Presbytery News
Beaver-Butler
Equipping Leaders Annual Training Event
The Equipping Leaders Unit of Beaver-Butler Presbytery will holds its annual Equipping Leaders Annual Training Event (ELITE) on Sunday, March 15, from 2-5 p.m. at Cranberry Community United Presbyterian Church. This free training event is geared to equip those leading ministry — pastors, elders, deacons, worship leaders, youth leaders, treasurers, clerks of session and all church congregants.
To register, and for more information, click here.
Carlisle
Ruling Elder Communion Training
For the past three years, the Presbytery of Carlisle has offered an annual Ruling Elder Communion Training to those ruling elders who have been approved by session to attend. The intention for this training is to equip ruling elders to preside over the Lord’s Supper within their own congregation. Others have attended for their own edification and learning.
On April 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at Highland United Presbyterian Church in Newport the presbytery will offer two workshops: a 101 level and a 201 level. The 201 level is only open to those who have previously had the training. The 101 level is for those who have not had training and those who would like to re-take.
Each workshop is limited to 20 participants and will be in-person only. Invitations will be sent to those who attended in 2023 and a registration link to all the clerks of session.
Weave Week
Weave Week – a first-of-its-kind for the area – is an overnight youth conference coming to the Presbytery of Carlisle on July 7-11.
The plan is to weave through Central Pennsylvania learning what it means to be a missional church in these times that we find ourselves. Scheduled are great speakers, excellent mission projects to work on, time for worship and fellowship, and mostly a whole lot of fun.
There is room for rising 9-12 graders to come and join in the fun. Registration is now open for the week by clicking here. Registration will run through April 30, but spots are limited. Considering registering as the Spirit blows through the Presbytery of Carlisle doing a new thing.
The overnight gathering will take place around Harrisburg, Gettysburg, and Hersheypark as it weaves around Central Pennsylvania. The cost for the week is $25 per participant. For more information, reach out to Jamie!
Many Voices, One Song
The Presbytery of Carlisle will hold a “Many Voices, One Song” event Sunday, Aug. 30, at 4 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church in Carlisle. Worship will be followed by food and fun together.
“Many Voices” promises to be the largest local gathering of Presbyterians in years because it’s being designed to include all ages, congregations and new worshiping communities, and parishioners (not just pastors and other leaders).
The gathering will bring together vocalists and bell ringers from across the presbytery. There’ll even be a youth choir, and worship will close with everyone singing the Hallelujah! Chorus together. The guest preacher will be the Rev. Cece Armstrong, co-moderator of General Assembly for 2025-26.
Also involved will be specialty foods from the area as part of the fellowship time after worship.
To learn more and to sign up, click here.
A flyer is available by clicking here.
Donegal
Leader Development Day 2026
The Presbytery of Donegal will hold its Leader Development Day on Sunday, March 8, from 2-5 p.m. by Zoom.
For more information and to find workshop descriptions, click here.
To register, click here.
Lackawanna
Lackawanna Presbytery Calendar
Click here for upcoming events around Lackawanna Presbytery.
Lake Erie
Congregational Learning Day
The Presbytery of Lake Erie will hold a Congregational Learning Day on Saturday, March 7, for new and experienced church leaders and church members.
For more information, click here.
Pastors Retreat
The Pastor Retreat at the Athenaeum Hotel in Chautauqua, NY, will be held April 27-29. Accommodations are available at a single room rate of $324 or a double room rate of $174, including a two-night stay, meals and gratuities. This price includes a $200 grant from the COM.
Guest speaker Carol Howard will discuss the theme “Sparking the Soul.” Attendees can enjoy worship, conversation and various optional activities, including a Pysanky workshop, LEGO® creative play, and gentle yoga sessions for relaxation.
For more information and to register, click here.
Happenings Around Lake Erie
For a listing of events occurring around the Presbytery of Lake Erie, click here.
Lehigh
Presbytery of Lehigh Calendar
Click here for upcoming events around the Presbytery of Lehigh.
Northumberland
Equipping the Saints: Helping Church Leaders Lead
Northumberland Presbytery will hold its 2026 Winter Leadership Conference on Saturday, March 21, at Montoursville Presbyterian Church. Snow date is March 28.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Equipping the Saints: Helping Church Leaders Lead.” The objective is to educate, equip and inspire God’s people for Christian service.
For more information and to register, click here.
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Lecture Series: Faith Forward – The Future of Congregational Life
Pittsburgh Presbytery and Christian Associates are partnering with Bower Hill Community Church’s Speaker Series on “Faith Forward: The Future of Congregational Life.” The series will feature nationally renowned experts and local faith leaders.
