As our world faces the realities of war, uncertainty, and hardship, please join in prayer, reflection, and shared hope. The Interchurch Ministries of Erie County and Gannon University Office of the Chaplain invite you to an Interfaith Prayer for Healing, Renewal, and Hope on Sunday, April 26, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Yehl Ballroom, Gannon University.

Faith leaders from across Erie, including heads of congregations and spiritual leaders from Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Protestant, and other Christian communities, will offer brief prayers and reflections. Confirmed participants include Father Michael Kesicki (Catholic, Gannon University), Rabbi S. Robert “Rob” Morais, DD (Temple Anshe Hesed), Bishop Frankie Quinn (Christian Ministry of the Apostolic Faith), Very Rev. Melinda Hall (Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Paul), Sheik El Hafiz Abdulla and Dr. Muhammad Ahsan Baig (Islamic Association of Erie), Priest Ngima Sangay Sherpa (Palyul Choekhor Ling Buddhist Center), Reverend Katie Eichenlaub White (Cross Road Community Baptist Church), and Reverend Nathan Royster (Wayside Presbyterian Church). This event is free and open to all.

Register by clicking this link: Interfaith Prayer for Healing, Renewal & Hope

The Pastor retreat at The Athenaeum Hotel in Chautauqua, NY, will be held from April 27 to April 29, 2026. Accommodations are available at a single room rate of $324 or a double room rate of $174, including a two-night stay, meals, and gratuities. This price includes a $200 grant from the COM.

Guest speaker Carol Howard will discuss the theme “SPARKING THE SOUL.” Attendees can enjoy worship, conversation, and various optional activities, including a Pysanky workshop, LEGO® creative play, and gentle yoga sessions for relaxation. More Information and to register, Click Here

“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:

Karen D. Haas, the Presbyterian Women Moderator of Lake Erie Presbytery and wife of Honorably Retired Pastor, Rev. James Haas, and Rev. Melinda Hall, wife of Rev. Nathan Royster, Associate Pastor of Wayside Presbyterian Church, Erie. Every year, the Mercy Center for Women in Erie chooses women whose service and leadership in the community are praiseworthy. This year Karen and Melinda are honorees. Well done, ladies, we celebrate you and are grateful for your service!

Karen Haas is an educator who works to support rKaren Haas is one of Mercy Center for Women’s 2026 Women Making History.efugee families, promote equity in education and strengthen opportunities for others. She is active in outreach and ministries at Wayside Presbyterian Church and serves on the board of the Multicultural Community Resource Center.

The Very Rev. Melinda HalThe Very Rev. Melinda Hall is one of Mercy Center for Women’s 2026 Women Making History.l, dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul in Erie, is dedicated to community partnerships and ministry creating opportunities for people to gather, belong and work together for the common good.

Rev. Anita Bernhardt

General Presbyter / Presbytery of Lake Erie

Belle Valley Presbyterian Church (1694 Norcross Road) will be hosting a Good Friday Men’s Communion Breakfast on April 3, beginning at 6:30 a.m. — and we promise to have you out by 7:45 a.m. at the latest! The cost is $20 per person ($10 for kids under 12) and includes a full breakfast buffet featuring scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, danishes, fresh fruit, coffee, juice, and milk. The breakfast will be followed by a brief devotion and communion led by Rev. Dave Edmunds and REs Doug Ebert and Mike Campbell. All are welcome! Please RSVP by March 30 to Dave Edmunds at 814-397-1861.

“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 First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, Erie for stepping up and committing more energy to your church’s worship and ministry during a time of leadership transitions.  Since Senior Pastor, Rev. Chris Weichman, moved to Georgetown, SC in November 2025, other pastoral events have led to a need for staff, elders, and members to provide stabilizing leadership. Seph Kumer, Director of Community Engagement, required unexpected surgery in January and needed time to heal. [Please continue to include him in your prayers.]  Rev. Britney Knight, Associate Pastor and Acting Head of Staff, and her husband, Zach, welcomed their 4^th child, Simeon Jude, on February 3^rd and Britney began a planned 3-month maternity leave.  [Congratulations to Britney and Zach on the birth of their beautiful son!]  This left a lot on the shoulders of Monty Service, Director of Missional Music and Worship Technology, and Leslie Weber, Director of Music.  Monty and Leslie have served beautifully in the interim.  Lay leaders have served beautifully in the interim. In addition, Rev. Chuck Cammarata has moderated the Session and officiated at a couple of funerals and Rev. Walter Green has preached/led worship. You have all worked together to make your ministry shine. Well done, faithful leaders!

