Presbytery News
Lackawanna
Financial Review Training Workshop
Lackawanna and Lehigh Presbyteries (soon to be Mountain Laurel Presbytery) will hold a Financial Review Training Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon on Zoom. Presbytery treasurer Chris Vogel will lead the workshop, which is aimed to equip churches with the knowledge and confidence to complete the required annual financial review, whether using computerized programs or manual record-keeping.
More details will be shared as they become available.
Fall Clergy/CRE Gathering
The presbyteries of Lackawanna and Lehigh will hold their Fall Clergy/CRE Gathering on Monday, Sept. 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East Stroudsburg Presbyterian Church. The theme will be “Faithfully Out of Control: Leadership Lessons from Advent and Jazz.”
This gathering will consider ways in which Advent and jazz have much to say about the role of leaders in this season of the church’s life led by Bill Carter and members of Presbybop.
Also included is fellowship with colleague in ministry from both presbyteries, breaking bread together, worship and a free time with the option of activities.
Registration will be available in late August.
Lackawanna Presbytery Calendar
Click here for upcoming events around Lackawanna Presbytery.
Lehigh
Financial Review Training Workshop
Lackawanna and Lehigh Presbyteries (soon to be Mountain Laurel Presbytery) will hold a Financial Review Training Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon on Zoom. Presbytery treasurer Chris Vogel will lead the workshop, which is aimed to equip churches with the knowledge and confidence to complete the required annual financial review, whether using computerized programs or manual record-keeping.
More details will be shared as they become available.
Fall Clergy/CRE Gathering
The presbyteries of Lackawanna and Lehigh will hold their Fall Clergy/CRE Gathering on Monday, Sept. 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East Stroudsburg Presbyterian Church. The theme will be “Faithfully Out of Control: Leadership Lessons from Advent and Jazz.”
This gathering will consider ways in which Advent and jazz have much to say about the role of leaders in this season of the church’s life led by Bill Carter and members of Presbybop.
Also included is fellowship with colleague in ministry from both presbyteries, breaking bread together, worship and a free time with the option of activities.
Registration will be available in late August.
Presbytery of Lehigh Calendar
Click here for upcoming events around the Presbytery of Lehigh.
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Leadership Training Event
Pittsburgh Presbytery will hold an leadership training event titled “Equipping, Empowering, Engaging” gathering Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 4-7:30 p.m. at Northmont United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. This gathering is for pastors, ruling elders, deacons and others.
There will be several session options led by the Rev. Jessica McClure Archer, the Rev. Emily Chudy, the Rev. Ellie Johns-Kelley and more.
To register, click here.
Henderson Lectures
This year’s Henderson Lectures at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary will focus on being “Faithful and Flexible: Empowering Church Leaders for Emerging Possibilities” on Sept. 19-20. The lecture on Friday, Sept. 19, is from 6:30-9 p.m. and is free to attend online or in person. The lectures will be given by the Rev. Dr. Tod Bolsinger, an influential voice on adaptive leadership in the church. Workshop topics will explore relational, technical and spiritual adaptations necessary for today’s church.
For more information and to register, click here.
Pastor Appreciation Event
Pastors are invited to register for “The 2050 Church: Culture, Technology, and the Call to Lead” taking place on Thursday, Oct. 9, at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. This pastor appreciation event is a day designed to refresh your spirit, deepen your learning and connect you with fellow leaders in ministry.
Rev. Dr. Edwin van Driel, PTS Professor of Theology, will be the preacher for worship, and Rev. Dr. William Curtis, senior pastor of Mount Ararat Baptist Church, will be the keynote speaker.
For more information and to register, click here.
Pittsburgh Presbytery Calendar
Redstone
Polity: More than A Rule Book
IPLF Elective Workshop on “Polity–More than A Rule Book–Faithful Ordering” will be held Saturday, Sept. 13, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. at the Presbytery of Redstone office or by Zoom. Instructor the Rev. Skip Noftzger will lead the discussion.
Too often, we can think of the Book of Order as “rules” the church must live by. The reality is that it is the gathered “wisdom” of the church for how our collective lives might be faithful and just in our current setting and interactions.
IPLF Elective Workshops are open and free to pastors and ruling elders who are not enrolled in the IPLF program.
To register, contact Karen Gray at the Presbyetry of Redstone at 724-837-6737 or secretary@redstonepresbyter.org.
Redstone Presbytery Calendar
Upper Ohio Valley
Trip to Ohio’s Amish Country
Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery is be offering a day of fun and fellowship with a bus trip to Ohio’s Amish Country in Holmes County on Nov. 5. The bus will leave from First Westminster Presbyterian Church at 8 a.m. and return at 5 p.m. The cost is $45 per person, which includes travel expenses and entrance into Behalt, the Mennonite and Amish Heritage Center and Der Dutchman buffet in Walnut Creek. There will also be an opportunity to shop in Berlin and possibly Sugar Creek.
If you are interested in being part of the trip, the fee must be paid to the presbytery office by Oct. 21.
