Art Campbell was installed as our new Moderator and we chose Glyndon Morris as Moderator Elect
We elected our commissioners to this year’s General Assembly coming up in June in San Jose:
Minister Commissioners:
The Revs. Michael Hartwell (Crosswinds)
David Hicks (Memorial)
Renato Alvarez (Presbytery Ministry to the Rural Poor)
Elder Commissioners:
William E. Noyes (Pinnacle Presbyterian Church)
Charles M. (Chuck) Jarrell (Horizon Presbyterian Church)
Milinda Benallie (Kayenta Presbyterian Church)
Youth Advisory Delegate: Eric Choat
The Rev. Nedson Zulu and Community Health Nurse Sebber Banda shared stories about their Holistic Ministry in Mozambique. I felt something akin to culture shock as they showed slides of their work in Africa and described living conditions and the urgent medical needs there. You can get a hint of the power of their presentations by checking these links:
http://www.pcusa.org/missionyearbook/Dec/01.htm 
http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/letters/snyderr/snyderr_0401.htm
U.S. Senator from Arizona, Jon Kyle, presented his views relating to illegal immigration.
Senator Kyle is a member of one of our churches in this Presbytery, so it seemed appropriate to hear his views, and to give him a chance to field some questions from the floor. We can all be proud that the Senator was welcomed with all due hospitality and grace. He presented his views
and responded to questions from Presbyters, all the while emphasizing the difference between serving in a position of secular leadership and following the teachings of Christ in the Church. As I understood Mr. Kyle, his faith definitely informed and guided his secular decisions, but as a government official, he had to support and follow the laws and the Constitution. (photo taken from the Senator's website.)
The complex issue of illegal immigration seems to emphasize this conflict for the Senator. Whereas Christian principles would have us welcome people who need jobs and are eager to work, our federal laws require those without proper visas and documents to be detained (i.e., imprisoned) and deported. Whereas our Christian compassion would encourage and reward students who have grown up in America, excel in their studies, and hope to go to college, federal law says that if they were brought here illegally as infants, they too, must be deported. Even law-abiding, professional people who have lived and worked in the United States for many years, whose visas expire and are caught in a quagmire of conflicting red-tape must, according to the law Senator Kyle must support, return to Mexico (or their country of origin) and wait until the U.S. changes the law and allows them to return.
The Senator repeatedly emphasized his efforts at getting a fair, balanced and reasonable immigration bill passed. Because Washington failed to pass an immigration bill in 2007, and the nation is now caught up in the Presidential election campaign, Mr. Kyle doesn’t expect any new immigration legislation in the foreseeable future.
Even with the widely divergent viewpoints represented within the Presbytery, the Question & Answer period remained low-key and hospitable. Questions were posed regarding children of alien parents born in the U.S., as well as about children brought to this country as babies, who have only known life in the U. S. Other questions raised the issue of the extreme difficulty people have obtaining visas and of renewing visas, as well as whether the term “undocumented” or “illegal” should be used. Senator Kyle stressed the need for more detention centers where people can be held before exportation. In response to questions, he explained that the “fence” being built along the border would not be a solid, continuous barrier, but would consist of pylons in remote areas that would not interfere with wildlife migrations.
The only hint of unruliness occurred when one presbyter drew applause from the floor for reading Leviticus 19:33 at the microphone. All in all, we behaved in a remarkably civilized manner!
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