What We Believe
PCUSA
Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways. They adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.
https://pcusa.org/about-pcusa/who-we-are/reformed-theology
Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God. In worship the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives. As they respond to God’s claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In worship the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God’s service in the world.
https://pcusa.org/about-pcusa/who-we-are/representational-leadership
PCUSA serves the wider world through advocacy and social justice, education, disaster response, faith and worship, hunger and poverty, immigration, and interfaith relations.
Church Leaders
Elders
The Session
The Session is the governing council of First Presbyterian Church. Elders, who are elected by the congregation to serve a 3-year-term on the Session, guide the church’s witness to the sovereign activity of God in the world, so that the congregation is and becomes a community of faith, hope, love, and witness. They oversee the work of the church, including Christian Education, Worship, and Mission.
Deacons
Board of Deacons
The Board of Deacons carries out the ministries of compassion, witness, and service. Deacons, who are elected by the congregation to serve a 3-year-term on the Board, share in the redeeming love of Jesus Christ for the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lost, the friendless, the oppressed, those burdened by unjust policies and structures, or anyone in distress.
Staff
To Be Named
Pastor
To Be Named
Choir Director
Patt Betts
Parish Nurse
Widow with 2 sons, Tom and Dave, 4 grandchildren, and a great-grandson, Pat graduated from Huron Road Hospital School of Nursing and Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1958. Pat worked at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center for 42 years, most of them in psychiatry, and retired in 2014. She has been the Parish Nurse at First Presbyterian since 2000.
Caroline Goller
Administrative Assistant
After 25+ years in the printing industry, Caroline found her new home as Administrative Assistant at First Presbyterian in February 2019. She’s always thrilled to see your smiling faces and ready to help with any request.
First Presbyterian Church, Johnstown PA 