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Support for Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church
In my pastoral letter to the Presbytery, I addressed several recent mass shootings which have occurred in our country in recent weeks. Sadly, since the time of that writing, several more have already made headlines while others have gone unmentioned. As members of the PC(USA), we are a connectional church, and when one member of the body hurts, we all hurt.
The Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which nests in the Geneva Presbyterian Church of Laguna Woods, CA, recently suffered a deadly mass shooting on May 15. At a luncheon honoring a former pastor visiting from Taiwan, a gunman entered and opened fire on the attendees, after barricading the exit doors. Dr. John Cheng, 52, was killed in an attempt to save the lives of others, and five elderly members of the church were injured.
Presbytery Council and members have been in contact with the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church of Greater Boston to offer support, condolences, and prayers. The ITPC has established an education fund for the children of Dr. John Cheng. If churches or individuals would like to make a donation to this fund, please direct your giving by check or online through the Presbytery Treasurer, Rev. Andy Parmelee with a memo note: Cheng family education fund ITPC. Donations will be transferred to the family via the Irvine Taiwanese Church at the end of July. There is also a GoFundMe established in Dr. Cheng's memory to benefit his family:
Let us work and pray for the day when swords will be turned into plowshares, and guns into gardening tools.
May God's peace be with you all,
Rev. Trina Portillo
Moderator, Presbytery of Boston
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New England Glow, the regional youth ministry supporting the Presbyteries of Boston and Northern New England, will be hosting a free webinar to help churches understand how to support the mental health of LGBTQ Youth. This webinar will be led by Jx Heithmar, a nonbinary community organizer, clinical social worker, and dad to a 2 year old. They have a strong clinical background working with the LGBTQ community, facilitating support groups for various marginalized individuals, running psychoeducational trainings for mental health providers, and developing programming to best support the LGBTQ community at various settings. They believe in building a better world, one with boundless love, sharing of resources, and communal support, where anyone living in the shadows of society can finally live open and free.
Please join us! Registration is required at the link listed above.
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Shelby Ann Dickinson
1992 - 2022
Shelby Ann Dickinson, 30, died on May 16, 2022. Shelby died suddenly at home of a brain aneurysm, leaving behind her beloved husband Jeremy Vermilyea and two beautiful daughters, Josephine (2 ½ years) and Eleanor (5 weeks). She is the daughter of Scott and Jennifer Dickinson of Clinton, MA and daughter-in-law of Gerald and Grace Vermilyea of Averill Park, NY. She is also survived by her brother David Dickinson, his wife Devin, nieces Miriam and Lorraine; her paternal grandparents Frieda and David Dickinson; second mom Sue Smethurst; sisters Katie and Amanda Smethurst; as well as many beloved extended family and friends. Shelby was an amazing mother, wife, daughter, sister, social worker, and friend.
Memories and condolences can be shared at http://www.brackettfh.com. The family asks in lieu flowers, contributions be made to a gofundme account ( https://gofund.me/06d39b56) which will be used for the family’s immediate and future needs
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New! Ordination Anniversaries in June:
Frederick Robert Brown 6/2/59
Samuel Chung 6/28/15
Eliot Daley 6/20/65
Ken Grant 6/22/75
Ward Holder 6/26/88
Rod MacDonald 6/29/75
Sandra Mangual 6/13/80
Rob Mark 6/25/06
Eric Markman 6/1988
Rick Otty 6/25/78
Andy Parmelee 6/21/70
Rodney Petersen 6/15/80
Trina Portillo 6/12/05
George Rupp 6/17/71
Ruthie Seiders 6/1/03
Rick Spalding 6/14/81
Don Wick 6/6/61
Preston Williams 6/28/50
John Wuestneck 6/27/71
Gerald Wyrwas 6/9/60
Congratulations and thank you! If your ordination anniversary is not listed when it should be, or is listed incorrectly, please send your information to: office@presbyteryofboston.org
Update! Free Security Webinar: CISA, a department of Homeland Security, is offering a free two-hour webinar on active shooter preparedness on June 15, from 1 to 3 PM. Click here for a link with more information and to register.
The Synod of the Northeast has also compiled a Gun Violence Prevention Toolkit. Please take a few moments to look over these resources and share them with your community.
Rev. Dr. SanDawna Gaulman Ashley
Transitional Synod Leader
Cancelled! Pentecost Cross-Presbytery Revival: Due to low registration and concerns from our guest speaker about the current infection rate in our region, we are cancelling the Pentecost event scheduled for June 5 at Calvin Presbyterian Church. We are looking at dates to reschedule for the fall.
The Rev. Thomas Fitch Kepler, MDiv, ThM: The Reverend Thomas Fitch Kepler died peacefully asleep next to his beloved wife of 64 years, the Reverend Patricia Budd Kepler, on April 30, 2022, after having led a long, varied, and full life. The son of missionary parents, he was a faithful and active member of Boston Presbytery for close to 50 years and Pastor Emeritus of Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church in Somerville, MA. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, September 10th at Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church.
