Each year, the Synod of the Trinity provides Small Church Leadership Development funds for its presbyteries so they can distribute the funds to their smaller congregations that are looking to provide training for their clergy and lay leadership. In 2024, the Synod distributed nearly $17,000 to its presbyteries, money that was divided up based on the number of “small” churches in each presbytery. A church with a membership of 100 or less is considered a “small church” for this program.
What follows is a recap of how the funds were used by the Synod’s presbyteries.
Carlisle
With last year’s small church grant, the Presbytery of Carlisle was able to do the following:
- Offer financial support to three attendees to attend Wee Kirk at Mt. Laurelville in October
- Offer Zoom Pro accounts to nine small churches
- Provide financial assistance to a CRE in training
Donegal
We are happy to report for 2024 we continued to apply the SCLDF donation from the Synod to a number of grants through our Engaging Our Mission Committee (EOM) so that we can say the grants are in partnership with the Synod. During 2024, these are some of the grants and financial support that were distributed:
- A security system upgrade after a building incursion involving a direct threat against a pastor
- Audio-visual upgrades to improve streaming capabilities at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Slateville and Penningtonville
- The Fight Hunger Fall Fest at Wrightsville Presbyterian Church
- A new Neighborhood Outreach ministry at Shiloh Presbyterian Church
- Baby Room improvements to improve welcoming space at the West Grove Presbyterian Church
- Commissioned Ruling Elder Robes and stoles for Doe Run Presbyterian Church and Bethany, Mendenhall
- Small Church subsidy for The Racial Justice Task Group of the Presbytery of Donegal’s Trip to the African American Museum in Washington DC
- A Rise Against Hunger Event sponsored by Unionville, Doe Run and Bethany Presbyterian Churches
- The Music Ministry at Iglesia Resurreccion, a Spanish-speaking fellowship
- Attorney fees for a visa application to the Stewartstown Presbyterian Church in sponsorship of Rev. Mwat Asedeh (from Nigeria) , their installed pastor, for the now-obtained R-1 Visa
- Seed money for a new Christian Formation position at Phoenixville
- Continued support for the Dream Center ministry of Columbia Presbyterian Church
We are most grateful for the Synod funds and our continued collaborative support of these amazing ministries in our congregations and as a presbytery.
Lake Erie
The Presbytery of Lake Erie expresses gratitude for the grant received in 2024 through the Small Church Leadership Development Funds from the Synod of the Trinity. The Mission and Social Witness and Administrative Committee of the presbytery oversees the distribution of these funds through various grants.
Supporting the youth in the Presbytery of Lake Erie is our top priority. Our Spiritual Formation Committee has been working diligently with several congregations to provide camping experiences for our youth. They often seek scholarships for campers and funding for various events. Throughout 2024, we have sponsored several additional youth events, and we hope to achieve continued success in these initiatives. Engaging our youth in their faith contributes to the growth of our congregations.
The After School Program and Godly Play program at Kane Presbyterian Church have collaborated to establish the Kane After School: Local Youth Spiritual Outreach. The presbytery has approved a grant to support this program for another year, aiming to strengthen the connection between local youth, their faith and their community.
The presbytery has been conducting leadership workshops for commissioned pastors and those in preaching leadership. As membership declines and pastors retire, many churches are left without full-time Ministers of the Word and Sacrament. Offering these programs is essential for strengthening leadership in our smaller congregations, helping them achieve continued success.
Thank you to the Synod of the Trinity for supporting our ministry with smaller congregations in Lake Erie Presbytery in 2024.
Huntingdon
The purpose of the fund is to enable small churches through lay leadership development. The goals of the Certified Lay Pastor program in our Huntingdon Presbytery are in line with the goals of this fund. We provide lay pastor classes monthly that can lead to certification.
They also provide continuing education to those already certified or commissioned to a ministry. With the decreased number of congregations who can afford a full-time called and installed pastor, we have a need for well trained and committed lay pastors, both for pulpit supply and, if called, for commissioning to a particular church.
Lay pastor classes are offered both in person and on Zoom. Some prefer in person while others are limited by distance, family obligations or other legitimate reasons. To make the presentation more effective for those on Zoom, we used the funds from the Small Church Leadership Development Fund to purchase a Meeting Owl. This enabled the participants on Zoom to hear what those in-person were saying. Without the Meeting Owl, those in Zoom could hear the speaker but not always the discussion with other participants who were in the room with the speaker. Offering classes where the technology is working effectively encourages more participation in the CLP program and allows interested folks to not be limited by distance from the location where classes are offered.
Kiskiminetas
The funds we received for Small Church Leadership Development helped us to continue educating our lay leaders and pastors within the Presbytery of Kiskiminetas. Due to these funds, we were able to provide educational and training opportunities for our commissioned pastors and commissioned pulpit supply folks. In addition, the funds allowed us to offset the costs to bring in David Miron from Samaritan Counseling Center in Lancaster, PA, to provide extensive Boundary Training for all minister members of the presbytery in September.
We appreciate the grant money we received, which helped aid us in our efforts to improve the education and training events for our pastors, lay leaders and small congregations.
Lehigh
The presbytery spent the money on a shuttle for the Rev. Glen Hueholt’s Memorial Service in 2024. Glen was a long-time stated supply pastor for the Freeland and Weatherly congregations (nearly 30 years). And that was after he was honorably retired. He finally concluded his ministry with these two congregations at the age of 93!
