Congregational Self Study 2026: Key Findings

First Presbyterian Church of Watkins Glen
Congregational Self Study 2026

KEY FINDINGS

We began our interim time, focused on the church's history - narrowing the focus to pastors that members of the congregation had direct experience of beginning with Reverend Cartmell through the churches most recent settled pastor Reverend Milne. When comparing church membership trends to general community population changes over time, a clear pattern emerges while both have experienced declines, church membership has dropped at a disproportionately faster pace. It should be noted that sharp drops consistently coincided with leadership vacancies. Five of the last 10 pastors have been interims.

When examining the church's recent history, there have been several periods marked by conflict. Over multiple generations, internal divisions have directly correlated with the church's steepest drops in membership, demonstrating that unaddressed friction consistently drives members away. The Interim Process has served as a critical turning point by successfully bringing these long-suppressed issues into the open, initiating a healing process that continues today.

The congregation search for settled pastor is deeply shaped by the legacy of Rev. Bev, whose steady, welcoming presence alongside her well-loved husband set a standard that created unrealistic expectations for her successor. While the interim process has helped temper these leanings, the longing for a similar figure remains strong within the heart of the church. Moving forward requires honest, self-reflection and clear, mutual communication regarding the congregation's true needs, while acknowledging that the ministry belongs to the entire congregation, not just the pastor.

During the interim process, the congregation identified communication as its most critical issue – a vulnerability exposed when the passing of a cherished matriarch revealed how heavily the church relied on institutional memory rather than documented procedures. With the guidance of our Interim Pastor, significant operational strides were made, most notably the complete rewriting of the Manual of Operations to accurately reflect current committee responsibilities and workflows. To keep members informed, the monthly newsletter was expanded to include Session notes and committee summaries, while elders began sharing updates from Dinner and Discernment meetings during monthly worship announcements, and the launch of a real-time, text-based Prayer and Praise Chain for sharing joys and concerns. While engaging in the interim process has helped us establish new processes, improving congregation-wide communication remains an ongoing priority.

As we look at the current and future leadership needs of the congregation an area of concern is the lack of leadership succession planning. Currently, the aging and shrinking of our congregation is requiring members to do more tasks with fewer people. We have not set up a formal succession plan, though updating our manual of operations, procedures are better detailed for future planning. It is also important to note that our session seems to be too large for the membership of the church. At 12 elders, our session comprises roughly ¼ of our typical Sunday's church attendance. This is an area that we feel would benefit from partnering with our new pastor to address.

Congregational Self Study 2026: Intro

First Presbyterian Church of Watkins Glen
Congregational Self Study 2026

As the congregation of First Presbyterian Church of Watkins Glen gathers to reflect on our history, our ministry, and our future, we enter this season of transition with hopeful expectation and steadfast faith. Preparing a Congregational Self-Study is more than an administrative step; it is a spiritual practice of discerning where God has led us and where the Holy Spirit is calling us next.

God has placed our church at the heart of Watkins Glen to be a beacon of grace, hospitality, and service. As we seek the pastor God is preparing for us, we commit ourselves to prayerful listening, open hearts, and active trust in divine leadership.

We invite our congregation, leadership, and prospective pastoral candidates to read through this self-study with a spirit of joy and discernment. We trust that the same God who has sustained this congregation through generations will faithfully guide our footsteps into this next chapter of ministry together.

As we prepare to welcome a new pastor to walk alongside us, teach us, and lead our community in worship and service, we ground our journey in God's promises:

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 
Jeremiah 29:11

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6

September'26: Pastor's Corner

 From the Pastor

This is an exciting time at First Presbyterian Church. For the past month, Session members have been busy contacting as many of you as possible to collect information for our Self-Study. To date almost sixty have responded. If you have not been contacted and wish to participate, please let me know ASAP. 

A group of Elders have been assembled to begin the process of collating the data, creating charts and writing narratives to create the application that will be submitted to the Committee on Ministry (COM). They will be working diligently over the coming weeks to complete a draft document for review by Session. Once the draft document is approved by Session, it will be submitted to our COM representative Cathy Foerster for approval before being submitted to COM for approval – hopefully at their October meeting.

As we draw near the end of this process – Dinner & Discernment and Small Groups still have an important role to play. These groups will be supporting the work of the committee by summarizing the work they have been engaged in the past 15 months and writing narratives to be included in the draft document. You can support this important stage of the interim process by participating in September's Dinner & Discernment on Tuesday September 1st and Small Groups throughout the month. 

If you have any questions about this process – as always – please contact me. 

Blessings,
Pastor Lynda

July-August'26 Interim Update

Dinner and Discernment:
Update from our June 2026 Meeting

I think by now everyone realizes how much 2020 changed the landscape of the Church in America. Even before the COVID shutdown, even discounting any scandals with the leadership of other churches, more and more potential pastors have been turning their backs on The Call.

I mean, can you imagine being paid to stand at the pulpit and give the biblical response to the question "Who is my neighbor?", only then to be told that suddenly now you're a political risk for having faithfully done your job??

