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| | | Peace and Justice Update
The Peace and Justice Task Force recommends that members of the presbytery consider using the links below to advocate for policies of justice as the OPW has recommended . |
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| MT. VERNON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HOMECOMING
Rev. Jimmie Ray Hawkins will preach for Mt. Vernon’s 156th Year Homecoming Celebration, at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2026. Rev. Hawkins serves as Mission Director of the five advocacy offices of the Presbyterian Church (USA): Washington Office of Public Witness, the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations (NYC), Immigration and Advocacy, Mission Responsibility Through Investigations, and race and Gender Justice.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies from North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC); a Master of Arts in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (Richmond, VA); and a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center/Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary (Atlanta, GA).
For twenty years he served as the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC, 1996 - 2016. Between 1992 - 1996, he served as the senior pastor of Grace Presbyterian, Holmes Memorial and Trinity Presbyterian churches in Virginia (Peaks Presbytery).
He served on the boards of Church World Service, the National Council of Churches and Union Presbyterian Seminary. He has chaired several interfaith /ecumenical and non-profit boards: NC NAACP Executive Committee, Durham Congregations in Action, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, the Religious Coalition for a Non-Violent Durham, Housing for New Hope (homeless advocacy), End Poverty Now, and others. He served as a tri-chair for the Washington Interfaith Staff Committee (WISC) and the Heads of Washington Office (HOWO). Serving the church, he has traveled to Haiti, Cuba, and Israel/Palestine.
His community ministry includes being a leader for the Moral Monday Movement since its onset in 2013, as well as with the Poor People’s Campaign since 2017. He has engaged in four acts of civil disobedience protesting voter suppression, lack of healthcare and for a living wage. Jimmie is the author of two books, Unbroken and Unbowed (2022) and The Shaping of Black Identities (2025), both published by Westminster John Knox Press. |
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| Are you a business leader in North Carolina? Do you care about the greatest crisis public education has ever faced?
Please join Public Ed Works on Thursday, August 27, 2026 from 12-1 p.m. for Education is Everyone’s Business: a webinar with Tom Oxholm. Tom is a senior executive and community leader with nearly four decades of experience in corporate management, public education, and healthcare in North Carolina. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Wake Stone Corporation in Knightdale, a family-owned stone quarrying company, overseeing HR, finance, strategic planning, and shareholder matters from 1986 until the company’s sale to Vulcan Materials Corporation in November 2024. During his tenure, Wake Stone grew from 2 quarries, 50 employees, and $10 million in sales to 5 quarries, 225 employees, and $110 million in sales. He currently serves as Shareholder Representative under the Purchase Agreement.
Beyond his many achievements and commitment to the business community, Tom also has a long history of support for public education. He founded the East Wake High School Business Alliance in 1992 before going on to establish Business Alliances at every high school and middle school in Wake County, recruiting over 100 businesses. He also was elected to the Wake County School Board from 1999-2003, serving as Finance Committee Chair all four years and donating his board stipend to schools in the district.
To hear him speak about the funding crisis in public education in North Carolina and how it directly impacts the business community, click here to register for our free webinar.
We look forward to seeing you there, The Public Ed Works Team |
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| | | Installation of Rev. Betsy Swetenburg
Salem Presbytery will install the Rev. Betsy Swetenburg as Senior Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 10:00 am at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. Since the installation of a new pastor is an act of the Presbytery, members of Salem are cordially invited and encouraged to attend this service of worship.
Note to Greensboro-area (and beyond) ruling elders and retired clergy: since this service of installation is at the traditional Sunday morning worship hour, your presence as representatives of Salem Presbytery will be especially welcomed. |
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| Ruth Lamb Enrichment Series RSVP
Guilford Park Presbyterian Church is delighted to welcome David LaMotte — songwriter, speaker, and author — as our special guest for this year's Ruth Lamb Enrichment Series.
