Category Archives: Presbytery

2016 Presbyterian Youth Triennium

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CHURCHES AND PASTORS

Attention Pastors:

On July 18th youth from around the Ohio Valley Presbytery will be gathering for a delegation overnight before attending one of the greatest youth events in the Presbyterian world – Presbyterian Youth Triennium (PYT).  Every three years 6,000 youth gather at Purdue University in July for five days of worship, prayer, study and great fun. The dates for the youth to be at Purdue are July 19-23.

The theme for the 2016 event is “GO”! This theme is as much about when they leave the Triennium as it is about the event itself. From the first worship service they will explore what happens AFTER the Triennium.

You want your kids to be involved… here is what you need to be doing!

  1. Go to www.presbyterianyouthtriennium.org and download information and promotional material.   Post that information in your church and make sure your youth leaders/ advisors know about this opportunity. Triennium Forms can also be downloaded and printed from the POV website, on the Resources for Youth page.
  2. Speak to EVERY youth in eighth grade- your 2016 graduating seniors.  Tell them about dates and encourage them to check-out the website or facebook group (POV Presbyterian Youth Triennium Delegation and Presbyterian Youth Triennium).  Give the attached information form and participant information form to youth that are interested in attending.  Do you have a young adult who has participated in the past and would like to be part of the triennium work crew?  Contact Cheryl Moles. All forms required for registration are attached to this email, but will also be sent to participants as needed.
  3. Talk about Triennium from the pulpit!  Add the youth and this event on your church’s prayer list.
  4. Let your Session know that 1/3 of the cost should be covered by the church.  That means you need to plan for $175.00 per youth participant.  The cost for Triennium is covered by the individual youth, church and presbytery each paying 1/3 of the cost.  The PYT fee is $505 and an additional $20 has been added to help with the costs of delegation t-shirts, and the delegation overnight expenses.  The Presbytery acknowledges the importance of PYT by budgeting to send a delegation to PYT and provides transportation to and from Purdue.  If your church or youth has financial need, contact Cheryl Moles for assistance.
  5. Contact your youth personally.  Let us know how we can help you encourage your youth to participate.
  6. We don’t want anyone to miss out!  April 15th  is the deadline for your registration and fee payment.  All should be sent to Cheryl Moles at Central Presbyterian 125 North 7th Street, Terre Haute, IN 47807.   Earlier is better!  You may have individuals mail their forms or send them from your church.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Cheryl Moles                                       Susan McGhee
Triennium Registrar                           POV Executive Presbyter
PYT Coordinating Team                     PYT Coordinating Team
cheryl@thcpc.org                               susan@presbyteryov.org
812-232-5049                                      866-344-7853

What Happened at Assembly on December 3, 2015

Presbytery had its year-end meeting.  As is normal, the meeting was an afternoon meeting only in Mitchell.  The congregation at Mitchell hosted.

It was the final meeting for our Moderator, Eric Erickson.  Rev. Erickson preached at the opening worship time.

An Inquirer was presented to the Assembly who has become a candidate.  The preparation for ministry process has two levels of standing as potential ministers learn and move along in the process.  Each level takes a year to complete at a minimum.  Tamara Recob is now a candidate for ministry from the Newburgh Church.  She has completed her seminary training and will spend the next year in a chaplain training program in Evansville.  Tamara is like most candidates for ministry these days.  She has been in another career for some years and has felt the call to ministry in the midst of life.

The Corporation of the Presbytery of Ohio Valley, Inc. met.  The presbytery is both a church body and a formal corporation under Indiana law.  We formally turn into a company for a few minutes in order to meet legal rules for a company.

Elections were part of the meeting.    The December meeting is the time when we receive the report of the Nominations Committee and elect officers. Ruling Elder Zack Ellison is our Moderator for 2016.  He is from Columbus First Presbyterian Church.  Our Vice Moderator is going to be Rev, Deborah Fortel.

Service Recognition for outgoing officers was shared.

Larry Jackman
Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Ohio

POV Assembly – December 3, 2015

The next Assembly will take place at 1:00pm (ET) on Thursday, 12/3/2015 at the Mitchell Presbyterian Church.

Registration will begin at Noon (ET).

The packet, driving directions, and the minutes from the Sept & Nov meetings will be available for download from the assembly web page after 4:00pm on November 23rd.

Online registration for the Assembly is available now. Please let us know if you will be in attendance!

What Happened at the November 11th Called Meeting

Presbytery of Ohio Valley Called Meeting

Fairlawn Presbyterian Church Columbus, Indiana
November 11, 2015 

The Assembly was Called to Order and worship at (10:30 a.m.) by Moderator  Rev. Eric Erickson.

The scripture lesson read was Mark 6:1-13. Was the basis for the sermon offered was to “Keep On Keeping On”.  Deacon Kimber-lee Docke Adams preached.

