The MAPC UPDATE
Vol. XXXV, No. 2 — June 2009
 
 

Introducing Our 2009-2011 Global Ministry Fellows
Erin and Brent Raska

Erin and Brent Raska have been selected for the 2009-2011 Global Ministry Fellowship and joined the MAPC staff June 1. To introduce themselves they have written the following note:

“Greetings! We are very excited to be the Global Ministry Fellows at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church! We both hail from the beautiful Pacific Northwest; Brent from Spokane, WA, and Erin from Lewiston, ID. Growing up in this region of the U.S. we spent much of our time enjoying its beautiful waters, hiking and skiing its mountains, and loving the people who reside there. Remaining in the Northwest, Brent attended Washington State University and received a degree in Secondary Education and Social Studies in 2003, while Erin graduated from Whitworth University in 2001 with a degree in Kinesiology. During our college years, we both led Young Life, a parachurch organization committed to reaching at-risk youth. It was through this ministry where we both began to feel God preparing and calling us towards a lifetime of ministry. Following college, we both continued in youth ministry where our paths finally crossed. We traded places; Erin was the Director of Youth Ministry at Whitworth Presbyterian church in Spokane, WA (the church that Brent grew up in) and Brent worked at the Congregational-Presbyterian Church in Lewiston, ID, as the Director of Youth Ministry (the church Erin grew up in). Both churches were a part of the same presbytery, which led to our meeting in the context of doing what we love; journeying alongside of people as they seek to grow in their faith in Jesus Christ and serve God with their lives. We began dating shortly after. Before we met, however, we both felt distinctive calls to Princeton Theological Seminary. Brent began his time at PTS in the fall of 2005, and we dated long distance while Erin finished her time at Whitworth Presbyterian. Brent proposed during Christmas break and we were married in June 2006. Two weeks after our wedding we drove across the country and began summer Greek together. We have enjoyed our time at seminary immensely and feel blessed to experience it together!

We applied for the Global Ministry Fellowship because we feel God’s call to participate in God’s mission, ministry and activity in the Global South. We anticipate that this opportunity will give us profound insight, exceptional experience, and will forever shape us as future Ministers of the Word and Sacrament who are committed to an ecclesiology of the global church. This is not something that we set out on our own to do, but uniting in solidarity with the people of Zambia, we hope to join in the ways that God is already at work bringing about God’s mission. We look forward to using an experience such as this to inform the way that we would do mission in our future congregations. We wish to learn how the church in the United States can partner with churches in the Global South, learning from their faith and life, while also discovering how we might humbly offer our resources and gifts to strengthen their church as well. This experience would allow us, upon our return, to equip Christians in the United States to connect with, to serve, and to enter into mutual relationships of love and encouragement with Christians not only in Zambia, but throughout the Global South. We also look forward to working together as a team, each uniquely equipped with complementary gifts and strengths. We expect to be changed by this experience: in our faith, in our lives, in our relationships, in how we see God at work in the world, in how we view the Body of Christ, in how we do future ministry, and in how God has uniquely and specifically called us to serve God.”
 

Gerald Lamar (“Jay”) Williams
of Union Theological Seminary
is the 2009 David H.C. Read
Preacher/Scholar Award Winner

The 2009 winner of the $15,000 David H.C. Read Preacher/Scholar Award is Gerald Lamar (“Jay”) Williams, who received a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City on May 22 and will be commissioned as a United Methodist Minister in June.

This annual award was established by Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church to honor the Rev. Dr. David H.C. Read (1910-2001), an internationally renowned preacher, scholar, author and ecumenist, upon his retirement at the end of 1989 after serving as the church’s Pastor for 34 years. It is awarded to a student in the final year of a Master of Divinity degree program at a Protestant theological school who demonstrates special distinction in both preaching and biblical scholarship and is committed to the parish ministry.

The 2009 winner was selected from 32 candidates nominated by 24 theological schools throughout the U.S. and Canada. The other finalists, each of whom received a $1,000 award, were: Elizabeth Leavitt, Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MA; Paul Metzloff, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH; and Patrick Perkins, Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA.

Jay Williams, 28, earned a B.A. degree magna cum laude in the study of religion from Harvard University in 2003 and worked in the investment banking business in New York City for three years before entering Union Theological Seminary. He has been active in numerous community, African American and ecumenical ministry programs, and since June 2007 has served on a part-time volunteer basis as Assistant Minister of Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church in East Harlem, NY.

“There is good news to tell and I believe I am called to preach and teach it,” Jay declares. “As I prepare to enter the full-time pastorate, I thirst for the privilege of guiding congregations into renewal of their spirit of worship and service to their communities” and of “walking with believers as they make sense and meaning of reality in the view of God.”

Jay will enter Harvard University’s Divinity School as a Ph.D. candidate this fall. He intends to follow in the footsteps of the African American tradition of being both a scholar and a pastor, serving in the academic world while at the same time serving a parish as pastor–the ultimate preacher/scholar vocation. He will preach at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 27, 2009, and later in the year on the Day1® Radio broadcast, the former Protestant Hour, where the late Dr. David H.C. Read was so frequently a preacher, and Dr. Anderson is now regularly featured.
 

J.C. Austin Farewell

May 17 was Associate Pastor J.C. Austin’s final Sunday with MAPC. The occasion was marked by much tears and laughter as we said farewell to J.C. and celebrated his 10 years in ministry here. At a congregational brunch after the 11:15 am service, members and staff shared their memories and expressed their gratitude to J.C. for his leadership with the church’s ministries of stewardship, evangelism, development, the two most recent capital campaigns, and our emerging partnerships with Christians in Zambia and Zimbabwe–and of course his “give it all” efforts as the repeated MVP of the MAPC softball team!

