Synod

The Synod of the Sun looks forward to welcoming commissioners, Covenant Partners, Associated Organizations, and guests to the Fall 2026 Synod Assembly at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. The gathering begins Monday, October 26, with registration from 4–6 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. Most Assembly business will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, October 27–28. The Assembly will conclude on Thursday with worship and lunch. This Assembly will offer more

Also listen to the "Synod Youth Workshop episode of the Sunspots podcast, with Mary Megan Schnittger and Travis Dunmire, 2026 Synod Youth Workshop Planning Team member. Mary Meghan Schnittger Director of Youth Ministry, Northwoods Presbyterian Church There are not many things in the world as good for the inner child as being at Synod Youth Workshop; an annual youth summer camp experience for high school youth groups at The University of Tulsa. This weeklong experience brings

by Rev. Libby Janes Director, Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery 1) Donate Blood! If it is medially safe for you to do so, consider donating blood! During September, American Red Cross had a partnership with Hello Kitty to give a plush doll to anyone who donated, so of course I couldn't resist! It was my first time donating, and felt really good to support someone I'll never meet with part of my own body. The current Red Cross blood drive initiative is: "FALL into the h

by Rev. Libby Janes Director, Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery Tres Rios Presbytery | Palo Duro Presbytery | Grace Presbytery | Presbytery of New Covenant | Mission Presbytery | Presbytery of Arkansas | Presbytery of the Pines | Presbytery of South Louisiana | Oklahoma Presbyteries Tres Rios Presbytery: - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) approved a $95,000 PDA National Recovery Grant requested by Tres Rios Presbytery in partnership with the Concho Valley COAD.

Rev. Libby Janes, Director Synod Partnership for Disaster Recovery Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church held a weekend-long mission trip in Kerrville, working through the partnership Mo-Ranch (Lisa Winters lwinters@moranch.com) has with the volunteer coordinator at Global Empowerment Mission (Stephanie Hodges shodges@gem.org). They had a wonderful experience, and Rev. Stephen wrote about their experience in this facebook post (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KkvUa6VSk/). Ple

James S. Currie, Executive Secretary Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest At one point in his autobiography Surprised By Joy C. S. Lewis refers to what he calls “chronological snobbery”. It is, Lewis writes, “the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate common to our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that account discredited” (HarperCollins paperback, p. 254). In a collection of some of Lewis’ essays, God in the Dock, the

James S. Currie, Executive Secretary Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest In recent years several books have appeared with little more than the year as their titles. Most recently Andrew Ross Sorkin has written a New York Times bestseller bearing the title 1929 which focuses on that year’s stock market crash. In 2022 Volker Ulrich published Germany 1923. In 2008 Mike Rapport wrote 1848: Year of Revolution. Particular years are often remembered for specific events

With the 227th General Assembly a few days away, here are some resources and links for you and your congregation. The assembly convenes on June 22 for committee work, with many commissioners arriving in Milwaukee on June 26. The full assembly gathers in plenary on June 28 and concludes on July 2. 227th General Assembly (2026) Homepage Worship Information Community Day Information Proposed Docket GA227 Schedule of Events GA227 Committees On the Road to the 227th General Assemb

Part II: Worship to Support Long-Term Disaster Recovery Reverend Libby Janes Director, SPDR Part II: Worship to Support Long-Term Disaster Recovery Much like remembering veterans on Memorial Day or holding special space to remember a loved one each year on the day of their death (or commonly, on the loved one’s birthday), disaster anniversaries are also important days for many to reflect on memories or grief, or the passage of time after a significant event. Disaster annivers

Part I: Worship as Disaster Preparation Reverend Libby Janes Director, SPDR You might be surprised to hear that the word around the Synod of the Sun right now is that worship is a great way to prepare for and respond to disasters. That’s right. What we do on Sunday mornings is really important for how our churches prepare for possible disasters, and how we can respond as a community once disasters happen. Let’s begin with reflecting on worship as an important feature of disas

