Three Sisters Organizations Plan Strategy, Events, Advocacy

By Lisa Larges

(August 28, 2002) -- Last week, national and regional staff members of the Three Sisters organizations (More Light Presbyterians, The Shower of Stoles Project, and That All May Freely Serve) met in Denver Colorado, host site for next year's General Assembly, for discussion, organizing, and strategizing. Together we explored clearer definitions for shared projects and better models for decision making and communication within the three organizations.

We coordinated plans for upcoming events, including activities at next year's General Assembly, the Presbyterian Women's Conference in 2003, and Witness Our Welcome 2003. We explored options for joint fund raising and shared ideas and strategies for building a more cohesive movement.

Proposals we drafted to bring before our boards included: van trips through key Presbyteries, creation of a legislative strategies team, development of a joint media strategy where appropriate, and recommendations for speakers for next years Three Sisters Dinner and Lunch at GA. Also in the works are plans for better coverage of the judicial cases involving BTLG Presbyterians and allies, and better support of those facing judicial action.

In the fall, the Three Sisters will take their second van trip of the year, this time targeting swing Presbyteries in the Northwest. In November Mardee Rightmyer of TAMFS-South, Katie Morrison and Brian Cave of MLP, and Carol Seaton and Mickie Williams of the Shower of Stoles will tour Presbyterian colleges and campus ministries in South Carolina. The Three Sisters staff committed themselves to do two more trips in 2003, probably through Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, northern Iowa and western Illinois, with other van trips to be planned on a regional basis.

Meeting in Denver gave us the opportunity to scout sites for Three Sister's events for next year's General Assembly and to start some solid advance planning for GA. We are extremely grateful to the staff and congregation of Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church and to long time movement organizer Laurene Lafontaine for hosting us, feeding us, and coordinating our trip.

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