The series will be held on March 11, April 22 and May 13 from 4-8 p.m. at Cefalo’s Banquet and Event Center (428 Washington Ave., Carnegie, PA).
Are you curious about the future of congregational life? Are the trends that your church is experiencing outliers or more of a broader, shared cultural reality? How is congregational life changing? What might the shape of faith communities look like going forward during this time of the rise of nones and the spiritually curious?
Because Pittsburgh Presbytery is sponsoring the series, it is offering its congregations and ministry leaders discounted tickets. Instead of $25, the cost of the meal and the event is $10 or $30 for all three events.
For more information and to register, click here.
Boundary Training
Pittsburgh Presbytery will offer boundary training at the presbytery building on March 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided, so let the presbytery know on the registration form if you have any dietary needs.
Please use this link to register.
Engaging Difficult Conversations
This Lenten season, Pittsburgh Presbytery’s Anti-Racism Transformation Team invites you to join Ralph Lowe and Brian Wallace for a seminar titled “Awareness and Transformation: Engaging Difficult Conversations and Leading the Church Into Challenging Topics.”
Through the lens of their own friendship and our shared Presbyterian confessions, the speakers will lead deep dives into the challenging topics of racism and Christian Nationalism. This interactive event, held March 19 from 4-7 p.m. with dinner included, is specifically designed to equip pastors and church leaders with the tools needed to facilitate similar transformative dialogues within their own congregations. For those unable to attend in person, the seminar will be live-streamed with a moderator available to relay questions from the chat.
For more information, click here.
BOP Benefits Regional Summit
A Board of Pensions 2026 Benefits Regional Summit will be held at the Pittsburgh Presbytery office Tuesday, May 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This gathering will be an informative town hall designed to support pastoral leadership and congregational benefits decision-makers. Located throughout the country, the Benefits Regional Summits provide important updates and insights into the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and related programs offered by the Board of Pensions.
RSVP required before April 30.
For more information, click here.
October Racial Justice Pilgrimage
Pittsburgh Presbytery Stated Clerk Carla Campbell and the Rev. Ralph Lowe are excited to announce that this fall they hope to facilitate a Racial Justice Pilgrimage to Atlanta, GA, and Montgomery and Birmingham, AL, for the presbytery. The tentative dates for this trip are Sunday, Oct. 4, to Saturday, Oct. 10.
Travel arrangements and cost are still to be determined. Please let Carla or Ralph know as soon as possible if you are interested in this opportunity.
For more information, click here.
Pittsburgh Presbytery Calendar
Redstone
Shenango
Spring Pastor Retreat
The Shenango Presbytery Spring Pastor Retreat will be held May 18-19 at Villa Maria Conference Center. More information will be posted closer to the event.
Washington
Occasional Services Planning Workshop
A spring Pastor and Elder Training Workshop presented by the Inter-Presbytery Leadership Formation will be held Saturday, March 14, at Laboratory Presbyterian Church in Washington, PA. The workshop will be a hybrid offering by Zoom and in-person from 12:30-3:30 p.m.
The theme of this gathering is “Occasional Services Planning.” This gathering will focus on planning and preparing for services that occur on various occasions. Beyond the regular ordination and installation services, how might we anticipate services for other occasions that provide meaningful and faithful worship?
To register, contact Karen Gray at the Presbytery of Redstone at 724-837-6737 or by email at secretary@redstonepresbytery.org.
To view the entire spring schedule, click here.
Washington Presbytery Upcoming Events
West Virginia
- 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
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.
Festival of Faith
The Presbytery of West Virginia’s annual Festival of Faith will be held Saturday, March 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Charleston. The theme of this year’s gathering is “Tell Me A Story” with storyteller, author and recording artist Bil Lepp being the keynote speaker. Bil will speak on “The Widow’s Mite and the Widower’s Might: Seeing Scripture in Ordinary Actions.”
This year’s Festival of Faith promises to be another exciting day of learning, fellowship and worship. Complete information will be available the week of Jan. 19 on the presbytery website. The early registration deadline is Monday, March 2. The deadline for ordering lunch or indicating the need for childcare is also Monday, March 2.
You’ll have the opportunity to grow in faith and knowledge, gain insights and skills to take back to your congregation and connect with colleagues in ministry.
Workshop descriptions can be found by clicking here. Use these links for information and registration forms.
For questions about this event, or for additional information, contact Kari Preslar, chair of the Festival of Faith Planning Team, by email or 304-541-7222.