PW: Where we’ve been and where we’re going
By Hillary Moses Mohaupt
In their workshop about the state of Presbyterian Women, 2012–2015 PW Churchwide Moderator Mary Cook Jorgenson and PW Executive Director Susan Jackson-Dowd shared historical benchmarks and statistical data to highlight how PW continues to grow and evolve as an organization in order to remain a relevant and vibrant mission branch of the PC(USA).
While the tone of their presentation was lighthearted, the presentation’s content and its aim were weighty. In the United States, where a Pew Research Center study recently noted the continued decline in Americans’ religious affiliation, Presbyterians are working together to stay applicable and connected. And Presbyterian Women is working hard to connect women with each other, with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the church worldwide. Mary highlighted changes for PW over the last triennium, including becoming an independent 501c3, with its staff employed by PW rather than the denomination; taking steps to reduce PW’s overhead; and increased networking within the denomination, most recently with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Even as the organization moves into the future, PW continues “to honor our predecessor organizations,” said Susan. This includes not only continuing many of the Celebration Giving programs, like the Birthday Offering and Thank Offering, but also growing mission and justice and peace initiatives to respond to the needs of the world.
Some of the relatively new initiatives they highlighted were the USA Mission Experience trips, begun in 2008; the Justice and Peace calendar; Shanti Means Peace, a new children’s book about the Fellowship of the Least Coin; and PW Together in Action, an annual opportunity for PW around the country to take action together on a single issue.
“I recommend you put the PW Purpose on your bathroom mirror and ask yourself every day what you are doing to nurture, to support, to work and to build, in PW and in the world,” Mary said.
Several questions from the audience focused on ways in which PW in congregations can use PW resources—like the Justice and Peace links, PW’s social media presence, and the Bible Study—to encourage new women to join PW. Both Mary and Susan stressed the importance of relationships.
“Invite people to join you and if they say no, invite them again,” Mary said. “Build that relationship and make it easy for new people to come.”
Mary and Susan also addressed the ways in which PW is responding to women in churches seeking dismissal from the denomination, emphasizing that membership in PW is open to all women, whether or not they are connected to a PC(USA) church. “We want to stay in community,” Mary stressed.
Download the presentation Mary and Susan shared during their workshop.
