Written by Marsha MacKinnon, Webmaster for the Presbytery of Lake Erie

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed our lives. Changes that are now necessary to remain safe. Our households, workplaces and houses of worship have had to adapt daily and sometimes hourly. During a crisis, there are many challenges and yet at the same time numerous opportunities are revealed in unexpected ways.

I have asked three pastors in the Presbytery of Lake Erie for their insights on pastoring in a time of pandemic. All are embracing the day-to-day challenges, pastoring in new and creative ways, and guiding their congregations with hope and faith not fear.

Rev. Gregg Townsend, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of North East, PA. – on the right, his wife, Jane Livingston, music director at North East.

Rev. Gregg Townsend is the Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of North East. He was installed at North East in 2008 and has 34 years experience in the pulpit.  North East is in Erie County near the Pennsylvania-New York state line. Since the Coronavirus crisis began Pastor Gregg says the challenges have been many. “Not being able to personally visit home-bound members. Not worshiping with and preaching to people in-person, says Pastor Gregg.  “However, when we all get to heaven and you see an iPhone there, it’s mine — that little thing has come to know Jesus these past months!”

In Warren County, Rev. Rebecca Taylor is the Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in the city of Warren. She has been pastoring for nearly 40 years.“One of the biggest challenges is overcoming a feeling of helplessness,” says Pastor Rebecca. “Feeling inadequate with technology and feeling sad not being able to visit!”

Rev. Dr. Tim Harmon, Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Oil City, PA – on the right – Church Deacon Louise Droney

Rev. Dr. Tim Harmon is the Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church of Oil City in Venango County. He answered a call to Oil City about a year ago and has been pastoring for 11 years.  He agrees with the other pastors that effectively communicating with all church members during a pandemic has been especially difficult.

“Connecting with people in many different ways has been the hardest thing, as so many folks do not communicate in the same platform, says Pastor Tim. “Many without any online (access) at all, many who do not answer phones, and some who only pick up mail once or twice a month! There are some who will not text or email, so communicating and touching base without the in-person worship has been very difficult.”

Learning and embracing new technology and getting it up and running quickly is a common theme across the Presbytery of Lake Erie. Many churches are now live-streaming worship services and bible studies on Facebook Live or on their own YouTube channels. Yet despite the many challenges over the last five months, there have also been many unexpected benefits and new insights into pastoring since the Coronavirus pandemic began.

“God’s work among us in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is not bound by church buildings and in-person worship,” says Pastor Gregg. “It has been inspiring and humbling to speak with numerous members of our congregation whose participation was previously almost completely inactive now experiencing a reinvigorated faith.  There are also old friends (who live thousands of miles away!) that have wandered from the Christian faith and have now returned and are starting to take discipleship seriously.  The Holy Spirit is happy to use Facebook Live-Streaming!”

Using internet technology has brought virtual worship to North East, Warren, Oil City, and many other churches across the Presbytery of Lake Erie and across the country. Those churches are not only connecting with members who cannot gather for in-person worship because of COVID-19, they are now connected to the world and now have global reach. That is an unanticipated benefit of pastoring in a time of pandemic.

“It’s the power and pleasure of connectionalism,” says Pastor Gregg. “Beyond our local congregation, ministry and outreach have continued and thrived. Each week during this pandemic period encouragement has come from colleagues in the presbytery, challenges to support missional efforts overseas have been met (for example, financially supporting a congregation in Ghana), and local mission outreach is continuing (for example, we are currently preparing backpacks and clothing for students in need). Pandemics do not stop mission. They help us do mission imaginatively and give us the gift of relying ever more on God’s loving power.”

Rev. Rebecca Taylor, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Warren, PA.

Pastor Rebecca admits to gaining a new appreciation for the little things. “I do believe this has opened many eyes to how comfortable and complacent we had become, especially about our faith and about being in community!”

While the new technology has presented new mission and ministry opportunities, old technology is steadfastly reliable in making people feel connected with another human voice. Many churches have revived the phone-tree, where a personal call is placed to connect with members.