Introductions, Quorum, Seating of Corresponding Members Rev. Lawrence Jackman ruled that a quorum was present.  Rev. Catherine Knott was introduced at her first meeting of this presbytery.  Elder David David Doup welcomed the Assembly to the newly remodeled worship space of Fairlawn Presbyterian.

Report of the Committee on Ministry was offered by Rev. Deborah Fortel. Rev. Fortel presented of Kimber-lee Docke Adams for examination for ordination as a Teaching Elder.  A period of examination followed.

Rev David Lee moved that the examination be sustained. The motion passed. Deborah Fortel moved that the presbytery request that Peace River Presbytery ordain Kimber-Lee on behalf of Ohio Valley.  The motions passed.

The business appropriate to the call for the meeting having been accomplished, a motion was made to adjourn with the benediction following the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and the prayers of the Presbytery.  Susan McGhee led the assembly in prayer.  The celebrant was Rev. Mitch Coggin.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 a.m.

Lawrence Jackman
Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Ohio Valley

Called Assembly on November 11, 2015

The Presbytery Council has called a special Assembly of the Presbytery of Ohio Valley for Wednesday, November 11, 2015, at 10:30 am (9:30 am Central Time), to examine Kimber-lee Docke Adams for ordination to the ministry of Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The Congregation of First Presbyterian Church, Bloomington, has called Kim to be Associate Pastor. Kim is under care of the Peace River Presbytery, and wishes to be ordained in her home congregation before she moves onto the field. As the Presbytery of Call, it is our privilege to examine her for ordination and to request that Peace River ordain her on our behalf. Please find attached Kim’s statement of faith and autobiographical statement.

We wil gather at Fairlawn Presbyterian Church, 2611 Fairlawn Drive, Columbus, Indiana. Registration begins a half hour before.
The meeting will conclude before Noon.

Documents for the meeting can be found on the Assembly webpage.

Peace and all good,
Lawrence Jackman        Susan McGhee
Stated Clerk                    Presbytery Council Moderator

Invitation from the Synod of Lincoln Trails

Dear Friends,

For many years now the Synod of Lincoln Trails has gathered for an overnight fall assembly meeting to discuss together a book chosen by the assembly leadership team. This book tends to be a springboard into the planning for the upcoming year and helps the assembly shape and form together the partnerships the Synod hopes to grow and develop.

This year, in anticipation of some new opportunities developing between our synod, the Synod of Mid-America, and the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, the leadership team has chosen the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow’s book But I Don’t See You as Asian. We are also fortunate enough to be able to welcome him to our assembly as well. Because of this unique opportunity, we, as a leadership team wish to extend an invitation to the larger synod to join with us Friday night 7:00 -8:30 at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis (770A N. Meridian St.) for a discussion with Bruce to help us create a space to identify and work to remove barriers of racism within our society.

We also recognize that it is physically impossible for many of you to make it to this event in person. Plans are underway to record this discussion as well and the synod will be happy to let you know when that will be available to view. There will also be refreshments and time to connect. We look forward to seeing you there!

In Christ,

Karen Hahn
Moderator, Synod of Lincoln Trails

What Happened at Assembly on September 12, 2015

The Presbytery assembled at the Bedford Church as we gathered our opening worship was led by Susan McGhee as our preacher for the day.

Rev. J.H. Vanlal Hruaia was introduced to the Assembly.  He is the pastor the new Princeton Presbyterian Parish.  The parish was formed by the Princeton First and Princeton United congregations.

Rev. Andrew Black was also introduced following his ordination and installation as pastor of Unity Church in Terre Haute.

Academy Committee  the committee offered two important reminders.

The Committee reminded the Assembly that POV Academy classes are for everyone in our churches and that many people participate in the Academy just for the joy of learning and/or to discover ways they might become better informed to serve their own churches more effectively.

The Assembly was reminded that anyone interested in enrolling in the Academy in order to explore a possible call as a Commissioned Ruling Elder must start classes by the March 2016 class on “Tools for Scriptural Interpretation.”  The deadline to register for this class is January 10, 2016.

1001 New Worshiping Communities

Ruling Elder Vera White from the General Assembly office made a major presentation on the 1001 initiative.  There are supports and opportunities

for starting a new worshipping community in our presbytery.  Learn more on this from the Evangelism and Congregational Witness Committee.

Committee on Ministry reported a change in the minimum standards of compensation as follows:

  1. That there be an increase in the required minimum continuing education allowance from $800 annually to $1200 annually.

(Note: We are not recommending a required change in the minimum compensation standards for salary and housing for 2016. Minimum compensation for teaching elders working full-time would continue to be $44,856 if there is no manse, or $34,505 if there is a manse. Minimum compensation for ruling elders commission to pastoral service working full-time would continue to be $33,643 if there is no manse, and $25,878 if there is a manse.)

(Note that there will be not be an increase in Board Of Pension dues for 2016. Required dues for Teaching Elders in a full time installed position is still 35%. We also encourage a church to pay the additional 11/2% dependant coverage, if the pastor needs it.)

Larry Jackman, Stated Clerk