Important Action Item: Write to Congress Today

From the PC(USA) office of Public Witness:  As members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we are called by Christ to care for the most vulnerable among us. From the Hebrew prophets to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Scripture consistently commands us to feed the hungry, protect the poor, and uphold justice for those on the margins. This moral imperative is central to our Reformed tradition and affirmed in PC(USA) social witness policy, which urges the church to support systems that nurture human dignity and economic fairness.

Right now, Congress is considering a budget reconciliation package that deeply contradicts these values. The House Agriculture Committee’s proposal includes historic cuts to federal food and healthcare programs, totaling nearly $1 trillion in reductions over ten years. If passed, this bill would:

• Slash $296 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—the largest cut in the program’s history,
• Eliminate the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which protects families and seniors from extreme weather,
• Impose new barriers that would deny food assistance to older adults aged 54–64,
• Shift significant costs and administrative burdens to already under-resourced state governments,
• End federal support for states that offer healthcare to immigrants with legal standing in the United States—and remove federal eligibility for food and health programs for these individuals,
• Expand oil and gas drilling while eliminating investments in clean energy—threatening public lands and environmental justice.

These changes will harm children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, low-wage workers, and immigrants—those already struggling to make ends meet.

Our faith compels us to resist this injustice. The PC(USA) affirms that access to food, healthcare, and essential services is a human right and a reflection of God’s justice and compassion. In our 1997 policy, A Call to Restore the Public Purpose of Welfare, we affirmed that balancing the budget through cuts to critical social programs—while preserving tax breaks for the wealthy—is morally indefensible.

As Isaiah proclaimed:

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to lose the bonds of injustice… to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house?” (Isaiah 58:6–7)

Now is the time for Presbyterians to raise their voices in defense of our neighbors.

Contact your Representative and urge them to vote no on the House Agriculture Committee’s Budget Reconciliation Proposal.

Tell Congress Today: We will not stand silent while the most vulnerable among us are made to bear the burden of budget cuts.

Let us act in faith and solidarity, remembering Jesus’ words:

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Voter Voice Site

Churches Gather Around the World in Vigil for LGBTQIA+ Solidarity

“Gender violence is an evil that must be stopped collectively,” said the Rev. Daniela Di Carlo, pastor of the Waldensian Church in Milan and organizer of national prayer vigils across Italy in honor of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), which falls on May 17.

The Waldensian Church in Italy is one of four denominational partners of the PC(USA) in Southern Europe. Others include the Portuguese Presbyterian Church, the Spanish Evangelical Church (also Presbyterian) and the Greek Evangelical Church, and comprise the Southern Europe Partnership Network. Of these, the Waldensian Evangelical Church in Italy has been one of the most vocal on issues relating to LGBTQIA+ equity and inclusion. 

Di Carlo believes that forming alliances between churches can build a world where differences are resources. She serves on the Italian National Commission on Faith, Gender and Sexuality, an ecumenical Protestant advocacy group

"Every person is deeply loved by God and was created in God’s image and likeness,” said Di Carlo. “Women, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community and all those who do not fit into the norm can help churches and theologies become inclusive.”

According to Di Carlo, vigils, prayers and services dedicated to the victims of homobitransphobia remind people of faith of the hope they must have and the work they must do to end violence and create a world of welcome and love. “As we work together for the day in which no woman is killed, no gay rejected by his family, no [transgender person] attacked in the street, no differently-abled person mocked, let us pray and begin to build, with the help of Jesus Christ, that possible world made of welcome and love,”

In addition to planning and promoting the May 17 vigils, Di Carlo has developed an ecumenical liturgyand a preaching resource to be used by churches across the world in honor of the day which can be found among other ecumenical resources on pcusa.org. 

