Sisters and brothers of Lehigh Presbytery,

It is with great enthusiasm that we share the news that Lehigh Presbytery’s Lead Team approved the recommendation from our Transitional Leader Search Committee to hire the Rev. Rhonda Kruse as our new Transitional Leader. Rhonda will begin her ministry with us on September 1, 2019. Rhonda has been serving the Presbyterian Mission Agency as the Mission Engagement Advisor for the Midwest since 2016. From 2011-16, she was the Connections and Change Presbyter in the Presbytery of Hudson River and has served congregations in New Jersey, Indiana, and New York. Her husband, Gary, and their two cats will be moving from Laurel, MD to join Rhonda in Allentown in mid-September. They have three grown children, all living on the East Coast. Rhonda grew up in the St. Louis metro area and has a BS from the University of Illinois, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an MSW from Rutgers University. She is a fan of sports, particularly baseball, and is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fanatic. She walks every day and enjoys “walking meetings”. She is a tea drinker and likes good conversation over a cup of tea.

Rhonda sends this greeting:

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Lehigh Presbytery as Transitional Leader, and I look forward to resourcing and supporting you in the process of discerning and living into the new direction to which God calls you. As a partner in ministry, I will challenge church leaders and congregations to be open to the change taking place in the church and the world, to see what God is doing in your unique context, and to embrace the Holy Spirit’s call to fresh and innovative ways of being the church. For such a time as this, God has called us to work together to nurture the presbytery’s creativity and strengthen your witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Our Search Committee reviewed over 40 resumes and firmly believes God has led us to Rhonda “for such a time as this.” Please hold Rhonda and her family in your prayers as they prepare to join us and as we, together, move into God’s future with expectant hope.

In Christ’s Love,
Deb Prince, Presbytery Moderator
Stephen Emick, Transitional Leader Search Committee Chairperson

https://pres-outlook.org/2019/04/presbyterian-outlook-recognized-at-best-of-the-christian-press-awards/

Article by Jana Blazek – April 18, 2019 issue of the PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK

The Presbyterian Outlook received top honors in several categories at the Associated Church Press (ACP) 2019 annual conference in Chicago in April.  The ACP awards recognize excellence in faith-based media — including magazines, news services, online media and podcasts.

Rev. Sherry Blackman, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Stroudsburg, was humbled and honored to receive two awards for articles she wrote for the magazine.

1. Award of excellence for a theme issue in a magazine: Who is my neighbor? (November 12, 2018 issue) for Rev. Sherry Blackman’s article, Sojourners All.
2. Award of merit for a feature article: Serving the World at the Truck Stop, by Rev. Sherry Blackman.

You can read her full articles by clicking the links.

To read the full Presbyterian Outlook article on their being recognized by the Associated Church Press (ACP) and all the awards they received, please click the link at the beginning of the article.

Congratulations to Rev. Sherry Black and the Presbyterian Outlook on being recognized!