We welcome Josh to the Presbytery and invite you to connect with him while he is here. Josh was one of the vast majority of PCUSA Mission Co-workers whose positions were eliminated at the end of March. He served in Ghana for 16 years and also as the West Africa Regional Liaison. Josh was instrumental in helping Lake Erie Presbytery initiate and establish our Partnership with the Upper Northern Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana. It has been with Josh’s continued support, encouragement and guidance that our Ghana Partnership has thrived for over 12 years.

We hope you will be able to meet with Josh in some informal gatherings to share our appreciation, to hear from him, and to have conversations about what might be next for him and possibilities for continuing our Presbytery’s relationship with him in mission and ministry.

Please contact Donna Cammarata at 814-873-4860 or donna.camm@gmail.com if you would like to have Josh visit your area or if you would like to join in a meal on any of these dates (places TBD):
May 1 – Lunch or Dinner
May 2 – Lunch or Dinner
May 3 – Brunch
Josh will be preaching at Wayside Presbyterian Church on May 4th.

 

God of all Joy,

Fill our souls to overflowing with the fullness of your grace.

In this season, remind us of your triumph over the tragedy of the cross, 

and your victory for us over the powers of sin and death, so that we

may reflect your glory as disciples of

Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen

 

Living God, on the first day of the week
you brought to birth a new creation
through the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Fill us with the hope and joy of new beginnings,
so that we may share the good news
of your liberating, life-giving power
with all the world;
through Christ our Savior, who is alive
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and always.
Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:12 / Years ABC

 

Living God, through Jesus Christ
you emptied the power of death
and gave us the gift of life in fullness.
Now dry our tears and send us out
to tell the good news of the gospel:
Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
John 20:1-18 / Years ABC

Source: Office of Theology and Worship, Presbyterian Church (USA) 1

The 2025 Pastors’ Retreat is set for May 7 – 9,  2025 at the Athenaem Hotel, Chautauqa, NY. This retreat is offered to clergy and commissioned pastors, including the retired, in the Presbyteries of Cayuga/Syracuse, Genesee Valley, Geneva, Lake Erie, and Western New York.

This year the guest speaker is Rev. Dr. Glen Bell. The theme: “The Gift of One’s Self: Identity, Belonging, and Purpose.” Join us as we talk about identity, belonging,  and purpose in ways that will invite participants toward their own reflection and spiritual growth. Rev. Dr. Glen Bell is Senior VP of Development at the Presbyterian Foundation. Before serving the Foundation, he dedicated 30 years as a pastor in a wide variety of Presbyterian congregations in North Carolina, Indiana, and Florida. Glen received his Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary and his Master of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary. For registration information, follow this link: 2025 Pastors’ Retreat at Chautauqua

 

 

“I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason, I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1: 15-16

Presbytery Friends, Every morning I wake up grateful for the love of Christ being expressed through faithful disciples in our Lake Erie Presbytery. Every day my prayers are full of joy for your commitment and service. In my role as General Presbyter, I am privileged to see a broad view of church life in this presbytery. I see ordinary acts of faith expressed consistently year after year. I also see extraordinary expressions of loving service. Both often go largely unnoticed as dedicated Christians quietly serve in Christ’s name without fanfare or applause. With this in mind,, I will highlight a mission or ministry of one of our churches that valiantly reflects the love of Christ. I hope that you will join me in giving thanks for these ministries.

This month, Anita Applauds . . . the churches who give so generously to the mission and ministry of the whole Presbytery of Lake Erie. Every day I am proud of the way the churches of the Lake Erie Presbytery support the larger Church through their financial contributions to Per Capita and through their gifts in Mission support. Did you know that we are one of the healthiest presbyteries across the nation in terms of our Per Capita percentages? In addition, we have some churches who are very generous in their support of the Lake Erie Presbytery’s ministry goals. Sometimes we only celebrate the churches who are able to give the largest amounts (and we are grateful for these!). However, I want you to see the “Top Ten List” of churches who gave the most generously per member in 2024. You might be surprised. They, and the one individual who gives a mission support gift directly to the presbytery every year, are heroes in my book!

