1st Presbyterian Church of Second Life: About

Who We Are

We are a group of Presbyterians meeting in the virtual reality world of Second Life, exploring ministry that is uniquely Presbyterian, but also unique to the culture and nature of Second Life. We currently meet for conversation & prayer, but aspire to eventually incorporate service, evangelism, education, and worship into our activities.

Our Commitments

• To explore evangelism, education, service, worship, and church planting in an online context.
• To be a presence in Second Life that helps people cope, discern, and wrestle with whatever they may be working through.
• To grow in community, nurturing relationships with each other through fellowship, conversation, and shared experiences.
• To draw together, connect, and help Presbyterians new to Second Life and virtual reality.
• To support Presbyterians and others already engaged in various ministries in Second Life.
• To do ministry in a way that honors both our Presbyterian heritage and our Second Life context.

Our Leadership

We currently have no official leadership structure, although Neill Loxingly (SL) / Neal Locke (RL) serves as our point of contact with the denomination, and as a facilitator for our gatherings. At this point, all decisions that affect the group are reached by general consensus at our weekly gatherings. We hope that leadership emerges organically from our time together, and will revisit the issue of leadership on a semi-annual basis to determine if we need to make new arrangements. We have also agreed that, in the future, anyone from our community who serves in a pastoral role or has responsibility for others, must be open abut her or his real life identity and connection with an actual church.

Our Relationship with the Presbyterian Church(USA)

While we are welcoming of all people, especially those who share our Presbyterian heritage, we have a special relationship with the PC(USA) Office of Evangelism & Growth, which contributes to our financial operating costs in Second Life and serves us in a supportive, advisory capacity, providing both accountability and connection to the larger church.

Our Relationship with Other Second Life Ministries

As part of our commitment to "support Presbyterians and others already engaged in various ministries in Second Life," the following are some existing ministries we hope to contribute to and collaborate with.

• Church of the Dawntreader. Founded by real-life Presbyterian minister Ben Fraummann (SL Pelagius Friend) The Church of the Dawntreader is, in their own words, "an outpost of kindly Christianity and hope to a virtual world that needs it desparately...and INTENSELY does not want it. We attempt to be a reference point of sanity in a world gone slightly mad." In their ministry to SL residents who are or have been at odds with the church, the Dawntreader is not explicitly Presbyterian in worship or ministry style, but definitely "part of the family." Worship is Tuesday nights at 7pm SLT.

• Within the Vine. Within the Vine is an ecumenical, interfaith community with roots in the Presbyterian/Reformed tradition. Members work for the advancement of Peace, Perception, and Production through their various traditions, as they "discover, understand, and cope within the vine." Malachi Hissop (SL) is the community organizer.

• Koinonia Community. Koinonia is the name of both an actual worshiping congregation in Second Life, and the multi-region sim that hosts their church, ours, and several others. The founder of Koinonia, Sophianne Rhode (RL Kimberly Knight) has articulated a vision for a "zone of spirituality" in Second Life that encompasses a variety of communities and promotes conversation and dialogue among people of faith. While Koinonia itself is non-denominational, we are in relationship with them both as our gracious hosts, and as long-term partners in achieving this vision.