The International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia was established in 2005 to commemorate the day in 1990 when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases. Like the PC(USA), DiCarlo explained that the Waldensian Evangelical Church in Italy has a long history of advocating for gender and sexuality issues dating back to the 1970s, when it began to speak at the Agape Ecumenical Center about faith and feminism in 1974 and later faith and homosexuality in 1980. In 2010, the Waldensian Evangelical Church Synod in Italy decided to bless same-sex couples. As the 2025 vigil draws attention to gender- and sexuality-based fear and discrimination, Di Carlo says the organizers are focused on issues that transgender people face in Southern Europe.

A responsive greeting opens the liturgical resource for these international vigils with a litany that calls all Christ’s disciples into the work of faithful witness for God’s just and inclusive realm:

“Ci chiami, come hai chiamato le donne alla croce.

 Ci chiami, come hai chiamato I dodici …

 Ci chiami, come hai chiamato la folla,

 Ci chiami, come hai chiamato I tuoi amici ."

(You call us as you called the women to the cross. You call us as you called the twelve. You call us as you called the crowd … You call us as you called your friends …)

“Mentre ci muoviamo, concedici il coraggio e la grazia di esserti testimoni fedeli.”

(As we move, grant us the courage and the grace to be faithful witnesses to you.)

“A lot of churches in Italy on May 17 organize a vigil as a public event of witness by those Protestant churches combating homobitransphobia,” said Luciano Kovacs, international global ecumenical liaison in the Interim United Agency of the PC(USA). Last year, Kovacs and others invited Di Carlo to serve on the steering committee of the Rainbow Pilgrims of Faith, an informal network of members of churches within the World Council of Churches that advocates on behalf of LGBTQIA+ equity. Kovacs, who supports the mission partnerships and networks of the PC(USA) in Europe and the Middle East, will be attending the May 17 vigil in the Waldensian Evangelical Church in his hometown of Turin, Italy. 

Having formerly served as area coordinator for Europe and the Middle East for the PC(USA) since 2019, Kovacs highlighted how LGBTQIA+ issues in Europe and the Middle East became a focus after the 223rd General Assembly (2018) when a resolution was passed to celebrate the gifts of people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the Church that directed “mission co-workers and ecumenical representatives to advocate for justice and equality for all God’s people in ways appropriate to their cultural and ecclesiastical context.” Since then, Kovacs has been working with the Rainbow Pilgrims of Faith, the organizers of vigils for the International Day against Homobitransphobia and the Sarajevo Open Center among other non-profits to support LBTQIA+ concerns and advocacy across Europe.

For further theological reflection on transphobia, go here.

For information on the LGBTQIA+ advocacy work within the PC(USA) by the ACQ+E Committee, go here. 

Other advocacy groups include the Covenant Network of Presbyterians and More Light Presbyterians.

Original link to PC(USA) news story

Action Item: Urge a Ceasefire in Gaza now!

From the Presbyterian Church(USA), a call to urge an end to the fighting in Gaza. 

As bombing resumes and the situation in Gaza and the West Bank continues to deteriorate, the Biden administration and members of Congress must hear from people of faith supporting a ceasefire now.

More than fifteen thousand Palestinians have been killed, over 6,000 of them children. More than a million people in Gaza have been displaced, and more than two million are suffering under a brutal siege of food, water, medicine, and fuel. More than 1200 Israelis were killed on October 7th, and 200 Israelis were taken hostage in a shocking attack on civilians. 

In November, the State Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) joined 30 heads of churches and faith-based organizations in a letter calling for a ceasefire, a return of hostages, and the protection of all civilians. The leaders called on President Biden to “press all parties to abide by the Geneva Conventions and customary international law and for the collective punishment imposed upon the civilians in Gaza to be brought to an end. Atrocities against civilians are never justified. We call for actions to be taken to secure the immediate release of all civilians being held hostage and ensure international protection for all civilians.”

For almost a decade, the US has given more than $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel each year and has now requested an additional $14.3 billion. That investment means the US is not only partially responsible for what’s happening; the US also has the power to pressure it to stop.  

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights  recently stated that both Hamas and Israel have committed war crimes and that “even in the context of a 56-year-old occupation, the current situation is the most dangerous in decades faced by people in Gaza, in Israel, in the West Bank and regionally."  

