Committee on Accessibility, Representation, and Equity

CARE led us in an interactive exercise about the ways that Jesus cared during our February Presbytery Assembly.

CARE meetings scheduled for 2026

April Assembly Bible Study

belonging

hospitality

service

spiritual giftedness

Our focus continues to be on the biblical tradition for our work, and through our study of this tradition, a sense grew among the committee that we would like to invite the presbytery to join us in the conversation. When we look at the biblical tradition to define accessibility, representation, and equity, we find that the scripture speaks of Belonging, Hospitality, Service, and Spiritual Giftedness.

As a part of their report during the April assembly, the committee asked participants to take part in one of four Bible Studies they prepared on: Belonging, Hospitality, Service, and Spiritual Giftedness. Each Bible Study contains one main passage followed by additional passages foundational to our faith tradition and Book of Order references.

The CARE committee met on Wednesday, September 10, and October 15. Much of our time together has been spent understanding the responsibilities given to us and refining our understanding of the words used to describe those responsibilities. We found the statement that “we are moving from being a regulatory body to a resourcing body” resonated with our understanding of our responsibilities. While we hold the space of the committee on representation in our Presbytery, we understand that we are to be more than just that. We are currently focusing on the first three of our responsibilities as we meet together.

The first three of these Responsibilities are:

Assist the Presbytery of Great Rivers in identifying barriers to participation and access within the work and life of the Presbytery
Empower commissions/committees/teams/task forces with considerations, conversations, resources, and recommendations that expand access to the work and life of the Presbytery, with attention to how challenges around inequity and exclusion may arise in their work
Lead, arrange, and promote opportunities around intercultural competence, cultural humility, and capacity-building efforts for our Presbytery, focusing on issues such as access, equity, gender issues, disability, language, race, culture, and identity, including a once-a-year mandated training on anti-racism, similar to our annual required boundary training

Committee on Accessibility, Representation, and Equity​

April Assembly Bible Study

Committee on Accessibility, Representation, and Equity