The Reverend John Nyren Buchanan: The Rev. Dr. John Buchanan died peacefully on April 19, 2022 in Cambridge, MA. Margot Buchanon, his wife, was a former Field Education Intern at Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church. Cards can be sent to her at 50 Follen St, #2, Cambridge, MA 02138. She would welcome cards.
Practical Resources for Churches: There is a new webinar on Managing the Grief of Others While Dealing With Our Own and content continues to be added to the series on "What's Next for the Post Pandemic Church." Check out Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change just added in July and Eight Game Changers for the Post Pandemic Church.
Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
2:00 - 3:00 PM
What's Next In Christian Education Workshop
Thursday, June 9
2:00 - 3:30 PM
Best Practices for Church Accounting
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Nominating Committee is looking for All Stars: The Nominating Committee seeks thoughtful nominations of ruling elders, lay leaders, and teaching elders to serve on various committees of our Presbytery. You can suggest a nomination by filling out this google form, or emailing Rev. Katie Cole (kmhcole@gmail.com).
The 2022-2023 Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible Study: Celebrating Sabbath: Accepting God’s Gift of Rest and Delight at Stony Point Center from June 16-18, 2022, led by the Author, Rev. Dr. Carol Bechtel. Here is the Conference Registration Form
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Camp Wilmot: Come enjoy a summer full of laughter, love, friendship, and connecting with God. This year we will be running Family Camp from July 1st-5th. Family Camp is open to all ages and groups and will include a celebration of camp's 60th Anniversary! Our Youth Camps, which are open to campers ages 8-16, will be from July 10th-16th and July 17th-23rd. Our Adventure Camp, which is open to campers ages 13-16, will be from July 24th-30th. To learn more about our summer camps and to register as a camper or apply to a staff position, visit www.campwilmot.org. Feel free to reach out to this summer’s Director Team- Ben Lowry, James Carney, and Lizzy Elsner at campwilmotdirector@gmail.com with any questions.
Connect Throughout the Week: We have two opportunities during the week to connect for support and encouragement. The login information can be found in the Presbytery calendar on the website.
Mondays at 10:00 am
Tuesdays at 3:00 pm
Job Openings: Mission at the Eastward (MATE) is seeking a high-performing motivated Executive Director who can lead and grow the organization in meeting its ambitious goals. MATE is a faith-based 501 (c)(3) non-profit located in Farmington Maine, with a strategy to create safe housing through volunteer home repairs, transitional housing, and the creation of youth opportunities to improve the lives of the disadvantaged in Western Central Maine. MATE hosts over 200 volunteers from 10-12 work groups each summer to renovate and repair 50+ homes in Western Central Maine. Click here for the full position description.
Church of the Covenant in Boston is seeking a part-time Child Care Worker for Sunday mornings. More information, including a job description with instructions on applying, can be found here.
The Presbyterian Church of Burlington, MA has an immediate opening for a part-time Interim Accompanist. Ability to play the organ is a plus, but not necessary. Duties include playing during Sunday morning church services, including a prelude and postlude of the accompanist’s choice, and providing accompaniment for hymns selected by the Pastor. This is anticipated to be a 2 to 3 hour/week commitment that is expected to last through April, with a possibility of extension. Pay commensurate with experience. Interested applicants should send resumes to erin.mccoy.alarcon@gmail.com and Jenmcarver@gmail.com, or contact Erin (617-966-0559) or Jen (978-944-1545) with questions.
Interim (Transitional) Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Barre, Vermont. Our congregation is seeking to hire a pastor to serve in an interim position (up to full time) for the next 1-2 years to begin as soon as May 1, 2022. The main focus of this position is to successfully guide the church, following a long period with a beloved former pastor, through a process of reflection and recalibration to be ready to welcome and be led by a new installed pastor. Job description: FPC Barre Interim Job Description.docx Interested parties should contact Jim Nichols-Fleming ( jnicholsfleming@gmail.com), Personnel Committee, FPC Barre.
Opening for Stated Supply Pastor, Londonderry Presbyterian Church, Londonderry, New Hampshire. LPC has been a cornerstone of southern New Hampshire for the last 300 years. We are seeking pastoral leadership (MWS, CRE or ministerial graduate student) to continue the growth of this Biblically grounded congregation, its worship and sacraments (hybrid), education, communications, pastoral care, outreach to the community, nation and world. For more information, or to apply with a cover letter and resume (or PIF), email Dr. David E. Walker at psc@lpcnh.net.
The Presbyterian Church of Topsham Vermont is seeking a Pastor. More details and full MIF can be found here. The 200-year-old continuously running, historically restored church is seeking a ¼ time pastor. Contact: Tom Otterman. Phone: 802-439-6252 Email: Ottermansurvey@gmail.com
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