It is urgent for Congress and the administration to call for a ceasefire now! The United States must demonstrate its commitment to protecting all human life.  

War crimes do not justify war crimes. Every vigil, every Facebook post, and every email makes a difference. Send your message today!

Find your representative

Celebrating Trans Day of Visibility in the PC(USA)

On this Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV), we celebrate the joy and resilience of transgender and genderqueer people in our churches and our communities. TDOV, observed on March 31, is a time to affirm the presence, dignity and contributions of trans and gender nonconforming people.

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We affirm that gender nonconforming people are visible in scripture as eunuchs. Using today's terms we might consider them genderqueer, not operating within conventional gender norms. This connects with the experiences of transgender, non-binary, and intersex people and also gender non-conforming butches, twinks, drag queens, kings, and monarchs. God calls eunuchs as prophets (Nehemiah), teachers (Hegai in Esther 2:3-15), and missionaries (the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26-40).

Today, in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), trans, non-binary, intersex, and genderqueer people serve as pastors, elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, ushers and in all kinds of leadership roles. God does not call genderqueer people in spite of our gender identity but promises to build monuments and give us names “better than sons and daughters” beyond the binary of male and female (Isaiah 56:4-6).

In our present political moment in this country, there are efforts to reduce the visibility of trans and genderqueer people in education, sports and through bodily changes in health care. These efforts are sometimes bipartisan, like legislation in West Virginia to statements from California’s governor. It is a scary time for Trans people. These actions are part of a broader wave of anti-LGBTQ+ backlash that includes efforts to undermine gay marriage and other fundamental rights. In times such as these, visibility is not just an act of celebration; it is a witness against injustice.

TDOV falls in the Lenten season, where Christians traditionally have fasted or given something up or taken something on as a spiritual discipline. We invite Christians to consider instead of giving up chocolate to give up on concepts that fail to feed us spiritually. Let us not fast from dinner but fast from oppressive ideologies.

We call on Christians to fast from ableism, where bodies are too often expected to work or appear one way and where minds are too often expected to process information and emotions in one way when we know God has made us in so many different ways. God calls us to celebrate positive differences and accommodate disabilities. We call on Christians to fast from diet culture, where (queer) beauty is so often tied to thinness.

We call on Christians to fast from perfectionism or thinking there's any "right way" to be: none of us will be the perfect ally, be perfect with new friends’ pronouns, have a perfect body, or have a perfect life, and not because we are unworthy — we know we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) but “perfection” exists only in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 5:9).

Trans joy is nourished not by the fear and restriction of human institutions but by the abundant life that Christ offers. The psalmist proclaims, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8), an invitation to trust in the God who feeds us with love and justice. And at the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, saying, “This is my body, given for you” (Luke 22:19). Christ’s body, broken and transformed, reveals resurrection power. So too, trans bodies are joyful bodies and are part of God’s redemptive story.

And we remember now, like we do every celebration of the Lord’s Supper, that through breaking bread, Christ’s body was ripped into two. In the promise of new life that we are given, we too are promised transformation. It is through the changing of our bodies, sometimes even the tearing of it, through ripping new clothes and surgical cuts, that Trans people experience joy and can see transformation become possible.

In Acts 8:26-40, Philip meets the Ethiopian Eunuch, a court official returning from worship in Jerusalem, likely having been denied access to the temple because of their gender presentation. As the two read scripture together, the Eunuch asks, “What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Philip, seeing the Eunuch’s full humanity and worth, baptizes them immediately. The Eunuch becomes the first convert to Christianity from outside of Israel and, after their baptism, scripture tells us goes on their way rejoicing

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Hard times call for a time to cry, a time to lament (Lamentations 1:16). But scripture also tells us just as it is important to feel the feelings of sadness, in the same verse that there is also a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4-5). We should remember trans joy is resistance. Trans visibility is found in drag brunches, in reading groups, in gay bars, in laughing with chosen family, sitting anxiously at the clinic, and in worshiping together in affirming communities. It is found in every trans person who claims their name and their identity with boldness. It is witnessed by every cisgender ally who makes a stand against injustice.