The Presbytery of Lake Erie met in a hybrid format (some in person, some joining by Zoom) on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church in Titusville. Jim Ohrn, the vice moderator, greeted us and offered a prayer. Rev. Vaughan Smith from Titusville gave us a message asking us to know that to have Shalom (wholeness, peace, purpose, fulfillment) is only possible in connection to and knowing Jesus, both together and in our individual lives. Shalom requires us to “know who we are”, actually demonstrating to the world the difference Christ makes in our living. We are the Light of the world because Jesus, the Light, lives in us. Shalom comes from God and no where or no one else. Nathaniel Licht provided a wonderful music ministry to lead us in worship.
We also honored Rev. David Edmunds and granted him Honorable Retirement status. Several members shared how David had been a light in their journey with God. We have been blessed by David’s ministry and know that he will continue to be among us in the future.
Rev Gregg Townsend, the presbytery moderator, led the committee reports. We heard about good financial standing from the Administrative Committee. We approved new guidelines for emeriti status presented by the Committee on Ministry, including extending that honor to Commissioned Pastors if sessions so choose. We heard about a worship leaders’ workshop that the Spiritual Formation Committee held earlier this winter. We were reminded of opportunities for retreats and PW gatherings, youth events, theological education forums, grants to help our congregations, and other ways of being the Presbytery whenever we have the opportunity to be together in that way.
We also paid our respects during the necrology report, honoring and praising God for the Light that has shone in our presbytery through ruling elders, deacons, and pastors who have passed away this year in our congregations.
We did spend some moments talking about ways to live into the Light by looking at concurring with overtures from other presbyteries that will be coming to the General Assembly this summer. We gave concurrence on three: one to review the actions and processes for the restructuring of World Mission that occurred this past year; one asking the denomination to produce a new missiology statement (our theology and goal in mission); and one asking for future General Assemblies to return to an all-in-person format. We also formally elected Rev. Ben Black to be our Synod TE Commissioner.
The congregation at Titusville welcomed us and brought Light into our day with a wonderful meal of chicken salad and dessert. We were the Light in fellowship, stories, prayers, worship, debates, song, and just being church together. Special thanks to Brian Kessler (OC Second and Worship Committee), Nathaniel Licht and Laura Zimmerman (Titusville), and Melinda Wingenbach (Presbytery Office) for tech support, and to Rev. Tara Eastman, who attended to those attending by Zoom. We will meet again as an assembly on May 12 at 11 am at New Hope Presbyterian Church in Erie.

 

Presbyterian Women of Lake Erie Presbytery is offering $200 mission grants to any PW group in our presbytery that has a mission project they want to do and need help funding it. This support is offered as we want to encourage worthwhile mission projects. Contact PW moderator Karen Haas at karenhaas79@gmail.com and briefly describe the mission project you want to support. You don’t have to be an “official” PW group. If you have a group of women doing mission work that’s great! The grant money will be presented at our April 25th PWLEP Spring Gathering at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. 

You can use the money to do a project you’ve wanted to do but didn’t have the funds or you can support a project you work on annually, but additional funding would really help make it a success. You can use the money to encourage the involvement of young people or help with a mission project like our Presbytery’s Ghana Mission Partnership. You can try something different – take a chance on a new idea. It’s up to you! The deadline for grant requests is Monday April 13, 2026.We can’t wait to hear from you and learn about your mission project plans!

“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: opportunities to expand our worldview with a new perspective.  At the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, I had a marvelous opportunity to alter my point of view.  James and I were chosen to participate in a public theology travel seminar offered by our Alma Mater, Union Presbyterian Seminary.  It was a two and a half week experience traveling in India with a group of seminary students and two professor leaders.  We not only visited the classic tourist sites like the Taj Mahal, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, and the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar, but we had meaningful conversations with leaders, theologians, and students of Christianity in a place where Christianity is a minority faith.  In India, Christianity sits among a plethora of established religious traditions, and adherents to our faith must evidence both tolerance and respect for differences in order to navigate their daily lives.  I learned a lot about seeing my faith convictions from an outside perspective.  I came to appreciate devotion to God in a variety of forms.  The people of India helped expand my vision of God’s activity in the world.  However, I don’t think we have to travel to a far-off land to gain a new understanding of God in the world.  I believe the Holy Spirit gives us frequent opportunities to see God at work if we only have eyes to see them.  As we begin the new year of 2026, I pray we will all grasp every opportunity to see the Divine moving among us and calling us to new levels of devotion and service.  May we have eyes to see God’s love in action throughout this year.