Nobody wants that!
We live in a horribly critical world climate.
Just as Jesus did.

That is why the Presbyterian Church in America - the PC(USA) - chose to formalize the interim process with documents and milestones; to intentionally slow us down and give us a much better chance to not only obtain, but to retain the right pastor for each congregation. And yes, in case you hadn't noticed, even neighboring churches are taking 3-5 years to go through this exact same process right now. 

But if you've been paying any attention, you've already heard all of this multiple times: from this pulpit, from our presbytery representatives from the COM (Paul Rack, then Cathy Foerester), and nearly every month at Dinner & Discernment.

With all that said, I'm personally amazed at the amount of progress we've been able to make here in an astonishingly short amount of time! And if you don't also see how remarkable the amount of knowledge and healing this church family has undergone in the past year and a half, let me ask you:
Exactly how active have YOU been in our monthly Dinner & Discernments?

Because although I'm an elder at First Presbyterian, I've only been a member here in Watkins Glen for less than a dozen years; so not only have I learned a lot during this process, but I'm actually feeling much more emotionally integrated into this congregation as a direct result of Lynda's leadership through these activities! 

All of that review last year laid the foundation for the future of this congregation. If I were to put a number on it, I'd guess we've gleaned a little over half the information we need in order to put together this new Self Study document that John King talked about last month. 

To be specific, we have all of the info we need to create a thorough study of our Past, with very little thought towards our Future. That would be more than enough to place our church on hospice care, but not quite enough to allow us to *thrive* as a congregation. Obviously, that means there's more to be done! 

I was planning to talk here about the progress we made at our June Dinner & Discernment: about this thing we did called a Congregational Asset Mapping, where we linked the church's assets to the community's needs; about the cool new programs that we proposed as a direct result of this exciting new exercise; about how we already have a brand new ecumenical "place of worship" on 5th Street, which is now labeled on Google Maps as "The Labyrinth at First Presbyterian"; and about why each of you needs to be actively participating in this process, or expect to be surprised by the actions that we take without you. 

I was planning to talk about that, but we changed course a little during sessions last Tuesday. We wheeled in a new proverbial Crash Cart to try and jolt a little new life into this process. So rather than just continuing to make these monthly appeals for all of you to become active participants, the elders will be proactively calling on each of you over the summer. We will be leading the charge to get your input!

Each elder was given a list of active members Tuesday night, along with a list of questions; and if you are an active member here, one of us will be giving you a call. In fact, if you aren't called by the end of August, grab an elder and demand that your voice be heard! Let's Thrive Together!

God bless you. And may he guide us through the rest of this process according to his timing. Not ours. Amen.

Respectfully, iliese Bowman

July-August'26: Pastor's Corner

 PASTOR’S CORNER

• For the past 14 months — you have been gathering — around dinner tables in the fellowship hall — and in small groups — to engage in honest — tender — and sometimes courageous conversations about who you are and where God is calling you. You have been doing the hard and holy work of looking at your Heritage — celebrating the faithful journey that brought you here — while honestly tending the places that still need healing. 

• You have been wrestling together with your Mission — asking what you truly stand for — what you are called to be in this community and in this world — during this season. You have been examining your Leadership — thinking carefully about how this community is organized and who needs to be equipped and empowered for what comes next. 

• You have begun identifying your Connections — remembering that no congregation is an island and that the partnerships you have formed beyond these walls are part of your calling too. And you have been daring to look toward your Future — not with fear — but with faith. 

• Heritage – Mission – Leadership — Connections — and Future — the Five Focus Areas of Interim Ministry. 14 months of faithful work carried out in Dinner and Discernment and Small Group gatherings. And yet — I want to remind you that you have not been building something from scratch. You have been joining something that was already in motion — because God was already in the field before you got there. 

• In April — our Committee on Ministry representative — Cathy Foerester — came and instructed Session about the steps involved in preparing to form a PNC. One of those steps is a Congregational Self-Study to be conducted by Session. The information gathered in the study becomes our "application" (for lack of a better word) that will be submitted to COM for approval to form a PNC. In the coming weeks — Elders will begin collecting information to complete the required Self-Study in preparation for formally requesting that COM approve the formation of a Pastor Nominating Committee at their meeting in September.

• To accomplish this in a timely manner — each Elder has been assigned 8-10 members of this community to have conversations with members regarding how each of you sees this community and what your hopes are for the future. It is Session's hope that you will accept the invitation to be part of the answer you have been seeking — by participating when contacted. The goal is to collect all the survey results by mid-August so that the information can be formatted to present to COM at their meeting in September.

• To foster good communication – and ease any anxiety around what my you will be asked – an email will be sent with all the survey questions. Additionally, if you would like to know who will be contacting you – please call, email, or text me and I will provide you with that information.

• The upcoming Congregational Self-Study is not just an administrative exercise. It is not just a box to check on the way to forming a PNC and calling a new pastor. These conversations are an act of prayer made visible. They are you saying to God — we are willing — and ready to be part of the answer. And here is what I believe with my whole heart — when you show up for these conversations — when you bring your honest voice and your hopeful spirit — you are answering a prayer that this congregation has already been praying together.

