Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley

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The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley is an administrative district of the Presbyterian Church (USA) which comprises some 94 churches in central Alabama. The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley is one of three presbyteries located in Alabama, and one of twelve comprising the "Synod of Living Waters" in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley was established on January 11, 1988, at the First Presbyterian Church of Selma as a merger of several presbyteries from the former Presbyterian Church in the United States and United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, the national bodies of which merged in 1983 to form the present PC (USA). PSL's headquarters are located at 3603 Lorna Ridge Drive in Hoover. The (interim) Executive Presbyter is Sue Westfall. Associate executive presbyters oversee divisions focusing on "Nurture" and "Missions". A video resource library is maintained at the Presbytery offices. The Presbytery operates two retreat centers, the Gulftreat camp in Panama City Beach, Florida and Living River, a retreat on the Cahaba River south of Birmingham. [1]

Contents

Origin

The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley is named for William Henry Sheppard and his wife, Lucy Gantt Sheppard, and for Samuel Lapsley, Alabama Presbyterians who established a mission in the Congo Valley in 1890. In 2003 the Presbytery invited the Reverend Dr. Mulumba Mukundi, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in the Congo and President of the Presbyterian University of Sheppard and Lapsley there, to visit Birmingham. From that visit, a partnership was forged. In 2004 a delegation of eight people traveled to the DRC to work out a partnership agreement among PSL, the Nganga Presbytery, and the Tshibashi Presbytery. The agreement committed all three groups to participate in a mutual relationship, work together in prayer, evangelism, education and development, and to stay in contact through frequent visits. This unique partnership was highlighted at the 217th PC(USA) General Assembly which PSL hosted at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex. Communionware created for the event was modeled after a Congolese wooden chalice given to the Presbytery; all attendees were each given a tote bag made in the Congo from traditional cloth, and a joint choir from the three presbyteries performed during worship services in Birmingham. [2]

Member congregations

Former churches

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References

  1. "PSL - History". Archived from the original on 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  2. "PSL - History: The Sheppards and Lapsley". Archived from the original on 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  3. "PSL - Churches". Archived from the original on 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  4. "Avondale Presbyterian Church - Bhamwiki". www.bhamwiki.com. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  5. "Presbyterian Church in America : Church Directory". Stat.pcanet.org. Retrieved 2017-01-28.