Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery
Ohio, West Virginia
A Presbyterian “paints the town.”
Presbyterians in Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery paint the town blue and gray and white. And they invite other denominations and civic organizations to “Paint the Town” with them.
Covenant Presbyterian Church gave birth to the idea, and the ministerial association of Wellsville, Ohio, inaugurated the “Paint the Town” program in 2006. The program raises funds and mobilizes volunteers to paint the homes of people who are physically unable to do the work themselves and cannot afford to pay a contractor. An additional benefit of the program is the fellowship that it encourages. Volunteers come from all over the presbytery and other denominations in Wellsville to help paint and share this visible mission and ministry.
During the first two summers, eleven houses were painted through the “Paint the Town” program, and the homeowners were overjoyed with the work that was accomplished. There is an even greater benefit for the volunteers: working together as sisters and brothers in Christ strengthens the bonds among believers. New ties between the various churches in Wellsville have been forged.
“Paint the Town” is a valuable mission for Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery. The mission field is wide-ranging, and sometimes the “glamour” of foreign mission draws attention to faraway places to the detriment of closer neighbors. In this economically depressed area of the country, mission activities like “Paint the Town” present an opportunity to do God’s work while taking part in mission close to home.
Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery’s 89 churches have 8,825 members.
Presbytery Staff
Rev. Dr. Royce L. Browder, general presbyter
Rev. Tom Armstrong, stated clerk and associate general presbyter for COM
Patty Oleska, administrative assistant
Cathy Cipriani, resource center coordinator
Nicole Reid, editor, The Connector
Amanda Stewart, treasurer
Nancy DeStefano, Christian educator
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Cathy Benge, FDN
Deborah Bernard, BOP
Rev. Jon Berquist, PPC
God of Love, draw us together and, once in fellowship, open our eyes to your work. Help us to be aware of the need in the world, both far and near. We pray to carry your message as we bend to your work. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Ps. 135, 145 Ps. 97, 112
Isa. 44:6–8, 21–23
Eph. 4:1–16; Mark 3:7–19a
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