Blessings,

Pastor Lynda

June'26 Interim Update

 Interim Update - Elder Edition

June 2026 Dinner and Discernment

I think by now everyone realizes how much 2020 changed the landscape of the Church in America. Even before the COVID shutdown, even discounting any scandals with the leadership of other churches, more and more potential pastors have been turning their backs on The Call. 

I mean, can you imagine being paid to stand at the pulpit and give the biblical response to the question "Who is my neighbor", only then to be told that suddenly now you're a political risk for having faithfully done your job?? 
Nobody wants that! 
We live in a horribly critical world climate.
Just as Jesus did. 

That is why the Presbyterian Church in America - the PC(USA) - chose to formalize the interim process with documents and milestones; to intentionally slow us down and give us a much better chance to not only obtain, but to retain the right pastor for each congregation. And yes, in case you hadn't noticed, even neighboring churches are taking 3-5 years to go through this exact same process right now. 

But if you've been paying any attention, you've already heard all of this multiple times: from this pulpit, from our presbytery representatives from the COM (Paul Rack, then Cathy Foerester), and nearly every month at Dinner & Discernment.

With that said, I'm actually amazed at the amount of progress we've been able to make here in an astonishingly short amount of time! And if you don't also see how remarkable the amount of knowledge and healing this church family has undergone in the past year and a half, let me ask you: 

Exactly how active have YOU been in our monthly Dinner & Discernments? 

Because although I'm an elder at First Presbyterian, I've only been a member here in Watkins Glen for less than a dozen years; and not only have I learned a lot during this process, but I'm actually feeling much more emotionally integrated into this congregation as a direct result of Lynda's leadership through these activities! 

All of that review last year laid the foundation for the future of this congregation. If I were to put a number on it, I'd guess we've gleaned a little over half the information we need in order to put together this new Self Study document that John King talked about last month. 

To be specific, we have all of the info we need to create a thorough study of our past, with very little thought towards our future. That would be more than enough to place our church on hospice care, but not quite enough to allow us to *thrive* as a congregation. So obviously, that means there's more to be done!

I was planning to talk here about the progress we made at our June Dinner & Discernment: 

• about this thing we did called a Congregational Asset Mapping, where we linked the church's assets to the community's needs; 
• about the cool new programs that we proposed as a direct result of this exciting new exercise; 
• about how we already have a brand new ecumenical "place of worship" on 5th Street, which is now labeled on Google Maps as "The Labyrinth at First Presbyterian"; 
• and about why each of you needs to be actively participating in this process, or expect to be surprised by the actions that we take without you; 

I was _planning_ to talk about that, but we changed course a little during sessions last Tuesday. We wheeled in a new proverbial Crash Cart to try and jolt a little new life into this process.

So rather than just continuing to make these monthly appeals for all of you to become active participants, the elders will be proactively calling on each of you over the summer. We will be leading the charge to get your input! 

Each elder was given a list of active members Tuesday night, along with a list of questions; and if you are an active member here, one of us will be giving you a call. In fact, if you aren't called by the end of August, grab an elder and demand that your voice be heard! 
Let's THRIVE together! 

God bless you. And may he guide us through the rest of this process according to his timing. Not ours.
Amen. 

Respectfully, iliese Bowman

June'26 Words from the Pastor

 Often when we are in a period of transition, it can feel as though no significant progress is being made. And yet, progress is still made. This is the case here at First Presbyterian Church. For months, a number of you have met faithfully to do the work of the interim process. You have met over a meal at the monthly Dinner & Discernment and carried the momentum gathered there into small groups to further refine what was done in the larger group. There is new momentum and people are working together with renewed energy.

How we communicate has been a focus. Committees have begun revising their portion of the Manual of Operations which was last updated 10 years ago. Communication between committees has improved. A new prayer request system has been implemented and working well. 

Our new Committee on Ministry (COM) representative, Cathy Foerster, attended April’s Session meeting detailing the steps that would be required to be approved by the Presbytery to form a PNC. Many gathered were surprised to learn that a congregational Self-Study would be required. 

At May’s Session meeting I presented a Self-Study outline to Session members for consideration. While the list of areas to be covered is significant – the good news is that a considerable percentage of the information has been gathered through the monthly Dinner & Discernment and Small Group meetings. With that said – there remains work to be done. June’s Session meeting will be spent designing the framework for how the remaining information will be gathered and how the Self-Study will be written. 

So – what can you expect as we continue to move forward? In the coming weeks – you can expect another update outlining the Session approved process for gathering the remaining data for the Self-Study. Leadership’s focus – with the support of the pastor – will be to collect and compile the necessary data. Following each Dinner & Discernment an elder will present in worship a summary of the evening’s activities/progress. 

 This process works best when we all participate. There will be additional opportunities to participate as we move through the summer months. It’s not too late to contribute to the sustainable future of this congregation.

Blessings, Pastor Lynda