“I was so very impressed with how well the deacons reached out to folks naturally, says Pastor Tim Harmon. “With the deacons calling,  it made me very aware at how we leaders need to make more regular and natural connections within the life of the church.”

Pastor Gregg says “for generations, God has been graciously and powerfully binding us together in Christ.  Now that we cannot be together, the strength of those ties is proving itself.  Prayer and pastoral care, for instance, have not stopped. Some members have been busy doing grocery shopping for the more vulnerable members of our congregation who are not comfortable going out.  Fellowship has continued in different ways, but perhaps with more sensitivity and concern than ever.”

The Coronavirus pandemic has created numerous challenges for our pastors, our faith communities, and our individual households.  Some people are now very fearful, and others are extremely anxious about the impact the pandemic is having on their lives. 

All three pastors agree this is not the time for fear, but for trust.

Pastor Tim Harmon: “Jesus is really here with us and we are not alone.  But it feels like it sometimes.  God does not shame or ridicule or downplay or sideline things but stands in it with us.  And it is faithful to stand there, to admit the fears, to reach out to others, and to place our anxieties out there.”

Pastor Gregg Townsend:  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7)

Pastor Rebecca Taylor: “God understands and hasn’t abandoned us! God is grieved by the loss of life and by the insensitivity of some toward others! And God can bring good out of even the most difficult circumstances!! (Romans 8:28)”

Safe and fun summer ministry for children and families

By Becky D’Angelo-Veitch | Presbyterians Today

In the midst of canceled events, ranging from graduations and weddings to the 2020 Summer Olympics, and even the PC(USA)’s 224th General Assembly — which opted for an abbreviated virtual assembly in June — local church programs like Vacation Bible School are perhaps “small potatoes.” However, as congregations have long moved on from “How are we going to celebrate Easter?” to the ever-burning question, “What is the new normal?” one thing is apparent: How congregations approach summer ministry might provide answers for the wider life of the church, as lessons learned by doing things differently in July and August may provide the groundwork for post-pandemic ministries — especially ministries to children.

(read more…)

“Words are inadequate.  Actions, while crucial, are not easy to initiate.  Even so, go back to the Scripture from Mark 12.  Love of neighbor compels response.  The vast majority of the 121 congregations in the Lake Erie and Beaver-Butler Presbyteries are of European American descent.  And there may be a temptation to ignore the racial tensions that are exploding across the country.  I would urge you to engage the conversation.  Regardless of church size, might it be possible for you to…

+ engage in Biblical discussions about race (there are great resources and great people out there to facilitate these discussions); 

+ pray for those who are different than ourselves (different in race, economics, etc.);

“I am most eager to see how God will lead the church into new ventures and new opportunities. 

The sovereign God of all eternity is at work in all times and all places. 

For that I am most thankful to God.”  Rev. Dr. David Oyler

In 2003, the world was a different place. That was the year Rev. Dr. David Oyler became General Presbyter for the Presbytery of Lake Erie. After 17 years in this leadership role, Dr. Oyler is stepping back, yet looking forward, as he officially retires this July.

As we approach the halfway point of 2020, we are living in unprecedented times and facing unique challenges on several fronts including the Coronavirus pandemic. Our world is quite different today than even four months ago.

The following is an interview with Dr. Oyler in Q & A format, so you can see the questions and answers about his 40 plus years in ministry. He offers his reflections. He shares his insights on ministry during challenging times, the challenges he has faced, and his hopes for the future.

Written by Marsha MacKinnon

Describe your background and when you heard God’s call to ministry.

“The call to ministry comes in so many different forms.  It involves – as best we can – a close listening to the Holy Spirit.  I was wonderfully blessed to grow up in a family that loved God.  In fact, both my father and grandfather had served as Presbyterian pastors, though there was no pressure from my family to pursue pastoral training.  Rather, my sense of call came from a growing awareness of the power of Christ to transform lives.  Such transformation was evident in the congregation that nurtured me, but also in the interaction with other Christians in high school and college and in the world around us.  While there were a couple of pivotal events where I sensed God being powerfully at work, there were many moments of growing awareness that all was not right with the world and that there is a better way.  For me, increasingly, that ‘better way’ was acknowledging the profound ability for God to transform lives by being God-centered rather than self-focused.”

