Happy New Year!

As we begin this new year together, I want to express Cathy’s and my gratitude for the many ways you have befriended us this past year. We want to especially thank you for the cards and generous gifts this past Christmas season. 

This new year will bring many opportunities to strengthen our witness for Jesus Christ in the Sunbury/Condit area.  As a community of faith within the reformed heritage, we offer a perspective on the Gospel that is in important ways unique and different from other faith traditions.  In a time of social stress and anxiety, in a time of growing poverty and its accompanying injustices, Christians who believe that God desires wholeness for the human family, not just in some afterworld, but in this world, have a message to share and live that can make a positive difference to the community we serve.

To the end that we will more faithfully and more effectively share that message this year, I look forward to working with the leadership team of this congregation to refine, develop, and deepen our understanding of Christ’s call.

We will be served by several new officers in the coming year.  Because this is a small-membership congregation, we know each other pretty well, but sometimes we are surprised at what we don’t know about each other.  I have asked each of our new officers to share with you a bit of information, particularly about their past Christian experience and work.  As you read what they have written, I hope you will pray for each one of them, and I encourage you to frequently include them in your prayers and find ways to encourage them as they serve and lead you.

Clifford G. (Cliff) Cook is a newly elected Elder who will serve in the Session Class of 2014. He shares that he initially attended Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church, Audubon, NJ, where he was christened as a newborn and was active in youth choir. He then attended Grace Baptist Church, Westmont, NJ, where he was baptized as a teen into church membership and was active in the Baptist Youth Fellowship (BYF). He then transferred his membership to his new wife's church, which was St. Luke's Lutheran Church in West Collingswood, NJ. The two of them co-directed the senior high school youth group, and Cliff served on the church council. More recently, Cliff transferred his membership to Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sunbury, OH. There, he served on the council and served as treasurer, vice-president, and president of the congregation. He then transferred membership to Condit, where he sings in the choir and is a member of the Nominating Committee.

Donna Rhodeback has been elected to serve in the Session class of 2014. She writes: I've been around a long time—since about 1992. I've led a youth group, been involved in VBS, printed the weekly bulletin for about 8 years, and was involved with the Creative Hands Group. Currently, I am involved with Fibers of Faith, sing in the choir, and play handbells. I was on the Pastor Search Committee and am beginning my third three-year stint as Elder on Session.  I have been on Smorgasbord, personnel, communications and nominating committees. I'm glad to be back on Session to lend a hand to the business affairs of the church.

Frances Jenkins has been elected to serve in the trustee class of 2014. Frances Jenkins has served several terms as Elder and is looking forward to the new position of trustee. She many years ago served as Financial Secretary for the church and has served on the nominating, christian education, special events, stewardship and budget, and worship and music committees.  In the music program, she is an occasional accompanist, plays in the adult bell choir, and directs the junior bells. She also edits the church newsletter and is a commissioner to the Synod of the Covenant from the Presbytery of Scioto Valley.

Chip Welch has been elected to serve in the trustee Class of 2014.  Chip and his daughter Abigail are regular attendees of worship and Sunday School.  Chip is a fire chief.  We welcome him to our leadership team.

Let’s give these new leaders our enthusiastic support and have a great and productive year together as we seek to be faithful stewards of the treasures entrusted to us by our Savior and by faithful Presbyterians who have gone before us.

John

Introducing the Reverend John M. Zuercher

God has led your PNC to an extremely solid candidate in the person of seasoned pastor, the Rev. John M. Zuercher. Pastor John has 28 years’ experience, 20 as solo pastor in a small Presbyterian church in Kingwood, WV. In the past 7+ years, he has served as Interim Pastor at churches in Steubenville and Lima, OH, and Flemington, NJ, and now wishes to truly pastor a congregation such as Condit.

The 58-yr.old Rev. Zuercher has two grown children, both associated with the Univ. of West Virginia in Morgantown. His wife, Cathy, whom he met in Lima and married three years ago, is a RN and has served as a public health nurse in NJ, and her two grown children are in the Columbus and Lima areas.

Rev. Zuercher shows excellent administrative and organizational skills, has a strong stewardship and financial emphasis. He has a passion for music and its accompaniment to his primarily traditional, yet informal, services. Pastor John utilizes lay persons in his Reformed tradition worship and, from time to time, likes to adapt some alternative styles for the congregation’s benefit. He has relevant Christian Education experience and has vision for our Youth Ministry at Condit, adapting programs and activities from his previous calls. These two attributes were prerequisites of your PNC’s search.

The Zuerchers purchased a home in Sunbury. They are becoming involved in the life of the community as well as the church, and help with Condit’s mission outreach at Friends Who Share, the BW Ministerial Assoc., the Scioto Valley Presbytery and the Synod of the Covenant.

“I desire to serve a congregation that is filled with the joy of being God’s people, and eager to express that joy in creative, inclusive worship, that is diverse in appeal to all ages and conditions of persons,” he writes in his PIF. “I desire to serve a congregation that seeks to deepen the level of discipleship of its members. I want to lead the congregation toward increased enthusiasm for study, eagerness to be involved in mission, delight in fellowship and care for each other, a search for spiritual depth, and an embrace of the gift of grateful stewardship.” He, your PNC unanimously feels, is an excellent match for Condit.

 Rev. Zuercher has pledged 10 years to Condit, should health or unforeseen circumstances not intervene. He understands our church’s location is on the fringe of one of the fastest growing areas in the nation, and sees that Condit must realize a share of that growth in order to remain a viable church congregation. But he also realizes Condit is a ‘family’, and will lead and nurture us to continue those characteristic relationships which make us such.