James S. Currie, Executive Secretary Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest In May of 1934 some pastors and theologians gathered in a church in Wuppertal, Germany to draw up a statement declaring what the church stood for in the face of the Nazi movement and the demands and actions of the Nazi government. Out of that gathering came the “Theological Declaration of Barmen”. In the early 1980s the St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, East Germany began organizing weekly pra

The Presbyterian Foundation’s Church Technology Grant program will assist Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastors and leaders serving churches or New Worshiping Communities. Funds are available for those pastoral leaders seeking to enhance their ministry through technology in a variety of ways: Upgrade existing technology or purchase new technology Upgrade a church website Online Training Pastors with the greatest need serving congregations of color, small churches, new immigran

Presbyterian Pan American School (PPAS), a Christian international boarding high school, is seeking a bilingual (English/Spanish) ordained minister to serve as School Chaplain. Responsibilities include leading chapel services, providing pastoral care, supporting student and residential life, and actively engaging in the campus community. This is a residential position (on-campus housing provided). Requirements: Master of Divinity (M.Div.) Ordination (Presbyterian Church (U.S.

Our next Oklahoma Disaster Recovery Team meeting will be Wednesday, June 3rd, at 2pm. Please share this invitation with anyone you think may be interested in joining! June 3rd Meeting Agenda: 1) Welcome & member introductions 2) Election of co-chairs & note-taker 3) Designation of sub-regions and grouping DRT members into pairs to support those regions 4) Establish process of committee communication before/during/after disasters Zoom Link: Libby Janes is inviting you to a sc

Rev. Libby Janes, SPDR Director May 18, 2026 Recent Severe Tornadoes in the Synod of the Sun April 2026 saw many tornadoes in the Synod of the Sun, including: EF-4 in Enid, Oklahoma, on April 23rd EF-3 in Mineral Wells, Texas, on April 28th 9 EF-0 to EF-2 tornadoes in Arkansas 10 tornadoes in Texas 7 EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes occurred in Louisiana in March Oklahoma has already reported 56 tornadoes, 29 of which were in April, 18 of which were within 5 days, April 23-28th. ...

Bill Wiles, Treasurer Many pastors come to their ministry responsibilities without the base of knowledge necessary for them to deal with the financial aspects of church pastoring. This is often because most seminary educations did not include courses on accounting systems, budgeting, reading financial statements, fundraising campaigns, and/or the internal controls necessary to keep church finances from being compromised. Recognizing this ministry challenge, the Presbyterian

By Libby Janes Written on April 7, 2026 I gazed out from the balcony, across a vast indoor water table. “It even smells like the river! exclaimed the person beside me. In March, I visited Baton Rouge for the Volunteer Louisiana’s Disaster Summit , which included a tour of the LSU Center for River Studies. Their Lower Mississippi River Physical Model is a powerful tool for understanding river processes, coastal restoration, and river management. This to-scale 10,800 square-fo

Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest James S. Currie, Executive Secretary Flynn Long, Jr. once developed a lecture on the evolution of the American Presbyterian Church. He called it “The Great Speckled Bird: A Study in American Presbyterian Heritage” and, according to his obituary, delivered it to over 300 congregations. The son of a Presbyterian minister, a life-long Presbyterian, and student of the Presbyterian Church, Long earned degrees from Davidson College a

Dear HMMN Family Grace and peace be with you during this time of Holy Week and Resurection Sunday preparations! The Hispanic Ministries Mission Network (HMMN) of the Synod of the Sun invites you to attend our Annual Gathering at Austin Seminary. HMMN Annual Gathering April 24-25, 2026 Theme: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Join us at Austin Seminary as we remember our church histories and those who have made an impact on our faith; we will have an opportunity to recor

(OK tornadoes & Synod-wide storms) Written by Libby Janes Over the past week around our Synod, we have experienced some severe weather events. In Oklahoma, there were seven confirmed tornadoes in Oklahoma on Thursday, March 5th, and nine tornadoes on Friday March 6th, including an EF-3 tornado in Beggs, Oklahoma. (For more National Weather Service data on the Oklahoma tornadoes: https://www.weather.gov/oun/tornadodata-ok-2026 ) There have also been high wildfire risk warnings