Describe your experiences from your seminary days until you were selected to be General Presbyter for the Presbytery of Lake Erie. What have you enjoyed most about being a minister of The Word of God?

 “Prior to my calling as General Presbyter, I was privileged to serve for 24 years as a pastor.  For six years I served the Hartstown and North Shenango Churches in Crawford County.  For 18 years I served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of North East in Erie County.  Those were treasured years where I valued the longer term relationships that were formed, the forming of weekly sermons, leading Bible studies and regular visitation with the people who participated in those congregations.  Presbyterian author Eugene Peterson speaks of ‘having a long obedience in the same direction.’  I valued that long obedience in the daily patterns established in those faith communities – worship and fellowship, education and service, mission trips and discovering what God is up to next all around us.  Pastoral ministry in a congregation is a kaleidoscope of ever changing dialogue, of problem solving even as some routines need to be nurtured.  And other routines need to be re-examined and renewed, guided by the Holy Spirit.  God is always weaving a tapestry, even where we cannot see the beauty of it.”

As General Presbyter explain what challenges you faced, the priorities you had to make, and how those challenges changed over your 17 years with the Presbytery of Lake Erie?

“The last 17 years have been filled with dramatic change within the Christian church in North America.  Many have come to recognize afresh that the church is a dynamic organization.  The practices and patterns of Christendom are being re-examined, re-formed and re-shaped.  One foundational assumption of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which appears early in the Book of Order, is that ‘The church reformed, always to be reformed according to the Word of God in the power of the Spirit.’  That has certainly been true in these 17 years.  The Christian Church, including the Presbyterian Church (USA), has addressed an understanding of human sexuality.  That discussion has led to significant theological divides.  Many churches in Lake Erie Presbytery have also found it necessary to acknowledge the decline in member participation which has impacted their mission and ministry.  Most recently, in the midst of COVID-19, congregations have found themselves determining the best ways to be the church when scattered in our homes.  In it all, I have seen several consistent priorities:

1. 1. 1. 1. Encouraging churches to think missionally.  What is God up to next in our faith communities.  Standing on the rich traditions of the church, God is continually re-shaping and forming the church into an outward focused group of believers.
         2. Encouraging churches to think creatively.  If the faith community changes then it may well involve creativity to adapt the Gospel message to our changed circumstances.
         3. Encouraging churches to think structurally.  Good administration makes for a more effective witness in the community.  The gift of administration may not seem to be very exciting, yet it is crucial.  I have sought to model that at the presbytery level for the 58 congregations that compose Lake Erie Presbytery.
         4. Encouraging churches to think connectionally.  That is evident in the faithful connection of many churches in missional thought, Unglued Church conversations, participation in regional training events, partnering with others on mission trips, and in accessing grants and scholarships the Presbytery of Lake Erie offers, and in a host of other ways.”

The Coronavirus pandemic has brought forth unprecedented changes overnight and unexpected challenges. What are your insights on mission and ministry during these challenging times? 

“It has been a privilege for 17 years to worship with different congregations each Sunday morning.  In a time of unprecedented change, it has been a unique opportunity to be at home but participate in 4 or 5 services each Sunday morning.  And in participating in worship I have seen wonderful resilience and outward focus.  The prayers offered often speak of those who are the ‘least, lost and loneliest’.  And there is a consistent theme of being attuned to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Some ministries are limited in these days, but I am also observing increased passion and compassion.  The church of Jesus Christ moves forward!  Mission and ministry are happening!  People are being fed!  Phone calls and cards are being sent!  The church prevails!”

What do you see as being your greatest joy throughout all the changes and challenges that you have faced over the years?

