Click here for
earlier notes from the Witherspoon Society conference and immediately
thereafter.
These notes to Moderator Fahed Abu-Akel have come in since Thursday
afternoon. [3-14-03]
I have been delighted that we have a
man of your quality as our Moderator. And I do now regret what you are
being subjected to. Please do remember there are an army of us in your
support. We shall be praying for you and for our church. Our hope is in
your ability to so ably express the need for each and every one of us to
hold fast to our convictions. How can it be otherwise....we would be a
church that said "yes" to anything, whether we believed in it or not.
Rev. Peg Beissert, HR; California
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mr. Moderator,
I have just learned of your pending case
before the Permanent Judicial Commission. My husband and I were privileged
to attend the Mission Focus conference on the Middle East, where we heard
you speak for the first time. I am proud that you are our Moderator and
that you so forthrightly stand and speak for what you believe. You are a
fine model of a Christian man to all our youth. May God strengthen you for
what lies ahead. We will be praying for you and for our Church.
In Christ,
Rev. Ann Mills and John R. Mills
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am glad to add my voice of support and
gratitude to you, Mr. Moderator. Blessings and thanks to you for your
courageous and pastoral leadership of our church at this challenging time.
May God's grace and glory be revealed as this process unfolds.
Dennie Carcelli, Seattle, WA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moderator Fahed Abu-Akel,
Thank you for your courageous leadership,
for your strength and spirit, and for your faithful witness to Christ
Jesus. I am thankful for the rational voice for peace that you provide in
tumultous times and your witness to the oneness of the global family in
these days of discord. God bless you, and know that my prayers are with
you.
Jean Marie Peacock Associate Pastor
Lakeview Presbyterian Church, New Orleans
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fahed, "The wise are torches
lighting the path of truth." Thank you for your grace and courage.
Nancy Lister-Settle
Hunger Action Enabler, Presbytery of Des Moines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Brother,
We thank God for your courage and your
vision.
- Gordon and Betty Shull
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Fahed,
We send our full support, love and
prayers as you continue to face "the slings and arrows or outrageous
fortune." It is sad that your message of love and peace has met with quite
the opposite in a few very vocal quarters. We remember fondly our time
together at the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii Festival of Faith
in February.
Dick and (Rev.) Margery McIntosh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am writing in support of our Moderator.
I believe he has acted with compassion, and wisdom. I appreciate his
willingness to seriously keep in mind the stewardship of funds and energy
for our denomination when considering the possible called G.A. meeting.
I am proud of his leadership and stand in
complete support of him.
In Christ's Name,
The Reverend Wm. Blake Spencer
Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church San Antonio, Texas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More notes added on 3-15-03
Mr. Moderator:
Thank you for your gracious leadership in
a troubling time.
Gary Schwab, Issaquah, WA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mr Moderator,
Words can't express my deep appreciation
for your courageous witness to Jesus Christ throughout your ministry but
particularly in this, your moderatorial year. My prayers are with and for
you as you face this uncalled for and unjustified trial. May God's and our
love surround and uphold you.
Shalom'
Shirley A Wooden, Retired Presbyterian
Clergy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since late January, when our congregation
began a time of praying for peace, we have had a special bulletin board at
the front of the sanctuary where people could post names of those we
wanted to hold in prayer: those serving in the military, leaders,
situations, and peacemakers. Your name was posted early on, along with the
Stated Clerk's as both a leader and a peacemaker. For Lent the board has
been moved to one of our entrances and replaced with a bare tree which we
hope will bloom with hand-shaped "leaves" on which are written ways in
which we reach out in acts of kindness and reconciliation.
I've experienced both the cruelty and
kindness that those in church leadership positions receive, and by far the
kindnesses, the prayers, the community outnumber the others, but they
still can take a toll in energy and spirit. I pray that you will be
embraced by our love, sustained by our prayers, and strengthened by the
peace of God.
Thank you for your ministry, your
leadership and your faithfulness.
