February 26, 2009
by Bethany Furkin Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE – The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), named another task force this week.

The Climate for Change Task Force will review current affirmative action/equal employment opportunity, contracting and purchasing policies within the PC (USA). It will then recommend revisions.

The assembly noted specific areas for the task force to cover, such as updating churchwide AA/EEO policies to use the tools of cultural proficiency for organizational change. Also mentioned: providing guidance and standards for using the Minority Vendor Policy within the General Assembly, developing guidelines and procedures to be used instead of those formerly provided by Project Equality and revising and updating AA/EEO and Minority Vendor policies to reflect changes in General Assembly agencies and emerging technology.

The task force is to be staffed by the Racial Ethnic and Women's Ministry [www.pcusa.org/women], in consultation with the associate for Cultural Proficiency and the manger for Purchasing. The task force is also to consult with representatives from the six corporate entities related to the General Assembly.

The task force is scheduled to make an interim report to the 219th General Assembly (2010). It should submit its final report to the 220th assembly in 2012.

Reyes-Chow made the appointments with input from the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns [see http://www.pcusa.org/acrec/, on the web], the Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns [see http://www.pcusa.org/acwc/, on the web], the associate for Cultural Proficiency and the General Assembly Nominating Committee.

Below is the biographical information for the task force members:

Elder Colby Anderson: Anderson is a senior at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, where he is majoring in business marketing and minoring in religion. He has been involved in many levels of the PC (USA), participating in music programs in his congregation and serving on committees. He attended the 216th General Assembly (2004) as a youth advisory delegate. In 2008, he served the Presbytery of Minnesota Valleys as elder commissioner.

Elder Yvonne Armstrong: Armstrong is the executive assistant to the general manager of administration at the New York City Housing Authority. She has also worked in the agency's unit charged with ensuring that it adheres to laws relating to equal employment and fair housing and provides services to people with disabilities. Armstrong is an ordained deacon and elder in the PC (USA) and has served on her presbytery's committees on Ministry and Representation. She is moderator-elect of the Presbytery of New York City.

Rev. Cathy Chang: Chang is a pastoral resident in a two-year Transition into Ministry program at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church [www.bmpc.org] in Bryn Mawr, PA. She has served as the vice moderator of the Asian Association at Princeton Theological Seminary [www.ptsem.edu]. In 2004, she joined the PC(USA)'s Racial Ethnic Young Women Together core leadership team and served a two-year term as co-moderator starting in 2005. In 2006, she received anti-racism training through the Multicultural Church Institute at Ghost Ranch [see http://www.ghostranch.org/, on the web] in New Mexico.

Rev. Hardy H. Kim: Kim is the associate for church growth at First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. A graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary, Kim has also served as a Lilly Pastoral Resident at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. While in seminary, he served in several capacities, including moderator of student session, student representative to the board of trustees, member of the Asian American Ministries Task Force and co-founder of an Asian-American student organization. From 1997-98, Kim was a Young Adult Volunteer in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Rev. Al Masters: Masters is interim chaplain at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. He is also a contributing author to "Feasting on The Word." Masters enjoys working with young adults and served on the Young Adult Ministry Consultation of the PC(USA) and the General Executive Board of the former Presbyterian Church in the United States. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill [www.unc.edu] and Columbia Theological Seminary [www.ctsnet.edu] in Decatur, GA.

Rev. Diane Givens Moffett, chairwoman: Moffett is pastor at Saint James Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC. She is the author of "Beyond Greens and Cornbread: Reflections of African American Christian Identity." She has 21 years of experience in parish ministry and has served three congregations, creating an environment for change and growth. Moffett earned her bachelor's degree from the University of California-Berkeley and her Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry from the San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Rev. Sarah Moore-Nokes: Moore-Nokes is the associate executive presbyter at Winnebago Presbytery, where she works with groups focused on mission, communication, leadership development, connectional ministries, youth ministry, congregational and presbytery-wide transformation and advocacy ministries. She also works with ecclesiastical bodies on organizational issues as a facilitator and consultant.

Rev. Jose Olagues: Olagues is the associate executive for Congregational Resourcing at the Presbytery of Grand Canyon. In this position, he assists 70 varied congregations across Arizona in several areas, including Christian education, leadership development, mission, evangelism, stewardship and social justice. Olagues has volunteered as an educator in developing leadership skills among racial/ethnic lay members. He attended seminary after an early retirement from the corporate world, where he worked in human resources.

Presbyterian News Service