of Christ and the Reformed Church in America) had voted, together with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, to enter into full communion.  This means that the split between Reformed and Lutheran Christians, a split that dates back to the earliest years of the Reformation, has finally been healed.  A national celebration of that healing will take place in Chicago on October 4 of this year.  We are in the early stages of planning a duplicate celebration on Sunday, October 18, to be held at the Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church at 3:00 p.m.  I would urge you to mark this time and date on your calendars, so we can celebrate this historic accord, together with our Lutheran neighbors.  I hope to see you there.

God Bless You,

Paul J. Masquelier, Jr.
Executive Presbyter

A number of candidates under the care of the Presbytery of San Jose have graduated from seminary this spring.  Receiving a Master of Divinity degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary:  Alicia Wendy Abell,  Foothill Presbyterian Church, San Jose; Ellis Aaron Hackler,  First Presbyterian Church, Milpitas; Erik Crawford Swanson, First Presbyterian Church, Monterey.  Receiving a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D. C., is Barbara A. Kenley,  First Presbyterian Church, Milpitas.

In addition, SFTS has awarded a Doctor of Ministry degree to Steven D. Harrington, Pastor, Presbyterian Church of Sunnyvale.    His thesis title is Developing a Biblical and Theological Foundation for Christian Wilderness Adventure Ministries.  For his work he received an Award for Outstanding Doctor of Ministry Dissertation/Project.

Also receiving a Doctor of  Ministry degree from SFTS is Stephen Thomas Roosa, member At Large of the Presbytery; his thesis title is A Study Guide for Use by Pastors and Counselors with Couples Entering Subsequent Marriages.

Receiving a Certificate in the Art of Spiritual Direction from SFTS is Kenton Wesley Smith, member At Large of the Presbytery.

Receiving a Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is Elizabeth Archer Klein, member At Large of the Presbytery.  Her thesis project is a video, accompanying script, and written dissertation titled Women Leading the People of God: Clergywomen in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Alicia Abell has received a call from the Blue Lake/Bayside Presbyterian Churches in Northern California, and passed her trials of ordination before the Presbytery of the Redwoods.  She will be ordained on their behalf in the West Valley Presbyterian Church, Cupertino, on September 20.

Word has been received that the Rev. Richard E. Penaluna, pastor of Westhope Presbyterian Church, Saratoga from1962 to 1978 is now in a nursing home in Phoenix, AZ suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.  His wife Penny is asking for prayers.  (The Presbytery office has her phone number.)  Dick was an active Presbyter, serving on the General Council, chairing the Nominating Committee and the Ministerial Relations Committee and serving as Vice Moderator of the Presbytery.

The 210th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) met in Charlotte, North Carolina from June 13-20.  Commissioners from the Presbytery included Elder Derrick Kikuchi, member  of First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, and the Rev. George Erickson, Interim Pastor, San Martin Presbyterian Church.  The Rev. Erickson was appointed chair of the Assembly Committee on Stewardship and Funding.  As noted in the May Newsletter, Youth Advisory Delegate was Alexander Pearson, Presbyterian Church of Sunnyvale.

Among the issues to be considered by commissioners were two new catechisms to be used as educational tools.  "The First Catechism," a listing of 60 questions and answers is designed for elementary school-age children, and "The Study Catechism," includes 133 questions and answers designed for adolescents, church officers and those new to Presbyterian faith and practice (From Presbyterian News Briefs).  Commissioner Derrick Kikuchi served on the catechism committee.

Also  considered was "The Year With Education," a focus on the educational ministry of the PC (USA).  New GA Moderator Douglas Oldenburg promised to make this emphasis a priority.

Thirty eight young people and leaders from the Presbytery of San Jose will be joining almost 6,000 delegates at the Presbyterian Youth Triennium in July.  Held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the Triennium brings youth and adults together from across the United States, Canada, and nations around the world.  At its meeting on June 25 the Presbytery commissioned these delegates, with prayers .

The first woman elected as Moderator of the Presbytery of San Jose has died.  Cornelia Grace Sweet, known always as Grace, died April 22, 1998 at the age of 91.  Born on January 25, 1907 in South Africa, she met her husband, Jim, in 1928 in the mining town of O’keip, Namaqualand.  In 1931 she traveled alone by ship from Cape Town to New York to marry.    She and Jim moved to Saratoga in 1958 and were members first of Westhope Presbyterian Church, then of Saratoga Presbyterian Church.  She was moderator of the Presbytery in 1975.  She was an inveterate traveler, and had traveled to South Africa three times in the last five years of her life, twice by herself.

In a moving and exciting action, the Presbytery of San Jose commissioned Marta Coulter as its first Lay Pastor at its meeting on June 25.  Surrounded by members of the Hispanic fellowships at Watsonville and San Jose, Marta gave answers to the same constitutional questions answered by all who are ordained to the ministry, or as elders and deacons.  As a Commissioned Lay Pastor she is authorized to administer communion and baptism, and as staff of the fellowships she preaches, teaches, and administers programs.  In a spontaneous response to the commissioning, members of the fellowships broke into a Spanish language praise song.

Coulter was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  She received her teaching credential in 1966 and worked as an elementary teacher in the public school system.  She took courses in Bible, Christian Education and Music at the Baptist Seminary of Buenos Aires.  She moved to California in 1980 with her family.  She has worked as a music teacher and as a teacher of Spanish.  She was the first Moderator of the Presbyterian Hispanic Women of the Synod of the Pacific, and is serving on the Planning Committee for the Second National Hispanic Presbyterian Women’s Conference to be held in San Antonio, Texas, July 17-19, 1998.

The Rev. Ken Gammons has been called as pastor of First Presbyterian Church,  Mountain View, effective June 28, 1998.  He transfers from Los Ranchos Presbytery, and will be installed on July 26.

The Rev. Stephen Norman has been called as pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, San Jose, effective August 1, 1998.  He transfers from San Fernando Presbytery, and will be installed on September 20.

The Rev. Jan Hearn has left the position of Associate Pastor of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church , Aptos.

The Rev. Greg Ogden has been transferred to membership in the San Gabriel Presbytery where he is serving as Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Fuller Theological Seminary.  He had been pastor of the Saratoga Federated Church.

The Mission Fair of the Presbytery of San Jose will be held on Saturday, September 12, at the First Presbyterian Church, Mountain View.  This yearly event features interpretation of the Mission Budget of the Presbytery, showing where money given by local congregations will be used.  Further information will be mailed to congregations.

The Learning Faire will be held at Canada College, Redwood City, November 6 and 7, 1998.  This is an ecumenical two-day training event featuring workshops and displays for  educators and other leaders of congregations.  Full brochures will be available in the Media Resource Center and in local churches in the near future.

Westminster Woods Conference Center, Occidental, CA offers facilities for retreats and conferences, as well as an Environmental Outdoor Education program.  Volunteers and work parties are always welcome.  Phone (707) 874-2426.

"On Earth as in Heaven: Spirituality and Justice," is the theme of German theologian Dorothee Soelle who will be in residence at First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto October 16 to 18.  Information (650) 493-4210 or (650) 321-4997.

· To support our congregations in reaching out to all people in the name of Jesus Christ;
· To challenge a diverse community to hold fast to the foundations of our faith;
· To build a diverse community unified by the unique gifts of the Holy Spirit for the great work of the church.