Synod of the Trinity
2024 Assembly Report
Omni Bedford Springs Resort, Bedford, PA
October 27-29, 2024
The 2024 Synod Assembly gathers at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in late October.
The 2024 Synod of the Trinity’s annual Assembly in late October was a hybrid gathering held in-person in Bedford, PA, and through video conferencing platform Zoom. Below are some of the highlights of the meeting.
MINISTERING IN APPALACHIA
An overarching theme of the three-day gathering was life and leadership in Appalachia. A map displayed showed that most of the Synod of the Trinity region, except for southeast Pennsylvania in areas like the Presbyteries of Donegal and Philadelphia, is in Appalachia. That fact may have come as a surprise to many people who relate to the Appalachia region as being in highly rural areas like southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The Assembly opened Sunday evening with the showing of “October Sky,” a movie that takes place in West Virginia in 1957 at the time of the launch of the Soviet rocket Sputnik. The true story follows Homer Hickam, a coal miner’s son who was inspired by the launch to take up rocketry against his father’s wishes. A group of four teens led by Homer who adopt the nickname “the Rocket Boys” go on to win the school and national science fairs. Their success means they can leave their Appalachian homes and attend college, in the process not having to work in the coal mines like family members before them.
Monday afternoon, a panel of six pastors and ministry leaders from around the Synod of the Trinity discussed what life is like ministering in Appalachia. Martha Wright, the director of Laughlin Memorial Chapel in Wheeling, WV, where she leads a community center that offers free after-school and summer programming for children, described the region this way: “Appalachia is known as a sacrifice zone – a place where things are extracted. It’s a place that is the butt of jokes but that has also won wars. It has always been a place in between. Here, we pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living. Salvation is critical to people in Appalachia.”
Anita Bernhardt, the general presbyter of the Presbytery of Lake Erie who has also served churches in Kentucky, said, “I experienced people in Appalachia with a strong sense of geography and place. They are a ruggedly independent people and hard-working. They have a distrust of outside people, especially people in the government. Their life experiences are of great value to them. Commissioned pastors and lay leaders are less of a problem in Appalachia.” “Dark as a Dungeon,” a song by Tennessee Ernie Ford about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in a shaft mine, was played during Anita’s share.
Derek Hudson is the executive director and creator of the Bream Neighborhood S.H.O.P. (Showers + Healthcare Outreach Program). Bream Memorial Presbyterian Church’s shower ministry has been an invaluable outreach in this community. He said Charleston is among the top five cities in the United States in HIV rate, so SHOP makes HIV care coordinators available. There is also a domestic violence problem in the region, and SHOP has a leader who drives 90 minutes a day to assist in these areas. SHOP also assists with food and clothing insecurity, laundry services and drug rehabilitation, among others.
Derek Hudson speaks about ministering in Appalachia as, from left, Nellie Howard, Martha Wright and Susan Shelton Perry look on.
Susan Perry, a life-long resident of southern West Virginia who serves the First Presbyterian Church in Logan, opened her talk by reminding those in attendance that 100 years ago in Logan County bombs were dropped on American people. In the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, a group of striking coal workers in West Virginia had leftover World War I chemical bombs dropped on them by the US government. Today, it is still one of the largest civil uprisings in American history. Susan also remarked that a local high school’s nickname is the Hillbillies. “It’s a sense of pride. There’s no shame in it. We own it.”
Nellie Howard, who worked in the Resource Center at the Presbytery of West Virginia, spoke of the “us vs. them conundrum” that occurs in parts of Appalachia. This stance can be used toward the LGBTQ and immigrant populations in the region, she said.
Graham Fowler, a pastor in the Presbytery of Carlisle, opened his part by saying he is the least qualified panelist to speak on life and ministry in Appalachia because of where he ministers. He added that the rural churches he serves are synonymous with their communities. He continued, “There was a fire at Lost Creek Presbyterian Church and rumors started that the church would be moving or closing. This worried the community because the church was the presence of God in our town and without the church that would be gone.”
WORSHIP
The Assembly’s opening worship was led by Brian Choi, outgoing co-moderator of the Synod. Brian’s message, titled “Take Nothing With You,” was based on Luke 10, which is where Jesus selects 72 disciples and sends them to preach in the cities he was going to visit. They were not to concern themselves with making provisions for their trip but would rely on hospitality. Brian reflected on what it was like being the parent of a newborn and how parents pack more than they need when going on trips. “We were not prepared, we were overprepared. We took the entire house with us. We overprepared due to fear. We can’t predict what the upcoming journey will be like. We have to travel light and have faith.” He concluded, “Is your journey based on fear or based on faith? When you go out into your ministry, trust God and travel light.”
Skip Noftzger, who will be retiring as the executive presbyter/stated clerk at the Presbytery of Redstone at the end of the year, opened Tuesday with devotions. He reminded the body that “there is no retiring from being a disciple of Jesus. There is no retiring from being radically rooted in faith.” He challenged the Assembly to use faith as a verb, meaning to be active in leadership roles.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE LAND
Forrest Claassen spoke about those native to the Synod of the Trinity region, reminding everyone that people occupied the Synod region long before “the white people” arrived. Maps were displayed showing the forced migration of tribes like the Lenape and Delaware as far west as Illinois.