J.C. began serving as the Director of the Center for Church Life at Auburn Theological Seminary, here in New York City, on May 18–flying to a meeting in Texas just a few short hours after playing one last game with the softball team! Thank you, J.C., for your hard work and faithfulness. MAPC’s ministry is stronger in many ways because of your work here. We will miss you and pray for God’s guidance and blessings as you begin your new call continuing to help churches grow in ministry and engage with the world around us.
 

Global Ministry Fellow Carmen Goetschius
“Moves On” Without Moving!

As we welcome the Raskas to MAPC, our first Global Ministry Fellow, Carmen Goetschius, concluded her global ministry fellowship May 31. Under normal conditions, Carmen would be leaving. However, given the vacancy created by J.C. Austin’s departure, the Session extended an invitation to Carmen to serve as Interim Associate Pastor for Outreach and Evangelism, effective June 1. The Presbytery has concurred. Consequently, Carmen, who is engaged in the search for a permanent call, will remain with us, at least through September 15 of 2009, or until either she has received a call or the Designated Associate Pastor for Outreach and Evangelism has been called and installed. This ensures a stable and strong staff through this summer, assuring that the pastors will be able to take vacations and make adequate preparation for ministry beginning this fall. One additional advantage is that Carmen was able to work with J.C. Austin the last several weeks he was here to become oriented to and begin picking up the Evangelism portion of the job. She is also working closely with Interim Director of Outreach Ministry, Douglas Grace, until his term of service comes to an end August 31, 2009.
 

Search Committee for Designated Associate Pastor for Outreach and Evangelism is Elected; the Process Begins

The Designated Associate Pastor Search Committee was elected on Sunday, May 10, during the 11:15 am service of worship and, following their first meeting, a very effective use of time, electronic technology, and consolidation of various written reports and materials, has drafted the Church Information Form (CIF) necessary to advertize the position nationally. That CIF was approved by Session at its May meeting and has been sent to the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry for its approval. Thereupon, it can be circulated electronically (as well as through other venues), and the search will begin.

What is a Designated Associate Pastor? The constitution of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. describes the position this way: “A designated pastoral relationship, full or part-time, is a call to a minister of the Word and Sacrament established by the Presbytery for a term of not less that two nor more than four years.” The congregation’s Pastoral Nominating Committee will select and nominate a candidate to the congregation for its consideration and vote, and if elected and approved by the Presbytery shall be installed for the term of service agreed to in the call. The call can be renewed up to three times. If there has been an open search process, which this committee plans to pursue, at some time in the future (after at least two years and the concurrence of Session and the Presbytery), it could be possible to call the Designated Associate to Associate Pastor. The Committee and Session have chosen the Designated Associate route for several reasons: first, as this is a new position description, it seems well to have a limited term of call in order to test the position’s viability; second, under this provision, the call process is generally much faster. Except for the limited term of contract, a Designated Pastor is as fully qualified and empowered as an Associate Pastor. Given the issues facing the congregation as we begin making preparation for the transitions that will emerge in 2012, as Dr. Anderson retires, the Committee believes that a three year term is the appropriate one, especially since it can be renewed.

Congratulations to the Committee under the able Chair and Vice-Chair leadership of Dick Iverson and Nickie Christin. Other members of the Committee are: Curtis Field, Kristin Hohmann, Elizabeth “Liz” MacNeill, and Stephanie Nichols, with Fred Anderson as staff and ex-officio member of the Committee. Please keep these people in your prayers as they go about their very important work.
 

Next Inquirers’ Class is
Wednesday Evening, June 17

Have you been thinking about becoming an active member of MAPC? Or, would you simply like to know more about the church and what it might mean to be a member here before making such a decision? Join us for our next Inquirers’ Class on Wednesday evening, June 17 from 6:30 until 10 pm in the Phillips Lounge.

After brief introductions, the class explores the fundamental requirement for membership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. After exploring the various dimensions of that confession, the conversation turns to an overview of the history of the church from the New Testament to 16th Century Reformation, noting the similarities and differences between Eastern Orthodox churches, the Roman Catholic churches and the Protestant churches, with special emphasis on what Presbyterians share in common with those other members of the Christian family, and what is unique to being Presbyterian. The evening also includes an overview of MAPC’s history, ministries, and many opportunities for growth in faith and discipleship. Once the class is complete, those prepared to do so are invited to join the congregation, and will be received by a commission of Session ten days later, and welcomed that same day in worship.

Because so many are coming directly from work, a light sandwich supper will be served. Childcare can be provided, but must be arranged no later than Sunday, June 14. Please contact Carmen Goetschius at 212-288-8920 x242 to make those arrangements. Dress ranges from casual to business attire. It is a relaxed, conversational evening that you are sure to enjoy. Join us; it could change...everything!
 

 
MAPC Softball Schedule for the Remainder of the Summer

All games are Sunday games. Players are asked to please arrive 30 minutes before the designated start time. The field numbers are for the North Meadow of Central Park.
 

                           Start                                            Playing

Day                     Time                    Field                 Against

June 14               5:30 PM              Field #1            Good Neighbor PC

June 21               4:00 PM              Field #1            Broadway PC

June 28               4:00 PM              Field #1            Fifth Ave PC

July 12                5:30 PM              Field #1            West Park PC

July 19                5:30 PM              Field #1            Second PC

July 26                4:00 PM              Field #1            BPC

August 2             4:00 PM              Field #1            First Chinese PC

August 9             5:30 PM              Field #1            Good Neighbor PC

August 16           4:00 PM              Field #1            Broadway PC

August 23           4:00 PM              Field #1            All-Star Game

August 30           6:00 PM              Field #9            Championship Game