For a couple of years now, Bethesda has been listening to God's call to "feed my sheep." We didn't know exactly how that call would take shape, but we stepped out in faith — and the Lord provided. Non-perishable goods, frozen meat, fresh vegetables. As fast as it came in, we got it into the hands of anyone in our community who needed it. We didn't ask many questions, just enough to make sure a family had what they needed. Every month, over 150 people came to Bethesda, and we got to "be the church" for them.

Then Hurricane Helene hit, and we lost power for a week. Freezers full of meat spoiled. Our ministry ground to a halt, and honestly, we were discouraged. We had no backup plan — just faith that God had called us to this work. In the middle of that anxiety, Providence Presbytery reached out. They helped us apply for a grant through Presbyterian Disaster Relief and stayed with us through every question about how to keep "being the church" after a disaster like Helene.

Thanks to your generosity to our presbytery, we were able to keep caring for the most vulnerable in our community. Without that help, our ministry would have had to stop for a long while. Instead, we were back to packing grocery bags and filling coolers with meat and fruit — and our numbers have only grown since. Last month we cared for over 250 people, a record for us. I wonder what would have happened if the presbytery hadn't been there when we needed it most.

Rev. Derek Marotta

Bethesda Presbyterian Church

I first came to know Reverend John C. Miller and his wife, Queen, through their ministry among the youth of Providence Presbytery. I was struck by the way they served — the steady, faithful presence they brought to that work, and the genuine care they had for young people. Watching them made a real impression on me, and on so many others who saw what it looks like for a pastor and his wife to minister together.

That same commitment to young people didn't end with the Millers' ministry — it became something lasting. Because of their years of work among the youth of our racial-ethnic churches, the John C. and Queen Miller Scholarship was established in their honor, providing $1,500 awards to help African American and Black college students from Providence Presbytery churches pursue their education.

Thanks to your generosity to our presbytery, that scholarship continues year after year — opening doors for young people the Millers never met, but whose lives are still touched by the same spirit of encouragement they poured into the youth of this presbytery. Their ministry didn't end when they did. It just kept finding new young people to invest in.

Tim Cureton

Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church

For nearly a decade, I've been active in gun violence prevention advocacy, focused mainly on educating adults about secure firearm storage through the Be SMART for Kids program. For years, I'd dreamed of holding a gun buyback event to help reduce the number of firearms sitting in homes, waiting to fall into the wrong hands. I reached out to churches and secular organizations again and again, but I kept hearing the same thing: gun violence is too divisive a topic. I'd started to think that dream was dead.

Then a brief conversation with Pastor Joanne Sizoo at Grace Presbyterian Church in Fort Mill changed everything. I'd seen the Gun Violence Prevention toolkit from the 2024 PCUSA General Assembly, which included both Be SMART and Guns to Gardens. I asked Pastor Joanne if we could hold a Guns to Gardens event at Grace — and she said yes.

Thanks to your generosity to our presbytery, we were able to hold that event, resulting in the safe surrender of multiple firearms from owners who no longer wanted them in their homes. It made those homes and our community safer, and it built a deeper fellowship among the volunteers who helped make it happen. The event gave greater visibility to the gun violence prevention movement and offered a tangible way to help reduce gun violence. Thank you for your support!

Joanne Walker

South Carolina Lead

BeSMART for Kids

Every year as fall returns, I look back with gratitude as I remember my journey, which began back in 2005. My son was graduating from college that May, and my daughter was starting college that August. In the middle of all that, I was praying for discernment about my own path, and it became clear God was calling me to seminary. Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte was a perfect fit — I could keep teaching and cover my daughter's tuition — but there was little room left in my budget for seminary expenses, and no FAFSA or loan options available since the program was part-time only. The one option left was to ask for help from my home church and my presbytery.

I was grateful when Oakland Avenue Presbyterian and Providence Presbytery each agreed to pay a third of my tuition per term, leaving me with just enough to cover the rest. 

But the financial help wasn't the only gift. I was prayed for — not just by my home congregation, but by the churches, individuals, committees, and staff of Providence Presbytery. I was mentored by many of those same people, and I know other seminary students from our presbytery attending classes in Charlotte received that same care.

Thanks to your generosity, I am certain that when others seek to answer God's call, our presbytery will be ready to assist them too. I would not be where I am today — pastor of Grace in Lancaster, and this involved in the work of our presbytery — without your prayers and encouragement. And I love imagining how, every year as they remember the seasons of their own journeys, they too will look back with gratitude for the care and generosity of the people of Providence Presbytery.

Rev. Marty Simmons

Grace Presbyterian Church