Lake Erie Presbytery’s Top 10 Honor Roll of highest mission contributors per member in 2024:
Nickleville – with an astounding $216.22 per member!
Tionesta – $111.11 per member
First, Warren – $108.69 per member
First, Oil City – $81.08 per member
Harmonsburg – $80. per member
Coudersport – $72.92 per member
Adamsville – $47.06 per member
Kane – $42. per member
North Warren – $41.38 per member
First, Harborcreek – $36. per member
As you can see, generosity has little to do with size and ability. Generosity is about grateful hearts wanting to share God’s grace with others more expansively. Generosity is about believing in something greater than yourself. I thank my God every day for generous people and pray that I might become more and more so myself!

Rev. Anita Berdhardt – General Presbyter / Presbytery of Lake Erie

“I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason, I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1: 15-16

Presbytery Friends, Every morning I wake up grateful for the love of Christ being expressed through faithful disciples in our Lake Erie Presbytery. Every day my prayers are full of joy for your commitment and service. In my role as General Presbyter, I am privileged to see a broad view of church life in this presbytery. I see ordinary acts of faith expressed consistently year after year. I also see extraordinary expressions of loving service. Both often go largely unnoticed as dedicated Christians quietly serve in Christ’s name without fanfare or applause. With this in mind,, I will highlight a mission or ministry of one of our churches that valiantly reflects the love of Christ. I hope that you will join me in giving thanks for these ministries.

This month, Anita Applauds …preparations for the season of Lent. The six weeks of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday, which this year is March 5th. I didn’t grow up observing the season of Lent – or Epiphany for that matter. The Sundays between Christmas and Easter in my home church felt more like “ordinary time” until you got to Holy Week. So, when I started as a pastor, I was somewhat perplexed about what to do with Lent. Since, I have experienced a number of meaningful structures and outlines for Lenten worship. I have come to appreciate the reflective and meditative nature of Lent, even when it has felt like a dismal and discouraging season. How seriously I have engaged in the Lenten disciplines has determined how challenging or meaningful it has been for me. I confess that my engagement has not been even. Some years my head and heart don’t seem to be “in it”. I think that’s okay. When the Holy Spirit wants my attention, I hope I’ll be listening but, I trust that I don’t need to force anything. As leaders in the Church, I suggest that we offer a Lenten season that is potentially meaningful to you and others then let the Holy Spirit take it from there. Plus, who doesn’t like the pretty lighted candles?!

Rev. Anita Berdhardt – General Presbyter / Presbytery of Lake Erie

     “Prejudice” is a softer word than “bigot.” Both words are grounded in “ignorance.” Even ignorance has a judgmental edge to it.
     I wasn’t sure how to begin this piece without causing readers to delete my thoughts before I had the chance to share them.

     Mea culpa (through my fault).
     But that is my point!

     Prejudice/bigotry is a state of being ignorant about someone else and holding to opinions that are not based on experience or firsthand knowledge.
     On a couple of occasions, I tried to make the world a better place by approaching a black pastor and his church to hold a joint program together. Little did I know this was a very “white person” thing to do. All I made clear to them was that I didn’t even understand what it was to be Caucasian.
     The pastor kindly invited me to attend a evangelical program his church was hosting. Much to his chagrin and mine I was unable to attend that week. Hoping to recover some sense of integrity, on the first Sunday of my sabbatical, I attended his church service and stayed the full two and a half hours.
     One of his members came across the isle to shake my hand. He asked me if I was a politician. I smiled and said that I was a friend of his pastors. He back tracked and welcomed me to church. It helped to know that my definition of prejudice goes both ways. Although I think the greater burden of ignorance is mine.
     I think the journey away from bigotry is education. We need to educate ourselves about people we do not know or understand. As you might guess, I believe the path is through books and firsthand experiences. Before you make as many mistakes as I have—a safe route might be to read. Your reading should include what it means to be who we are and stories about lives different from our own. My hope is, that as time goes on, I am less of a bigot than I was—something each of us can only say about ourselves.
Rev. Keith Sundberg

