Two Columbus congregations to be
honored by Witherspoon at General Assembly
from Gene TeSelle
[4-12-02]
Each year at its General Assembly luncheon, the Witherspoon Society
seeks to honor an area congregation that embodies the values and mission
of the Society. This year for the 214th General Assembly in
Columbus, Ohio, we have chosen to honor two congregations: Bethany
Presbyterian Church and Broad Street Presbyterian Church, both in
Columbus.
Here is a little more about the churches; if you come
to the Witherspoon luncheon you'll learn more, and get to meet some of
their members and leaders.
The Bethany Presbyterian Church is
one of the historic African-American congregations, producing many
national leaders. Among them are Mary Jane Patterson, former director of
the PC(USA) Washington Office, and Robina Winbush, director of the
Department of Ecumenical and Agency Relationships for the PC(USA). We
are pleased to add our recognition to the many others that have come to
this church.
The Broad Street Presbyterian Church,
founded in 1887, now has more than 1100 members and a staff of over 25.
Four pastors of the Broad Street Presbyterian Church have served as
moderators: Samuel Palmer, Harry Cotton, Ganse Little, and John
Buchanan. That distinction is shared with only one other church, Fourth
Presbyterian in Chicago. The current pastor is David A. VanDyke, who was
educated at Hope College, Western Theological Seminary, and Edinburgh
University; he has been an active leader in many community and
interfaith organizations, including efforts to end capital punishment in
Ohio.
In addition to its commitment to preaching, worship,
and education, Broad Street is known for its participation in ecumenical
activities and its innovative programs of social outreach. It was
recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the five
"outstanding congregations" in the United States. The recent
book Presbyterians: A Spiritual Journey features the
partnership between Broad Street and Bethany in outreach ministries.
Bethany and Broad Street cooperate in
the COMPASS Program for those needing assistance and the ASAP (After
School Academic Partnerships) program which tutors forty inner-city
young people. During the summer the Rainbow Program offers education and
enrichment to about 125 neighborhood children.