Rev. Cathy Cummings Chisholm, pastor
First Presbyterian Church, Weyauwega WI
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Moderator:
Thank you for your inspiring witness in
Montreat and Black Mountain regarding the Middle East. You are constantly
in our prayers for your critically important witness. This housekeeping
matter on the 17th seems so unimportant in the context of life
and death issues in Israel/Palestine and Iraq. God is using you mightily.
Hope to see you at the Moderator's
Conference March 20-23.
Sam R.Hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the PJC trial of the
complaint against Moderator Fahed Abu-Akel begins, more notes and names
are still coming in as people signal their respect and support for him.
[3-17-03]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are doing an excellent job as Moderator. Thanks for
your work to avoid an special General Assembly meeting. Our prayers are with
you at this difficult time.
Connie & Duane Bell, St. Luke Presbyterian Church,
Wayzata, MN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Fahed,
Thank you for the unique vision and perspective by which
you have led us as Moderator. Within the larger context of almost certain
(and tragically unnecessary) international conflict, the (also unnecessary)
personal attacks you are enduring seem all the more narrow, petty, and
misguided. Your ability to take the high road has been a faithful example
for us in matters of conduct, and please be assured that you are in the
prayers of many colleagues, friends, and congregations at this time.
Becky Tatum, Roswell, GA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mr. Moderator,
Thank you for your efforts to unify our church. Our
prayers go with you.
I think it sad that some in our church would use American
extremist issues to divert your speaking out on issues of the Middle East,
for which you do an eloquent job.
Grace & Peace,
Roger Lee, Elder, Seattle, WA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for leading us thru the Walls that have been
built to stop us. May God give you strength, courage and wisdom in the days
ahead.
Robert J. Reyes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also adding their names:
Earl J. Smith
Rev. Mark S. Merrill
John and Jane Kuckuk, Columbus, OH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These notes
have come in since the last posting, [Posted 3-22-03]
Please add my name to the letter of support to the
moderator of GA.
Marjorie J. Pinkerton, Columbia, MO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Moderator,
I wish to express my support for you personally and for
your decisions related to the calling of a special session of the 214th GA.
Further, I deeply regret that certain persons saw fit to
bring charges against you for acting with prayerful integrity in what you
perceived to be the best interests of the denomination.
Therefore, I rejoice that the GAPJC has upheld your
decision not to call a special Assembly.
Nevertheless, I disagree with them that you acted
improperly in urging commissioners not to press for the meeting.
I thank God for your leadership of our church and pray for
you daily.
David Liddle, Member at large, Whitewater Valley
Presbytery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you want to join your voice with all these others,
in support of our just-retired Moderator?
Just send a note
with your name and whatever you'd like to say to our Moderator (or even
just your name!) and we'll post it is soon as we can.
Thanks!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These notes
have been received in May, 2003, after Mr. Paul Rolf Jensen filed charges
of slander against the Moderator
Congratulations and Best Wishes as you
complete your moderatorial year. You have served the church well and we
are grateful.
Hedy Lodwick
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let us add our note of support for you as
the Moderator of the PC(USA) and for the healing work you have done, and are
doing, in the name of Christ, throughout our church and the Church catholic.
May these trials, through which you must now go, be a time of strengthening
your commitment to the church and a rewarding of your faith in our Lord and
Savior Jesus the Christ, who knows well the cost of living that faith. Those
who would treat their fellow humans in this manner must suffer greatly from
the loneliness and isolation of being out of the presence of God. We pray
that through God's gracious and merciful reconciliation, they will come to
know the true One who died for them and all people everywhere. In the
meantime, know that you are loved and prayed for each day. We pray that will
give you hope and the peace that passes all understanding.
Revs. Ann & Larry Graham-Johnson,
Co-Pastors, Vandalia Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, North Carolina
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Mr. Moderator,
Thank you for your graceful and courageous leadership this year. Wishing you
God's blessings and peace,
Cheryl Pyrch (Presbytery of New York City)
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