PSV Newsletter for the week of November 25th is now available.

Also of note: you can also download a free chapter from Martha Grace Reese’s book, Unbinding the Gospel from our website. (See the newsletter for more information.)

(Following up on a previous report about a resolution to be presented to the presbytery, the following resolution was adopted at the November 2007 meeting of the Presbytery of Scioto Valley:

Whereas the Presbytery of Scioto Valley believes the death penalty to be a denial of our faith in the possibility of repentance, redemption, and restoration through the power of God’s Word and Spirit, and

Whereas the death penalty is disproportionately applied to the poor and to minorities, and

Whereas its application is disproportionately contingent on geographical location, and

Whereas profound problems with lethal injection have been identified and are currently under investigation, and

Whereas for over fifty years the Presbyterian General Assembly has faithfully called for the abolition of the death penalty,

Be it resolved that the Presbytery of Scioto Valley goes on record as calling upon Governor Ted Strickland to implement a moratorium on executions while major problems surrounding the death penalty in Ohio are studied and addressed, and

Be it further resolved that the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Scioto Valley be directed to send this resolution to Governor Ted Strickland, and

Be it further resolved that the clergy and lay people of the Presbytery of Scioto Valley be urged to write and call upon Governor Ted Strickland to implement a death penalty moratorium.

(Please note: while the wording of the resolution presented above is believed to be accurate, the minutes of the presbytery meeting should be considered the only official record.)

The 2007-11-18 Newsletter is now available.

Have an article for the next newsletter? If so, send it to me at newsletter@psvonline.org by 5 p.m. on Friday to be included in the next edition.

NOTE: Deadline to RSVP is today, November 12th:

(From David Bartley)

Clergy Tax Seminar

Thursday, November 15,
2007 @ Kirkmont Center in Goodrich Lodge
10:30 AM – 2 PM

Do you know how to negotiate terms of call that puts more money in your pocket and doesn’t cost the congregation anything extra?

What’s the IRS publication for Clergy Tax Law?

Even if you live in a manse, what do you need to know about Housing Allowance?

Have you heard of an HRA Plan? For some of you, it might work. Mine saved me $300 this year.

Goal: If you follow the tax law, you may actually save money by paying less in taxes and putting more in your pocket.

Don’t let the 1040, Schedule A, Schedule C, or Schedule E scare you!

Do you have a 403(b)? If not, why not?

Create a plan for 2008 Salary Package, 2007 Tax Return, & the 2008 Tax Year.

I’m a church pastor who follows the tax law and has put money in my pocket without costing the church any extra.

This can amount to a $500 to $2,500 difference in what you actually can save.

Seminar Leader: Rev. David Bartley, Eastminster United Presbyterian Church, Toledo, Ohio

$10 Per Person Includes Lunch & Materials

Please RSVP by Monday, November 12, 2007

1-800-572-1747 or 937/593-2141 or Kirkmont@bright.net

The 2007-11-11 Newsletter is now available.

Got News? If so, let me know at newsletter@psvonline.org

In August, the Presbytery Council asked the Peacemaking and Justice Committee to bring a resolution to Presbytery on the death penalty in Ohio. The following resolution will be presented at the November 20th, 2007 stated Presbytery meeting. It is, until that time, only a recommendation.

The Death Penalty in Ohio

For many years the Presbyterian Church, along with numerous other organizations, has called for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States. In the past decades, the number of states that use the death penalty has dwindled. Today, Ohio is one of thirty-three states that use capital punishment. There are currently 186 people on death row in Ohio. Of these, 105 are minorities and 81 are white.

In an effort to make executions less disturbing to the public, methods of capital punishment have gradually shifted from hanging and the firing squad to the electric chair, the gas chamber and, finally, to lethal injection. Since 2001, the sole legal method of capital punishment in Ohio has been lethal injection, a process whereby three chemicals are injected into the prisoner’s veins. The first injection is supposed to render the prisoner unconscious, the second is supposed to produce paralysis, and the third stops the heart.

Calls for a moratorium on the death penalty in Ohio have come from religious denominations, the Ohio Council of Churches, the League of Women Voters and the American Bar Association, among others. The call for a moratorium arose from concerns about racial discrepancies in sentencing, prosecutorial withholding of exculpatory evidence, inadequate representation and review, execution of the innocent, and because of the failure of capital punishment to deter crime and improve public security. In addition, lethal injection procedures have left some prisoners conscious after the first injection while they were being rendered paralyzed by the second. The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case next year on whether lethal injection violates the Constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

Beyond this, religious organizations have long called the death penalty a denial of our faith in the possibility of human redemption through repentance and the grace of God. The 171st Presbyterian General Assembly (1959), in a statement affirmed by the GA in 1977, 1978, 1985, and 2000, said that “capital punishment cannot be condoned by an interpretation of the Bible based upon the revelation of God’s love in Jesus Christ.”

In light of these realities, the Peacemaking and Justice Committee of the Presbytery of Scioto Valley requests the Presbytery to pass a resolution calling upon Governor Ted Strickland to halt executions in the state of Ohio until the problems surrounding the death penalty are studied and addressed.

Believe it or Not! Our little church will celebrate its 190th Anniversary (1817-2007). We are one of the oldest churches in the Presbytery and we started (mothered) Glen Echo Church, Fairmoor, and Calvin Church.

We will celebrate this glorious event on Sunday, November 25th.

There will be a great time by all on the 190th Anniversary Celebration Special Service, followed by a luncheon with chief chef Kae Williams in charge. Special music, children’s story, recorded greeting from former pastors and members, and a message by Dr. Don Swift, “A Backward Glance and a Forward Look”.

Tell everyone, so we can enjoy a full congregation for fund, food and fellowship!

Enter our essay contest in relation to the 190th Anniversary of our church!

Write on the subject, “Why I like our little church”, or about some special event(s) of the past history that you may remember, or know about. Keep the essay to 250 words, if possible. Deadline is November 15th. Send it to Joy Stahl at the church office. The winner will be announced at the celebration on November 25th.

Do you have any church memorabilia? We will have a display table if you would like to add to it with memorabilia from the past.

Contact information for First Presbyterian Church Reynoldsburg here.

This week’s newsletter is now available at:

2007-11-04-psv-newsletter.pdf.

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 4 , 2007
Christian and Citizen;
Daylight Savings Time ends

The Lord Be with You Sideliners

Energy chips flew Friday as I was chauffeured by granddaughters to an art show several hours away  where their woodworking skill was honored. An added blessing was a visit with a dear longtime colleague and friend. What a joyous day. Yep - today has been pay back but worth every minute.

Let us worship.

Shalom, K

(Click here for the rest of Sunday Sidelined)

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