Welcome to the Team!

Join us in welcoming two staff members to our Presbytery Office - Tiffany Lo-Finch, as the Administrator/Associate Stated Clerk and Marie Elena Miller, as the Administrative Assistant.

Tiffany has accepted the position of the Administrator/Associate Stated Clerk.  Tiffany is an educator who has wide experience in leadership roles in the Presbyterian Church, especially in the areas of youth ministry and mission.  Her experience in the areas of technology and education, office management, and training staff and volunteers will be an asset for the Presbytery.  Tiffany has both a B.A. and M.A. from Austin College and enjoys many connections throughout the churches of our Presbytery. 

Marie Elena has accepted the position of Administrative Assistant.  Marie has considerable experience in communication and development of business plans and training in office management.  She brings organizational skills along with training in Godly Play as well as an understanding of the Presbyterian Church.  Marie is also a yoga teacher and so she will add a new dimension to the Presbytery Office.  Marie has a B.S. from Colorado State and coursework toward her M.A. at Regis University in Denver.

Triennium 2019

You could tell something changed between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. We'd arrived at Purdue later than expected Tuesday night, barely eaten dinner, hadn't even gotten into our rooms, and rushed off to worship with 4500 of our new Triennium friends. The heat was oppressive and made it hard to sleep. The next morning started with small groups, so our Presbytery of Santa Fe youth were spread all over campus, mostly lost trying to find where their small group was supposed to meet. We were on a bumpy ride courtesy of the Holy Spirit, and you could tell stress levels were high. But the switch flipped by Thursday. When our delegation met mid-morning the tone was completely transformed from the day before. The energy was contagious, and confidence amplified, and our youth were THRIVING. The vast Purdue campus was no longer scary or hard to navigate, and the masses of other youth were no longer strangers but friends.

Whether engaged in worship unlike anything at our churches, enthusiastically trading hot air balloon pins with new friends, or exploring their faith in small groups, the youth of the Presbytery of Santa Fe had an experience they will never forget. 

Thank you, THANK YOU, to the churches of this presbytery for supporting these youth, to the synod and ENC for helping with the costs of this endeavor, and especially to our incredible seven adult advisors that gave a week of their busy lives to ensure that our youth had this opportunity.

Day Trip to Gallup: Continuing Conversations on the Doctrine of Discovery

The Presbytery's Day Trip to Gallup, "Continuing the Conversation on the Doctrine of Discovery," took place on Saturday, May 18.

Forty-seven participants from six Presbyterian churches, the Synod of the Southwest, and Ghost Ranch listened to bold and challenging words from our keynote speaker, Mark Charles, who spoke the truth with love. 

In the afternoon, some participants visited Zuni Pueblo (pictured above), while others took a field trip to a uranium mine spill site that still threatens the health of nearby residents.

If you were not able to attend, you can hear an audio recording of the sermon on May 19 at Westminster Presbyterian Church (Gallup). You can also view presentations similar to those Mark Charles gave over the weekend in Gallup at his website.

The Presbytery's Day Trip to Gallup, "Continuing the Conversation on the Doctrine of Discovery," took place on Saturday, May 18. Forty-seven participants from six Presbyterian churches, the Synod of the Southwest, and Ghost Ranch listened to bold and challenging words from our keynote speaker, Mark Charles, who spoke the truth with love. In the afternoon, some participants visited Zuni Pueblo (pictured below), while others took a field trip to a uranium mine spill site that still threatens the health of nearby residents.

If you were not able to attend, you can hear an audio recording of his keynote address on May 19 HERE and an audio recording of his May 20 sermon at Westminster Presbyterian Church (Gallup) HERE.

You can also view presentations similar to those Mark Charles gave over the weekend in Gallup at his website: https://wirelesshogan.com

The Doctrine of Discovery and its Continuing Legacy Today: Recommended Resources for Congregations

(from the Mission Networking Committee of Santa Fe Presbytery)

Download DOD Resource List - April 2019.pdf

The Coordinating Team of Santa Fe Presbytery has tasked the Mission Networking Committee with helping the Presbytery continue the conversation about the Doctrine of Discovery (also known as the Doctrine of Christian Domination) that was begun at the October 2018 Presbytery meeting. To that end, we have produced this annotated list of resources that we recommend to congregations for study by sessions, PW groups, adult Christian education classes, and book groups.

The 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the PC(USA) urged “the session of each congregation, as well as each mid council, COTE-member seminaries, Presbyterian Women’s groups, and other organizations to confess their complicity and repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery.”

Second Presbyterian Church (Albuquerque) has already taken action:

“The Session of Second repudiates the Doctrine of Discovery. We confess our complicity in the injustice of the Doctrine and promise to: (1) educate our congregation on the history and implications of the Doctrine; (2) work with higher councils to reinforce proliferation of repudiation to other Sessions and higher councils; and (3) cultivate relationships with Native American individuals and tribes, and especially Native American congregations.”

We encourage sessions to consider taking similar action, and we especially recommend the following four resources for their study of the Doctrine of Discovery:

Read more: The Doctrine of Discovery and its Continuing Legacy Today: Recommended Resources for Congregations