The long-awaited 50th (plus one) anniversary celebration of APCE took place in Chicago and online this past week – and it was a grand event!
Inspiring and challenging worship. Innovative and educational workshops. Insightful plenary gatherings. Reunions with good friends. New friendships and connections. Top-notch local entertainment and flavor. These things Annual Event participants come to expect. APCE AE 2022 did not disappoint!
More detailed accounts of the Annual Event have been reported by other sources. Articles covering the event from The Presbyterian Outlook are linked below. Two highlights to lift up here are APCE’s name change and the annual award recipients.
Association of Partners in Christian Education. In 50 years marking the gathering of several associations of Christian educators from across the United States and Canada, sisters and brothers in the PC(USA), the Moravian Church, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Reformed Church in America, the Christian Reformed Church, and Cumberland Presbyterian Church have united under the umbrella name: Association of Presbyterian Church Educators. Clearly, not all call themselves “Presbyterian.”
In a move toward unity and inclusivity, a working group proposed a name that retains the familiar “APCE” moniker while claiming the partnership that exists between our multiple denominational groups: the Association of Partners in Christian Education.
Further, this name change states the focus that unites us as youth leaders, Christian educators, pastors, volunteer church leaders, students, retired saints, and denominational leaders: we share a passion for Christian education and faith formation. The work of our lives — our ministry — reflects this passion. As an association, we come together as partners to pray, dream, resource, learn, teach, support, innovate, celebrate, and engage in ministries of Christian education in a wide variety of venues. We are truly partners in Christian education. Our name clearly and boldly proclaims this.
Annual Award Recipients. At each Annual Event, APCE partners honor our peers and fellow servants in ministry. Recently, four categories of awards have been designated to correspond with APCE’s four actions in our stated mission: “The mission of APCE is to connect, enrich, empower, and sustain persons serving in educational ministry in the Reformed family of churches.” This year’s award recipients are known and loved by many APCE partners.” There were no nominations for APCE’s CONNECT award this year.
Gina Yeager-Buckley, 2022 APCE ENRICH/Educator of the Year Award: Young people, families, youth leaders, educators, and pastors have been enriched by Gina’s 26 years of denominational leadership with the Presbyterian Mission Agency as Associate for Presbyterian Youth and Triennium. In addition to walking side-by-side with countless young people and youth leaders, Gina launched the Presbyterian Youth Workers Association (PYWA) and envisioned and created valuable programming resources for youth ministry.
Rev. Von Clemans, 2022 SUSTAIN Lifetime Achievement Award: As a former APCE President, pastor, educator, and tech-guru, Von’s heart and commitment of ministries of Chrstian education have sustained many an educator, co-worker, and congregation in ways that demonstrate lifetime achievement.
Leah Wycoff, 2022 EMPOWER Award: As chemical engineer by training and practice, Leah began her foray into Christian education as a dedicated church volunteer. She eventually returned to school to earn her MDiv and has since served congregations and Grace Presbytery as an educator, initiator of a new worshiping community, resource center coordinator, and empowerer of others.
For information about APCE’s 2022 Award Recipients, https://apcenet.org/2022-award-recipients/
Annual Event coverage from The Presbyterian Outlook:
APCE to Celebrate 50+1 Years, Feb 3, 2022: https://pres-outlook.org/2022/02/apce-to-celebrate-501-years-at-annual-conference/
APCE Open Their 2022 Conference, Feb 9, 2022: https://pres-outlook.org/2022/02/the-association-of-presbyterian-christian-educators-open-their-2022-conference/
APCE Adopts New Name, Feb 10, 2022: https://pres-outlook.org/2022/02/christian-education-association-apce-adopts-new-name-new-president-at-2022-annual-meeting/
Glimpses of APCE, Feb 12, 2022: https://pres-outlook.org/2022/02/glimpses-of-apce-2022/