presbytery of cincinnati

Meeting people where they are on Ash Wednesday

If Union Presbyterian Church were to adopt a motto for the way it has chosen to observe Ash Wednesday since 2017, it might not be unlike that of the U.S. Postal Service.

2½ years into a three-month gig

Lisa Allgood, a commissioned ruling elder and the executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Cincinnati, sometimes refers to herself as “the accidental presbyter.” After a 36-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, the trained immunocytochemist accepted a planned three-month stint when the presbytery called her to leadership.

A shot of hope

As we begin the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are reasons for hope, including vaccines approved for emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Yet even 95% efficacy for a vaccinated individual means that, statistically, 19 out of 20 people are effectively covered against becoming seriously ill from coronavirus, but 1 in 20 is not.

Staying alive

Fittingly for 2020, here’s a complicated but feel-good Advent story about a Presbyterian camp and conference center in Ohio.