West Virginia
- Thursday, Aug. 28 – Zoom (space is limited – see information on registration requirements in the title link)
- Saturday, Sept. 13 – Kanawha United Presbyterian Church, Charleston
- September 18 and 20
- October 23 and 25
- November 20 and 22
- January 15 and 17
- February 5 and 7
- March 12 and 14
- April 9 and 11
- May 7 and 9
Healthy Boundary Trainings
The Presbytery of West Virginia will hold two more Healthy Boundary Trainings this summer. Healthy Boundary Training workshops are required every 36 months for all leaders – ministers of Word and Sacrament; Certified Christian Educators; Certified Associate Christian Educators; Commissioned Pastors; candidates, inquirers, and supply preachers; officers and employees of the Presbytery; members of committees, councils, and commissions.
There are two more opportunities this year for leaders to receive the required training led by Susan Sharp Campbell and Maureen Wright. There is no cost, and lunch will be provided. Make a reservation for the event of your choice by emailing or calling the Presbytery of West Virginia office.
More information is available by clicking here.
Child Abuse Prevention Training
Every council of the church (session, presbytery, synod, General Assembly) is required by the PCUSA Constitution to provide child sexual abuse prevention training to its members every 36 months. In practical terms, this means that all elders on the session of all congregations are required to have boundary training every three years.
Susan Sharp Campbell, associate for Educational Ministry for the Presbytery of West Virginia, will lead two Child Abuse Prevention Trainings on Zoom: Sunday, Sept. 7, at 3 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. The training will last approximately 60-90 minutes. It will include basic information on signs of abuse, steps to take to protect abuse, and appropriate and inappropriate actions.
This event is open to all ruling elders, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders and anyone working with children. If there are those who cannot make a Sunday event, contact Susan Sharp Campbell at susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com or 304-667-9428 to discuss possible alternatives. To register for these events, send an email to Susan Sharp Campbell. She will send the Zoom link out on the Friday before the events.
Officer Training
Officer training for elders and deacons in the Presbytery of West Virginia will be offered on Zoom on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16 from 3-6 p.m. on both Sundays. This two-session training will cover the doctrine, form of government, church discipline, the duties of elders and deacons, and the constitutional questions asked at ordination and installation, in accordance with the PCUSA Constitution.
There is no cost, but registration is required so that participants can receive the advance assignment and Zoom link. Complete information, including how to register, can be found by clicking here. The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 24. The advance assignment will be sent on Monday, Oct. 27. For more information, contact Susan Sharp Campbell.
Presby Prep
Presby Prep is eight months of courses designed to help Presbyterians understand more about what it means to be Presbyterian as we worship, read scripture, reflect on what we believe, engage in mission and stewardship, nurture others in faith, and consider how we live together and how we got here – that is, to help us understand the sea we swim in or the air we breathe as Presbyterians, often without thinking anything about it. You’ll explore the eight course topics – biblical interpretation, Reformed theology, church history, Presbyterian polity, worship, Christian education, stewardship, and mission – with others under the leadership of a pastor in the presbytery; it’s a great way to connect with others. Because of the nature of the courses, eight people need to register for Presby Prep by Aug. 11; more are always welcome.
All classes are held on Zoom. Participants attend eight three-hour courses on either Thursday evening or Saturday morning. Though the registration form asks participants to make a choice, they may move between the two times as desired. There are assignments to be read in advance that form the basis of conversation and discussion. The cost is $50 for all courses, plus the cost of books, but if you only are interested in a few courses, you can sign up for those for $10 each.
Courses are scheduled for September 2025-May 2026 as follows:
While Presby Prep provides an opportunity to learn more about what it means to be Presbyterian and how we do things, it can also lead to more. It is the first year in the presbytery’s Authorized Lay Preacher/Commissioned Pastor Preparation Program, which prepares people to serve as pulpit supply and pastors. As the financial situation of many of our churches is changing, in part due to lower membership, more and more churches are seeking commissioned ruling elders to serve as their pastors. There is a growing need for more commissioned pastors in our presbytery. While most of our commissioned pastors serve a congregation other than that where they are a member, several are serving in their churches of membership; both are possibilities. For those who may not feel called to serve a particular church, there continues to be a need for pulpit supply as an Authorized Lay Preacher.
Could God be calling you to Presby Prep? If you are interested in Presby Prep, you will find more information and a registration form here. If you have questions or want more information, please feel free to contact Susan Sharp Campbell, Associate for Educational Ministry for the presbytery, at 304-667-9428 or susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com.
Preaching the Bible for Our Times
The Presbytery of West Virginia will hold its final Expanding Your Ministry Toolbox course for 2025 on Saturday, Oct. 18, from from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Village Chapel Presbyterian Church and on Zoom. The focus will be “Preaching the Bible for Our Times.” Led by Karoline Lewis, preaching professor at Luther Seminary and a contributing writer for Working Preacher, this course will explore what it means to preach biblically and faithfully and how our interwoven contexts make for a sermon to be an encounter with the risen Christ. You can listen to podcasts including Karoline Lewis by clicking here.
The cost per person is $40, which does not include lunch. Participants may either bring their lunch or go to a local eating place. Participants may register and pay online here, or they may download the registration form and send it along with a check to: Presbytery of WV, P.O. Box 11720, Charleston, WV 25339. Registration deadline is Thursday, Oct. 9.
Questions? Contact Susan Sharp Campbell at susan_sharp_campbell@hotmail.com or 304-667-9428.