Presbytery News
Synod of the Trinity
Presbyterian Women Summer Retreat/Gathering
The Presbyterian Women in the Synod of the Trinity will hold its Summer Retreat/Gathering on July 16-18 at Antiochian Village Retreat and Conference Center in Ligonier, PA.
This year’s theme is “Finding Joy in the Journey” based on Galatians 5:22. The guest speaker will be CeCe Armstrong, the co-moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Join the Synod PW for lively worship, special workshops, great food, inspirational small-group time, spirituality walk, toe-tapping music, a silent auction, games, crafts, mission opportunities and more.
For more information and a flyer, click here.
To register, use one of these two forms:
Beaver-Butler
- interested in carpooling and/or
- willing to drive others.
Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Game Trip
Beaver-Butler Presbytery will cheer on the Pittsburgh Pirates as they play the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, July 11. Game time is 4:05 p.m. The first 20,000 will receive a cowboy hat for Country Weekend.
Drivers are needed. Please indicate on the registration form if you are:
Tickets are $25 with a $5 credit for food, beverage or merchandise.
Send checks to: Beaver-Butler Presbytery Office, P.O. Box 279, Zelienople, PA 16063
Deadline for sending payment and to register is Sunday, June 7.
To register, click here. A flyer is available by clicking here.
Beaver-Butler Presbytery Events
For a listing of events occurring around Beaver-Butler Presbytery, click here.
Carlisle
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. Consider 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.
Huntingdon
Mandated Reporter Training
Churches in Huntingdon Presbytery are invited to Mandated Reporter Training on Thursday, June 11, from 9 a.m. to noon at The Retreat Center at Krislund Camp and Conference Center in Madisonburg, PA. The training will be conducted by CentreSafe and is open to all Krislund staff, volunteers and supporting congregations.
Krislund will offer lunch after the sessions for $5 per person.
To register, click here.
Lake Erie
- Tuesday, June 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., location TBD
- Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Corry First
- Thursday, July 16, 4:30-8:30 p.m., presbytery office
You Are Not Alone Prayer Vigil
The You Are Not Alone Prayer Vigil is a monthly ecumenical gathering supporting immigrant and migrant neighbors. It takes place from 12:15–12:45 pm on the second Friday of each month at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Erie (southeast corner of Perry Square).
The Presbytery of Lake Erie’s Mission and Social Witness Committee will lead the June 12 vigil. A volunteer guitarist/song leader is needed for June 12.
All are encouraged to attend and share. To help lead in June, contact Pat Tracy at 814-504-2220 or tptracy72@gmail.com.
Boundary Training
Boundary Training dates for 2026 have been set for the Presbytery of Lake Erie. Registration will be open soon online. Reminder that Boundary Training is required every three years for all clergy, active session members and anyone in the congregation working with children.
Happenings Around Lake Erie
For a listing of events occurring around the Presbytery of Lake Erie, click here.
Mountain Laurel
Mountain Laurel Presbytery Calendar
For a calendar of events occurring around the Mountain Laurel Presbytery, click here.
Philadelphia
Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States
Join the Presbytery of Philadelphia for a special day of worship, reflection, fellowship and shared ministry on Saturday, July 25, at its Stated Meeting at Salt & Light Church / The Common Place (5736 Chester Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143). The day will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a special address by the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton, President of Princeton Theological Seminary, titled “A Fragile Experiment, An Enduring Faith,” commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Following the address, the presbytery will gather for worship, lunch and the business meeting of the presbytery. The presbytery hopes you will join it for this meaningful day in the life of the church as it reflects on the shared history, celebrate God’s faithfulness and look ahead in hope and faith together.
Presbytery Night at the Ballpark
The Presbytery of Philadelphia is heading to Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to see the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Washington Nationals at 6:40 p.m. Join the presbytery for an evening of home runs, hot dogs and great fellowship.
Tickets are $50. To reserve your spot, contact the Presbytery Office or reach out to Rev. Brenton Thompson at bthompson@presbyphl.org.
Presbytery of Philadelphia Calendar
For a calendar of events occurring around the Presbytery of Philadelphia, click here.
Pittsburgh
Lunch and Learn
Pittsburgh Presbytery is partnering with the Presbyterian Foundation to hold two Lunch and Learn sessions. The topic for these lunches will be Asset Based Stewardship: For the Small Membership Church. This seminar will show you how to stop apologizing for your size, break free from scarcity thinking, and build a bold, homegrown stewardship strategy that activates the gifts already in your pews.
Dates for these gatherings are June 23, noon-1:15 p.m., location TBD; and June 25, noon-1:15 p.m. at Glenshaw Presbyterian Church.
To register, 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
For a calendar of events occurring around Pittsburgh Presbytery, click here.
Redstone
Redstone Presbytery Calendar
For a calendar of events occurring around the Presbytery of Redstone, click here.
Washington
Washington Presbytery Upcoming Events
For a listing of events occurring around Washington Presbytery, click here.
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
CP/ALP Retreat
The Presbytery of West Virginia’s Commissioned Pastors & Authorized Lay Preachers Retreat will be in Jackson’s Mill, WV, on July 24-25. The presenter will be Matthew L. Skinner, the Asher O. and Carrie Nasby Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, this summer.
For more information, click here.
Registration forms are available by clicking here.
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.