Since both congregations had very small facilities, the shuttle was necessary to bring a sizable number of people from parking areas around the community to the Weatherly church, where the service was held.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Presbytery uses the Synod’s Small Church Leadership Development Grant to strengthen pastoral leadership and equip small congregations for sustainable ministry. Through targeted workshops, webinars and other educational opportunities, we explore shared models of ministry that foster collaboration and resource-sharing among churches. Additionally, we will invest in pastor/elder leadership development, providing training and support to help clergy/elders navigate the unique challenges of small church communities. By continuing to identify and implement innovative approaches, we continue to aim to empower congregations to thrive in their mission and ministry.
We will use all funds allocated to achieve this goal. Ex: The Mon Valley of Pittsburgh has steadily declined over the past 40 years. We have churches that are an integral part of the community providing food and hygiene supplies, shelter, clothing, community safe space, community meeting space and non-traditional worship opportunities to name a few ministries. Finding ways to support the ministry needs of those churches through shared opportunities in order to better meet the needs of the community is essential for the Presbyterian presence in that area.
Philadelphia
The Presbytery of Philadelphia divided our grant between two recipients: Olivet-Covenant Presbyterian Church and Cedar Park Presbyterian Church. Both churches were excited to receive these funds to aid their ministries.
Olivet-Covenant will be using its award to enhance its leadership in a community Juneteenth event. Cedar Park looks forward to utilizing these funds to strengthen its THEY L.E.A.D. program, which seeks to develop leadership skills in middle and high school students as well as young adults in their community. We are thankful for the Synod of the Trinity’s partnership and investment in our smaller congregations.
Redstone
Throughout its history, the Presbytery of Redstone has remained committed to supporting all congregations, but particularly those that are smaller and located in more rural areas of the presbytery. The support of the Synod of the Trinity is appreciated and is used to support in-person connections between the Committee on Ministry and the executive presbyter with the leadership of these congregations. Additionally, educational programming both within the presbytery and with outside conferences is subsidized through presbytery funds in conjunction with this grant and other commitments. All of these initiatives are made possible by continuing support of the Synod of the Trinity. As a result, God’s work and ministry within the region of Redstone continues in both rural and urban communities where people gather to worship and serve no matter the size of the congregation.
Unfortunately, even with this commitment to serve smaller congregations, it does not always result in our desired outcomes. In 2024, the Presbytery of Redstone “lost” two congregations. The First Presbyterian Church of Fayette City requested and was approved for dissolution resulting from declining membership and overwhelming financial liabilities. The Tyrone United Presbyterian Church of Dawson was granted dismissal to the Covenant order of Evangelical Presbyterians. Ironically, one of their expressed reasons was wanting less contact and connection with the larger church represented by the presbytery.
Yet, most of our smaller congregations rely upon the presbytery for support, counsel and technical expertise. At the end of 2024 with 47 out of 65 congregations recording a membership of less than 150, these congregations operate with only minimal staff. In most of these congregations, they are served by pastoral leaders who are teaching elders (18) who are less than full time or a commissioned pastor(19). Churches with part-time pastors are dependent upon presbytery resources in staffing and expertise to navigate the concerns of congregational life. Those serving in pastoral roles in these congregations not only receive broad presbytery support but also receive vital one-on-one mentoring and consulting. The EP becomes a critical presence with leadership not only for those assuming pastoral responsibility, but the congregation as well. Small Church Leadership funds are employed in some of the consulting, programming, scholarships and support for these congregations and their current and future leadership.
As a presbytery, COM liaisons proactively address the needs of all of our small congregations in our region. Often, this means providing levels of leadership and technical competence that may be taken for granted as available within larger congregations. Within the normal patterns of worship, fellowship and ministry, personal consultations take place on a wide range of issues from buildings to finances to Book of Order expectations that within a small congregation the leadership may not be equipped to address. This may take the form also of serving as a resource for identifying possible pulpit supply or moderator leadership or the arrangement for Ministers of Word and Sacrament for occasions. Other times, our efforts seek to find, train and match together those who might be able to serve in pastoral leadership whether as retired clergy persons or potential commissioned pastors.
Additionally, through the IPLF there are workshop opportunities provided by the presbytery for training and education for ruling elders to assume greater leadership roles within these congregations. The “pipeline” for additional pastoral leadership continues to be cultivated with recruitment of three new students who discerning, recruiting and training for possible service in small churches in roles from pulpit supply to authorized preacher to commissioned pastor. In our current IPLF program, we have enrolled five students who are either working through the courses and workshops or are completing their supervised practicum experiences.
West Virginia
On Sept. 14, 2024, the Committee on Ministry of the Presbytery of West Virginia sponsored its annual Small Church Conference funded by the Synod of the Trinity’s Small Church Leadership Development Funds. The conference was held at Fayetteville Presbyterian Church, Fayetteville; the church is centrally located and can be reached on four-lane highways from all parts of the state. The theme of the conference was “God is Here: Worship in the Small Church.”
The conference began with a brief welcome and introduction by Evan Walker, member of the planning team. The conference opened with a worship service led by Commissioned Pastor Jim Musgrave, who served as liturgist and preacher and included communion with celebrant Evan Walker, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Fairmont, and member of the Committee on Ministry.
The outstanding keynote presentation by Ruling Elder Pam Ferrell of First Presbyterian Church, St. Albans, focused on “the Service for the Lord’s Day as a drama of worship that unfolds in three acts with multiple scenes [as] we retell the ancient story and reenact old traditions…”
Participants attended two of three workshops:
- Then Sings My Soul with Pam Ferrell
- Where Two or Three are Gathered with Evan Walker & Maureen Wright (replacing Bill Myers)
- God is Calling, Can You Hear? with Sallie Daugherty
Morning refreshments were provided by the host church. Lunch was provided for the participants through the grant. A closing prayer that combined spoken prayer with verses of a hymn was led by Barbara Accord, chair of the planning team.