On this Trans Day of Visibility, we affirm that trans people are beloved, visible, and full of joy. We celebrate trans and genderqueer people and we commit to ensuring that trans visibility is not merely symbolic, but met with justice, affirmation, and love. God desires life for all of us, not mere survival. Jesus came that we may have life abundantly (John 10:10).

May we all go on our way rejoicing.

Rev Rosa Ross and the Advocacy Committee for LGBTQIA+ Equity of the PC(USA)

A Look at the Reformed Catholic Church

 

We, the people of the Reformed Catholic Church; Transformed by Jesus Christ through Baptism; Empowered by the Holy Spirit; Nourished by the Eucharist; United in our faith; Liberated by the love of God; Commit ourselves to be God's welcoming heart of mercy, God’s inclusive arms of love, and God's hands of justice and healing to all people who seek God through Jesus Christ

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The Reformed Catholic Church is an Independent Catholic Church, not under the authority of the Bishop of Rome. We are similar in our liturgy, sacraments and apostolic succession. Our heritage flows from the Old Catholic Church, which split with the Roman Catholic Church in 1870 over certain doctrines of the First Vatican Council. We profess a more progressive theology, ordain men and women, offer open communion, and are fully affirming and inclusive of the LGBTQ community in the life of the Church, including Holy Orders.

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As the Institutional Church rose from the ministry of Jesus and became codified into the Eastern and Western Churches, there have been moments of debate that have led to new directions. In 1054, for example, the Roman Catholic Church caused a schism with the Eastern Church over the insertion, without ecumenical agreement, of a phrase referred to as the Filioque or "and from the son". Roman Catholic leadership changed the creed of the Church by being inserting "who proceeds from the Father and the Son." Since this breach, the Roman Catholic Church has promoted herself as the "one true Church." This despite being the Ecclesial body who changed the orthodoxy. In 1517 theologians and clergy stood against the Roman Catholic Church's abuse of power and greed. This stance led to the Protestant Reformation and the creation of what would become the Lutheran, Anglican, and Presbyterian Churches.  

The year 1648 brought about the end of the Thirty Years' War - a war between nations in response to the Roman Catholic Church's desire to control nations with theocratic rule and nations' desires to rule themselves. This war produced what we now call the Great Enlightenment. From this era, secularism in the form of science, secular governance, and academia invited humanity to be led primarily by reason. In 1730, as The United States of American was being born, The Great Awakening brought about the proliferation of Evangelicalism and the solidification of Methodism. As the Roman Catholic Church became aware of their new need to compete in a marketplace of ideas, the First Vatican Council, Vatican I, was convened. 

The Roman Catholic Church, as a result of Vatican I, created the doctrine of "Papal Infallibility." Also, Pope Pius IX scribed an apostolic constitution named Ineffabilis Deus. In his constitution, he established the doctrine known as the "Immaculate Conception." While this was a practice of some Christian communities, the Roman Church made it into dogma with no real theological support. These overreaches by the Roman Catholic Church were again met with schism. In 1871, in response to Vatican I, the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht was born.

Breaks from Rome continued to occur in the modern era. The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church was created in 1945 by Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa. Duarte Costa disagreed with several moves by the Roman Catholic Church, including their closeness with fascist regimes. In June of 1945, Costa broke with the Roman Church, establishing the Igreja Católica Apostólica Brasileira or ICAB.

Vatican II was a further source of consternation among communities of Catholics who split from Rome, claiming that the Papal See was vacant and that the modern "Popes" were no longer the Vicar of Christ. These communities have been quite popular among traditionalist Catholics.  