Resources are available by calling the Presbytery of Lake Erie office at 814-868-4891 or emailing the resource center at rc@pbylakeerie.org

Adult Recommendations:

Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham, Dottir Press, 2018

Anxiety to Talk About It: Helping White Christians Talk Faithfully about Racism by Carolyn Helsel, Chalice Press 2017

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, Beacon Press, 2018

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, Harper Collins 2017, 2023 (Young Adult)

What Kind of Christianity : A history of Slavery and anti-Black racism in the Presbyterian
Church, by William Woo,WJK Press, 2022

 

“I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason, I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1: 15-16

Presbytery Friends, Every morning I wake up grateful for the love of Christ being expressed through faithful disciples in our Lake Erie Presbytery. Every day my prayers are full of joy for your commitment and service. In my role as General Presbyter, I am privileged to see a broad view of church life in this presbytery. I see ordinary acts of faith expressed consistently year after year. I also see extraordinary expressions of loving service. Both often go largely unnoticed as dedicated Christians quietly serve in Christ’s name without fanfare or applause. With this in mind,, I will highlight a mission or ministry of one of our churches that valiantly reflects the love of Christ. I hope that you will join me in giving thanks for these ministries.

This month, Anita Applauds …three pastors in the Lake Erie Presbytery who have contributed meaningfully and significantly but, for different reasons, anticipate leaving our geographic bounds soon. The first is Rev. Burfoot “Buddy” Ward. Buddy spent 7 months in the mountains of Kenya considering mission work before turning toward pastoral ministry. He graduated from Gordan-Conwell Theological Seminary in May 1985, served 2 years as a student pastor in Wells Tannery, PA in Carlisle Presbytery and then 10 years as a pastor of Nottingham Presbyterian Church in Donegal Presbytery, where he was ordained August 23, 1987. In August 1997, Buddy and Anne responded to the call of the North Warren Presbyterian Church and have spent the last 27 ½ years lovingly serving that community and the Lake Erie Presbytery. On 2/18/25, we anticipate granting Buddy the status of “Honorably Retired” and, in March, he and Anne will move closer to her sisters and their daughter, Deborah, in Suffolk, VA to enjoy a more relaxed life in retirement. Buddy’s long pastorate at North Warren and his service to this presbytery have been exemplary and he will be greatly missed. In the same time frame, Rev. Charles “Charlie” McClung and his wife, Joan, plan to move closer to their son, Felix, in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Charlie was “Honorably Retired” 1/31/2021 and currently is the longest surviving pastor member of the Lake Erie Presbytery, having come to us 40 years ago in 1985. Charlie had served a 5-year-pastorate in Aliquippa, PA before following God’s call to First Presbyterian Church of Franklin. He has also served in Girard, Lake City, and Erie’s Westminster and New Hope. Equally important, Charlie has served faithfully on presbytery committees and commissions (the larger Church) with dedication and humility – one of the things I have appreciated the most about Charlie. He is insightful, experienced, and wise -all wrapped in a package of compassion for others above his own self-interest. I will truly miss Charlie. Finally, on 12/15/2024, Rev. Robin Sharp and First Presbyterian Church of Waterford dissolved their pastoral relationship, spurring Robin to seek a new calling for her ministry. Though more recent, (Robin and husband, Matt, came to Lake Erie Presbytery in late 2020), Robin too has faithfully participated in the life of the Lake Erie Presbytery – currently serving on the Worship Committee. If Sharps move outside our presbytery, they also will be missed. From the chair where I sit, when pastors serve long and faithfully, they leave a vacuum when they leave. I want them to know their service to the larger Church is appreciated and valued. Thank You. Thank you from all of us!

Rev. Anita Berdhardt – General Presbyter / Presbytery of Lake Erie