- Parque 17 de Febrero Celebrates Its 90th Birthday the Way It Began, Focusing on Faith, Community, and Leadership Development
Parque 17 de Febrero recently celebrated its 90 years of existence with a day-long birthday party. The party brought together different generations of campers, leaders, and others who have had a part in its history. In true camp style, the day was a mix of celebration, games, memories, and dreams for the future. This report, … Continue reading Parque 17 de Febrero Celebrates Its 90th Birthday the Way It Began, Focusing on Faith, Community, and Leadership Development - Stacks of Halos, Airport Security, and Hallowed Ground: My Recent Sojourn to Italy
Like almost everyone whose parents, grandparents, or great grandparents came from a different country, Waldensians who now live outside the “Valleys” in the foothills of the Alps west of Turin dream about someday visiting their spiritual – and often ancestral – homeland in the north of Italy. The following report about a recent visit to … Continue reading Stacks of Halos, Airport Security, and Hallowed Ground: My Recent Sojourn to Italy - Giorgio Tourn
Giorgio Tourn Giorgio Tourn died at his home in Rorà during the night of October 5th – 6th. Although for decades he had an outsized role in Italian Waldensian life, more than anything else Giorgio Tourn was a pastor. He was 95 years old at his passing. The following tribute was written by Alberto Corsani. It’s difficult, … Continue reading Giorgio Tourn - Bicentenary of the English Committee in Aid of Waldensian Missions
2025 marks the two hundredth anniversary of the creation of the first society outside of Italy intended to offer help and foster friendship with the Waldensians. The following article was written by Erica Scroppo Newbury, the executive secretary of the English Committee in Aid of Waldensian Missions. By 1825, a combination of religious awakening in … Continue reading Bicentenary of the English Committee in Aid of Waldensian Missions - A Retirement Marked by Gratitude – The Enduring Impact of Rev. Dr. Carol M. Bechtel
The following article was written for The Commons, a publication of Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan to celebrate Carol´s 31 years of teaching as Western Theological Seminary on her retirement as a seminary professor. Waldensians and their friends worldwide are grateful that Carol will continue to serve as the executive director of the American … Continue reading A Retirement Marked by Gratitude – The Enduring Impact of Rev. Dr. Carol M. Bechtel - The World Is Watching
The Rev. Dr. Kevin Frederick, the president of the American Waldensian Society, recently preached this sermon in two predominantly African American congregations in western North Carolina. Kevin based his sermon on Jonah 1:1-12 and Matthew 8:23-27. What are the things you fear? Perhaps it is growing old and the fear of a stroke, or blindness, … Continue reading The World Is Watching - Worship at Waldensian Presbyterian Church at a Crisis Point in American Life
The assassination of a 31-year-old political activist twelve days ago and the intense anger and emotion that many have expressed in its wake have left many Americans profoundly unsettled. Those who were in the worship service the Sunday after the shooting at the Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Valdese, North Carolina, had the opportunity to grieve … Continue reading Worship at Waldensian Presbyterian Church at a Crisis Point in American Life - Servizio Cristiano is Moving Forward – Report from Riesi
The following report was written by Till Hüttenberger, the pastor of the Evangelical Peace Church in Mönchengladbach, Germany, who is pictured below. This report appeared first in the Rundbrief of the Waldenser Freundeskreis. The Friends of Servizio Cristiano in Reisi on the island of Sicily just held their annual meeting. It was a positive and … Continue reading Servizio Cristiano is Moving Forward – Report from Riesi - Waldensian Synod Calls for Recognizing the State of Palestine and Ending the Tragedy in Gaza
Two resolutions adopted by the recent Waldensian Methodist synod ask for an end to the ongoing tragedy in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as well as an end to what the resolutions described as the illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The resolutions supported those in Israel who are committed to building peace … Continue reading Waldensian Synod Calls for Recognizing the State of Palestine and Ending the Tragedy in Gaza - Greetings from AWS Executive Director to the 2025 Waldensian Synod
Each year at the annual meeting of the Waldensian synod, international guests are invited to give a word of greetings. It is understood that these greetings are a mix of the official and the personal. Part of the greeting is intended to speak for the body the person represents, and part of the greeting represents … Continue reading Greetings from AWS Executive Director to the 2025 Waldensian Synod