“I am thankful to God to serve in the church of Jesus Christ.  My grandfather was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1909.  For the next 19 years he served as Presbyterian missionary in The Sudan, just a few miles from the Nile River.  And my father was then also ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1938.  I was ordained in 1979.  Across three generations, across more than a century, my family has been privileged to serve in this grand movement called the Christian Church. The church is different than it was in 1909, yet the message is remarkably the same and remarkably relevant.  Across the grand sweep of history, I observe that the church is able to embrace adaptive change.  It is difficult work.  Some institutions flex and change.  Some disappear.  And new ones appear.  As I retire after 41 years of ministry within the bounds of Lake Erie Presbytery, I am most eager to see how God will lead the church into new ventures and new opportunities.  The sovereign God of all eternity is at work in all times and all places.  For that I am most thankful to God.” 

What are your future plans?

“My plans in retirement are ‘to take a deep breath and see what God is up to next.’  I can imagine new opportunities in this journey called ‘life.’  In recent years – and particularly in recent months – my work with the church has become all consuming.  The shelves of my study are lined with books that I am eager to open and read, though there has not been enough time to do that recently.  And, of course, my wife and I hope to spend more time in travel as well as with grandchildren.  The travel may be deferred for a while but will happen, by the grace of God, eventually.  And I am most eager to observe, from a distance, how God is at work in the churches of the Presbytery of Lake Erie.”

 What is your favorite scripture passage and why?  

“There are so many passages that enrich my life and form my faith.  One that is so very familiar, yet still so faith formative ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’ – John 3:16.  And the call to be engaged in the world is so profoundly woven into the words of Micah 6:8 ‘What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.’  Those verses – along with so many others – summarize the call of a personal faith commitment in Christ and call to be disciples in the world around us.”

Thank you Dr. Oyler for your years of service and ministry

to the people of the Presbytery of Lake Erie.

Enjoy & God Bless!

Lake Erie Presbytery is now accepting applications (PIFs) for the General Presbyter position. Information about the position can be found here on the Church Leadership Connection. To learn more about the region click on Links to Websites of Interest. Any questions can be directed to Emily Zeig Lindsey, GPNC Chair at [email protected].

We are all in this for the long haul. How good are you at social distancing? Most of us are finding all kinds of ways to settle into working at home, only going out for essential groceries, prescriptions and gas. Now how do we cope with all of this?

Below is an excerpt from an article by Lisa Fritscher title “Cabin Fever Symptoms and Coping Skills”

An opinion article posted in The Presbyterian Outlook is worth a look.

The author is C. Christopher Smith of the Region News Service. He takes a closer look at how the Covid-19 pandemic has already changed how we ‘do church.” Below is an excerpt followed by a link to the complete article.

(RNS) — The coronavirus pandemic has quickly swept the globe, throwing just about every human institution into chaos. Faith communities are no exception.

With gatherings restricted in size or prohibited altogether, many houses of worship are fighting to stay connected, rapidly weighing technological options to keep as many people as possible engaged.

This involves a a good deal of trial and error. Congregational leaders find themselves relying on multiple digital tools — some of which they have never used before — to connect themselves to their members and to keep their members caring for each other.

As stressful as these times are, they have provided an extraordinary opportunity in my Christian community to reflect on our identity and mission as the church, and to imagine ways of being more connected than ever with our fellow church members.

In normal times, most churches plow forward without much reflection on identity and mission.

Now they have the chance to do something new, and I challenge churches to take a wee bit of time to reflect together on questions like these:

What is the church? A building? A particular gathering? A community?

What is worship? What really matters in a worship service? And given the limits forced on us by the pandemic, which technological tools can best help us embody our identity and mission?

Covid-19 could end church as we know it. And I feel fine.

To  all member churches of the Presbytery of Lake Erie

Are you live streaming or making worship available on Facebook during this coronavirus pandemic? If so, would you be willing to make that information available so other churches who may not have Sunday worship could access your site?  Please provide the contact information, the link needed to access the live stream, and the time the live stream will begin. Melinda in the Presbytery office is compiling a list and we will make that list available to all right here. Please email Melinda in the PLE office at [email protected]

Online Services Here