Moderator Spends Nine Days in Living Waters

by Janet Hilley

From Saturday February 11 through Sunday February 19, PC(USA) moderator Rick Ufford-Chase was on the move around the Synod of Living Waters. From Memphis deep into Mississippi, from Gulf Shores to Nashville, Rick covered ground and visited with many Presbyterians. He bore witness to work within our bounds: recovery on the Mississippi coast, preparation at Clean Water U for Living Waters for the World, Middle Tennessee Presbytery’s mission conference. Rick heard what we are doing, what plans we have for the future and ideas for how to make it happen. The common thread through all of his travels? Relationships. And the big question on his mind: are Presbyterians willing to put themselves into relationships that might change them?

Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase
with Synod executive Terry Newland
 

Rick thinks that the Katrina recovery effort is a tipping point for the denomination, one that is taking place within the bounds of our Synod. There is something different about the church in a post-Katrina world and this Synod is the best example of that. We have a partnership between Presbyteries and individual congregations in Mississippi that has clearly made a difference for the churches on the coast. Those churches are understanding that we are a connectional church in a whole new way. They are living that connectional reality because they cannot recover without the relationships they have with congregations and presbyteries all over the country. And congregations and presbyteries benefit from partnering with their Mississippi brothers and sisters, working beside them, gaining perspective from the conditions on the coast and greater faith from the people they meet there. Our moderator understands that our faith is strengthened in those relationships.

As his tenure as moderator ends, Rick is looking forward to being home with his family. When asked to look back and reflect on where he finds hope for the future of the church, his surprising response is this: Oscar Romero said, “Try not to depend on hope. Because unfulfilled hope leads to despair and we have no need for a despairing people. Try instead to depend on faith.” Rick thinks this is a time when the Church, despite all its difficulties, needs to depend on faith. When we depend on faith we focus out, not in; we seek to serve, not be served; we keep our eyes on God rather than ourselves. This has always been the strength of the church. And, as the post-Katrina church is showing us, it is what will carry us into the future as a strong and servant church.