As a musician, David has performed over 3,500 concerts and released thirteen full-length CDs of primarily original music, touring in all fifty states and on five of the seven continents. The Boston Globe writes that his music "pushes the envelope with challenging lyrics and unusual tunings, but he also pays homage to folk tradition," while BBC Radio Belfast lauds his "charm, stories, humor, insightful songs, sweet voice and dazzling guitar ability." His most recent album, "Still," features the number-one Folk Radio hit "September Me," which stayed in the top forty for six months. A song he co-wrote was heavily featured in the 2024–2025 Broadway production of "Our Town". He has been a featured performer at top-tier music festivals including the Kerrville Folk Festival, Merlefest, the Auckland Folk Festival (NZ), LEAF, and the Australian National Folk Festival.
David's dense speaking and workshop calendar has included presenting at the PC(USA) Mission to the United Nations, keynoting peace conferences in India, Australia, Germany, and at the Scottish Parliament, and offering the baccalaureate for graduates of Atlanta's Columbia Seminary. In June 2025, he keynoted the opening plenary of the Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, for an audience of 16,000 people. David's second TEDx talk (2024) was chosen as a TED Editor's Pick. His earlier (2017) TEDx talk, "Music Can Help Us Understand Peace and Conflict," is featured on TED.com.
In 2009, LaMotte suspended his music career for two years to pursue his other primary vocation, accepting a Rotary World Peace Fellowship to study International Relations, Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. As part of that study, he also spent time in rural Andhra Pradesh, India, working with a Gandhian development organization.
We're grateful to welcome him to Greensboro for a weekend of music, teaching, and conversation.
Weekend Schedule Saturday, September 26 8:30 A.M. | Registration & Refreshments (GPPC Fellowship Hall) 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. | Keynote & Discussion Group (GPPC Fellowship Hall) 12:00 – 6:00 P.M. | Lunch (not provided) & Free Afternoon 6:00 P.M. | Free Concert — LeBauer Park, downtown Greensboro (rain location: GPPC Fellowship Hall)
Sunday, September 27 10:00 A.M. | Worship, with David LaMotte preaching | 11:00 A.M. | Congregational Potluck, immediately following worship — featuring a live podcast recording with David taking questions from the congregation
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| Hear ye! Hear ye! Parkway Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem would like your help sharing the news about The Robin Hood Festival coming October 17. Generously supported by Salem’s CG&T Committee, this charitable event will gather together the Triad community to bring to life the enduring (and Gospel!) values of the legend of Robin Hood and his Merry Band. This free event features live music, great food, medieval martial arts, craft vendors, square dancing, kids activities, hymn singing, and of course, THE REV. DR. THOM BURLESON AS FRIAR TUCK!
Materials for use in bulletins, newsletter, and social media can be found in the Google Drive folder here.
In addition, volunteers are most welcome and a signup form is available here.
For more information, browse www.robinfest.com, or contact Stacey Steck at robin@robinfest.com or 704-245-8100. |
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| | August Prayers for:Permanent Judicial CommissionPersonnel Committee |
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| Please Hold the Following in Your PrayersSYMPATHY to the family of the late retired CRE Joe Brown, pastoral leader of the former Dogwood Acres PC in Asheboro. Sympathy is also extended to former Dogwood Acres members. Obituary may be found at: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/greensboro/name/joseph-brown-obituary?id=62098355 SYMPATHY to the family of the late Mary Dagenhart, wife of former Stated Clerk Mack Dagenhart, resident of River Landing, and member of High Point FPC. No arrangements are available at this time. SYMPATHY to the family, friends, and colleagues of the late Rev. Paul Ridolfi, who died over this past weekend. More information to be made available.
We will list these prayer requests for two weeks unless we are notified that they are to be continued. You may submit prayer requests through the link below.
Submit Prayer Requests Here |
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| | Ordination Anniversaries
Please pass along congratulations to the following who are celebrating anniversaries of their ordinations: Kristen Levens ordained August 19, 2018 Troy Lesher-Thomas ordained August 20, 2000 Jeremy Cannada ordained August 20, 2011 (15th in 2026) Vicki McCain ordained August 25, 2019 Ruth Lenger ordained August 27, 1995 Libby Inman ordained August 30, 1992
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