LACKAWANNA-LEHIGH MERGER UPDATE
Three members of the Lackawanna-Lehigh Merger Team provided an update on the proposed merger between the two northeastern Pennsylvania mid councils. Due to staffing deficits and church closings, the two presbyteries have been working to merge into one mid council, which would consist of 14 counties and one area in New York. At its November combined meeting, a name will be selected for the new presbytery, a contest that resulted in 50 entries. “We have encountered very little resistance,” said Karen Kinney, the merger coordinator. “We were surprised at the enthusiasm of naming the new presbytery.” The Assembly voted to allow Lackawanna and Lehigh Presbyteries to continue to explore the merger process. If the way be clear, the merger will be completed in the summer of 2025, at which time another Synod Assembly vote will be needed to finalize the merger.
Michael Wilson stands next to a cake in his honor. Michael is leaving the Synod of the Trinity after his two-year call as stated clerk to join the Board of Pensions.
LEADERSHIP CHANGES
Synod Stated Clerk
Michael Wilson announced the week prior to the Assembly that he would be leaving his role as stated clerk of the Synod, as well as his call as stated clerk of the Presbytery of Donegal, to accept a position at the Board of Pensions as its new Director of Education, Arc of Ministry. He offered a heart-felt thank you and goodbye, and colleagues shared their reflections on ways Michael has blessed their ministries during his time with the Synod and at Donegal. “There has always been a calling in my life to education,” Michael said. “To our stated clerks, I love seeing us come together through our work and in God’s mission.”
Co-Moderators for 2025
Meg Steele (Washington) was elected for a second term as co-moderator of the Synod. She will be joined next year by Susan Nesti (Redstone), who will fill the vacancy of Brian Choi (Huntingdon). Brian will end his two-year stint as a co-moderator on Dec. 31.
EXECUTIVE’S REPORT
Synod Executive Forrest Claassen gave his State of the Synod report on Tuesday morning. An important part of his work going forward will be to continue to align the Synod’s grants with its ends and align work around the ends as well. He noted that the Synod’s 2023 regional gatherings and this year’s Synod Assembly both dealt with “invisible people” (i.e. “Welcoming the Stranger,” “Understanding Appalachia”), a conversation he wants to continue in 2025. “Who are the invisible people?” he asked. He has also spent many hours in the past year assisting presbyteries as they sought leadership changes following retirements.
GIVING OPPORTUNITY
Opening Worship Offering
The offering benefited the Hymn Accompaniment Project, which is an outreach by Plains & Peaks Presbytery that provides churches with public domain hymns from the Glory to God songbook. The package includes computer-generated organ/piano sound and on-screen music projection. Denise Pass, the shared general presbyter of Lackawanna and Lehigh Presbyteries, spoke about this outreach as she remains the point person for this ministry following her time in Plains & Peaks.
SYNODOPOLY
Monday evening’s program included a couple rounds of Synodopoly, a game designed like the board game Monopoly that requires table groups to answer trivia questions about the presbytery they land on. A correct answer rewarded the table with Synodopoly money. The table with the most money at the end of the game had their winnings matched by the Synod and added to the offering for the Hymn Accompaniment Project.
From right, Karen Kinney gives an update on the Lackawanna-Lehigh merger as Martha Jordan and Denise Pass look on.
GOVERNING COMMISSION REPORT
New members to the Synod’s Committee on Representation and Nomination and Governing Commission were elected. The incoming class for CoRN includes Barbara Chappel (Philadelphia), Brian Choi (Huntingdon) and Dan Klaproth (Lackawanna). New GC members consist of Destini Hodges (Carlisle), Stan Howes (Huntingdon), Judy Veon (Shenango) and Chris Weichman (Lake Erie).
SYNOD ENDS & POLICIES
The Assembly voted in favor of wording changes to the Synod Ends as well as to the Standing Rules and Policy Governance Manual. Among the changes to the Standing Rules and Policy Governance Manual were pronoun uses to make the documents more inclusive. Anti-Racism and Anti-Harassment Policies were also approved.
FINANCIAL REPORT
2026 Per Capita
The financial report included a 2025 budget overview. The Synod’s per capita amount for 2025 will remain at $2.40, which was announced at last year’s Assembly. It was also reported that the per capita figure will stay at $2.40 for 2026, marking the seventh consecutive year without an increase in this amount.
REPORTS FROM SYNOD PARTNERS
Jane DeFord, the vice moderator for programs, spoke on behalf of the Presbyterian Women of the Synod of the Trinity. Jane attended the triennial national gathering of Presbyterian Women in St. Louis this summer and found that “vitality was way up” among the group. More information on the Synod’s PW group is available on the Synod website by clicking here.
Emily Chudy, a church consultant from the Board of Pensions, spoke about the changes to the medical benefits plan for 2025. It has been a challenging process, she said, and added “I’m thankful for the grace and seriousness with which you have dealt with these changes this year.”
MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT
Rod Horner, the church musician at Bedford Presbyterian Church, provided keyboard accompaniment throughout the morning portions of the Assembly on Monday.
Co-Moderator Brian Choi drapes a commissioner stole around the neck of Synod commissioner Jim Ihlenfeld as co-moderator Meg Steele does the same with commissioner Elaine McCray.