Montclair Presbyterian Church

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The Role and Response of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

A while back I was poking about online and came across a calculator that purported to reveal where my income stacks up compared to everyone else. I had done something similar a couple of times and I accept that the vast majority of people in the world do not do as well as I. So, with some confidence I plugged in an approximate of my annual income. Then came the words “Your income places you in the top 0.01 % of the worlds population. YOU ARE PART OF THE 1%.  No, no I must have misunderstood. I plugged in an approximation of my monthly income – maybe this is what they mean.  Now I am told “Your income is lower than 99% of the world’s population. YOU ARE AMONG THE POOREST OF THE POOR. Now I was totally confused. I know that I am far from the poorest. But I want to identify with the 99%, not the 1%. What a dilemma.

Today in our plenary session Hunter Farrell, Director of Mission for the Presbyterian Church (USA) told us that the denomination is the richest Christian denomination per capita in the world. Here are those words again– THIS MAKES US THE CHURCH OF THE 1%.

Hunter went on to say that when Presbyterian Missionaries first went to the Congo more that 100 years ago, within a few months they were advocating against the rubber trade. The impact of rubber plantations in the Congo upon the people and the environment motivated them to try to get Christians to withdraw their support for such enterprises. Today we are still engaged in such advocacy, calling for sustainable practices, an end to the exploitation of the environment and end to the exploitation of people.

But, here is the uncomfortable truth. Many of the executives of offending corporations attend Presbyterian Churches. What does this imply about how we live out the call of faith? How do we walk in faith with both the poor and the billionaire CEO?

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The International Gathering Together for Justice takes shape

After weeks of preparation, this unique  event is finally happening!  It is so exciting to see everyone together in one large room. There are people from all over the United States and people from most of the Joining Hands partner ship countries. There are Presbyterian Church (USA) staff people from our denominational offices in Louisville, Ky, Volunteer Hunger Action Enablers from a number of presbyteries, delegates from Joining Hands involved presbyteries, and even interested “public” who just heard about it and wanted to attend. Significant, too, are those that were not able to come.

Jay Gregory, Cacades Presbytery partner, Brad Kent, Chenoa Stock, Cleo Loza, and Wilhelm Pierola confer as the conference begins.

We are delighted to greet out own Bolivian partners as well as out companionship facilitator. We are thrilled to reconnect with friends, some of who we have not seen in eight years, and at every turn we are making new friends and forging new connections.

I had hoped to be able to present a video from the key speaker this evening, Ruth Farrell, director of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, but did not get the opportunity to film. Perhaps later. In a few brief words she brought to focus why we are all here. It is about Justice. It is about responding to our mutual beliefs and living out our faith. It is about environment and human rights.

Director of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Ruth Farrell, consults with attendeees at the Joining Hands for Justice International Gathering in Chicago.

Amid the joys and high energy of this wonderful gathering there is also the sober realization that we are not all here. Several of our international partners are not here because they could not get a visa to enter the United States. For example, in post number 2 I spoke about Samuel Nguiffo, from Cameroon who was to be keynote speaker in the morning. He is one who did not get a visa. Is it a coincidence that he is among the most courageously outspoken against corporate greed? I invite you to look at the video, check out what has been done by Joining Hands Cameroon and answer the question for yourself.

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Introducing Visitors from Bolivia

We are taking a break from postings about the 2012 Joining Hands Together for Justice International Gathering to tell you about what will be happening after the conference.

Following the Gathering our friends from Bolivia will journey briefly to visit our partners in Cascades Presbytery, Oregon and then come to the Bay Area on Thursday, August 23. There will be opportunities to meet them for each of the ensuing four days. To learn more about the specific events, visit the Montclair Presbyterian Church Events page. Click here. But for now, we just want to introduce you to our visitors:

Chenoa Stock, UMAVIDA Companionship Facilitator

Chenoa Stock, native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and daughter of two retired Presbyterian pastors, began her interest in mission as a Young Adult Volunteer in Kerala, India in 2004-2005. She has been a mission co-worker for PC (USA) since 2006, where she helped to establish and build the Sri Lankan Joining Hands network, serving as Companionship Facilitator for four years. In 2011, Chenoa began her role as Companionship Facilitator for the Bolivian Joining Hands Network, UMAVIDA (Joining Hands for Life), walking with them in solidarity, as they create and develop programs for environmental justice and promote campaigns for water rights. As she continues down this path for the care of God’s creation, she is eternally grateful for the wider Presbyterian family that supports PC (USA) mission around the world, in the recognition that we are all God’s people and our call for justice for those who have no voice.

Clotilde Loza Quispe, UMAVIDA Coordinator

Cleo, as she is called, was born in a province of La Paz with Aymaran parents who migrated after a drought in the community.  After receiving her degree for Social Communication from university, she worked for a year, editing the magazine, United with the Presbyterian Korean Mission. She then dedicated her time working on the gender theme with women and youth in the Center for the Promotion of Women, Gregoria Apaza for six years. Through this work, she became connected to the UMAVIDA network in 2003. In 2007 she began to help more in the network, whose actions in taking a position for the defense of life above all, left a mark in her life. In 2009 she assumed the Coordinator position for UMAVIDA and from this year she has been promoting campaigns for the water issue and the planned actions of UMAVIDA. She has been married for ten years, and her husband and she have two sons and a daughter. She works on the consolidation and growth of her family – in the love and faith that God has taught them. She likes to confront new challenges and is very sensitive before injustices. She dreams for a different world.

Cleo recently contributed to the PC(USA) blog, “Dallas II”, in an article entitled Addressing the Structural Causes of Spiritual Poverty. Click here to view.

Wilhelm Piérola Iturralde, UMAVIDA President

Wilhelm is a Bolivian of Italian, German, and Vasco descent of the third generation.  He is the second son of 5 siblings. He was born more than 50 years ago in the mining capital and the world’s highest city, Potosi, Bolivia.  He is married and has two daughters. He carried out his primary and secondary education with Franciscan fathers for 13 years. He graduated as a civil engineer at the end of the 70s from Tomás Frias University. He worked for 5 years in one of the most important development organizations where he had a rapid ascent in position, becoming a manager his third year and being made Director of UNICEF projects his fourth year. He was able to participate in the most important development projects of those time. Starting in 1986 he dedicated his time to creating a Non-Government Organization (NGO), Center for Regional Development, where he worked to complete the objectives of benefitting the community and mining families. During this time he also worked in various countries of Central and South America, living with the most important movements of the time, such as the May Grandmothers, and many others. In 2000 Wilhelm began his involvement with UMAVIDA and is currently its President.