While it may seem like the word "Catholic" is synonymous with Roman Catholic, it is merely a word that means "Universal" or that the subject applies to all of humankind. Likewise, the term "Catholic" refers to a culture of people with catholic ideas - The Mass, the Sacraments, the need for clergy, and apostolic succession. This understanding of Catholicism is at the foundation of the growth of the contemporary Independent Catholic Movement.

Independent Catholic communities exist throughout the world. The Reformed Catholic Church is one such community. The Reformed Catholic Church offers valid apostolic succession (the passing on of the ministry through the laying on of hands through bishops from the time of the Apostles), the seven sacraments, the same offices of the clergy, the same rituals and rites, and many other overlapping prayers and other necessities.  

What makes the Reformed Catholic Church distinct is that it's inclusive, affirming, and open to all. This vision of inclusiveness welcomes women, LGBTQ, and married persons to Holy Orders, welcomes LGBTQ couples to the sacrament of Marriage and welcomes all to the Eucharistic table.

The Reformed Catholic Church began its journey toward service in 1997 when several clergy from other Independent Catholic Churches came together to offer a radical vision of an inclusive church rooted in Catholic tradition's essentials. There were many growing pains and winnowing events throughout its early years. Eventually, Bishop Chris Carpenter (a former Roman Catholic Priest) established the Reformed Catholic Church as a non-profit 501 (c)(3) Church in 2016. This milestone resulted from many years of work toward creating Canons of the Church, establishing approved rituals, developing training for aspiring clergy, and further efforts to define the body of the organization. Since the creation of the Church as a non-profit, the Church has grown and thrived

Learn more about the Reformed Catholic Church on their web site and find a local congregation near you.

The Reformed Catholic Church

Abiding Presence Faith Community

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How to Respond to the Anti-Trans Legislation? LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Team Responds

We, the Advocacy Committee for LGBTQIA+ Equity (ACQ+E), stand firmly against any effort to dehumanize or strip away the human and civil rights of our LGBTQIA+ siblings. We recognize that it can be hard to know what to do during these challenging times, and we want you to know you are not alone. We are committed to walking alongside you in love, and we are encouraging each other—and all who share our values—to take these steps together: 

1. Within Your Sessions and Congregations: Strive to create worship spaces where every person feels welcomed, valued, and safe. 

2. In Your Presbyteries: Support Amendments 24 A and 24 C so they become part of our Book of Order, strengthening protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals within the Presbyterian Church. 

3. With Your Elected Representatives: Use the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Voter Voice platform, which streamlines the process of locating and contacting your local, state, and federal officials, making it easier to raise your voice and advocate for human rights legislation.  

At the same time, it is crucial that we each care for our own well-being. Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) “suggests that anti-LGBTQ political administrations and policies negatively impact the psychological well-being of sexual and gender minority populations.” In alignment with research and recommendations from the APA, we encourage you—just as we encourage ourselves—to: 

• Prioritize mental health and seek professional or pastoral support when needed. 

• Be intentional about when and how you consume social and news media, ensuring it supports rather than undermines your well-being. 

• Nurture close, supportive relationships that uplift you. Positive social networks serve as a powerful buffer against stress and discrimination. 

• Connect with affirming worshipping communities that embrace you fully. 

• Incorporate intentional self-care practices into daily life. 

Our work is rooted in God’s deep love for justice (Psalm 33:5; Micah 6:8; Isaiah 61:8) and guided by Jesus’ vision of overturning oppressive systems (Luke 1:52-53; Matthew 5:3-10). We hold fast to the promise of a renewed creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:19-21)—one in which all God’s children partake in the justice, peace, and joy granted by the Spirit (Jeremiah 22:3; Psalm 106:3; Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22-23). 

If you or someone you know needs additional support, please reach out to the 
LGBTQI+ Lifeline. You are not alone; we stand with you in faith, hope, and love. 

The Advocacy Committee on LGBTQIA+ Equity (ACQ+E) is a standing committee of the General Assembly. The committee was formed by the General Assembly in 2022 to assisting the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in providing full expression to the rich diversity of its membership as described in the Book of Order. See their website here.