By Maureen Wright

Since the announcement on August 29 cancelling the called meeting of Presbytery I have been asked about the progress of A Season of Discernment. The questions have reflected curiosity, frustration, interest in the process, concern, excitement, and more. In many ways we are in a season of advent – a season of waiting expectantly for what God is doing in our midst, waiting for the answer to “what’s next?” Waiting is hard, especially when there are no purple and pink candles to light, no greens to hang, and no calendar with candy treats to mark the days.

A Season of Discernment began last August when Emily Swanson of Holy Cow! Consulting spoke to the Presbytery at our stated meeting at Fayetteville Presbyterian Church. Ms. Swanson shared with Presbytery the process of her work to help answer the “what’s next” question, what God is calling the Presbytery to be and do. In September, all members and friends of the Presbytery were invited to complete a Landscape Survey designed by Ms. Swanson. The survey was followed by an invitation for the Presbytery to attend open conversations with either Ms. Swanson or members of the Leadership Team. These conversations began last October, concluding in early November. Using the data collected through the survey and conversations, the Leadership Team began its work with Ms. Swanson at its January retreat. This work culminated on July 11 when the Leadership Team met with Ms. Swanson to review her final report. This report provides 36 pages summarizing the process, findings, and vision for the Presbytery.

For some, this process may have been unexpectedly long. Some of you may be asking about the value of working with an outside consultant. The Leadership Team made the decision to do so in January of 2023. Why? The consensus was that a consultant would provide the Presbytery with insights that the Leadership Team and staff were unable to see, to listen to all voices including those not always heard, and to offer a process that would help us discover what God is asking of the Presbytery of West Virginia. Ms. Swanson’s report reflects these hopes.

Where are we now? The Leadership Team is working to be certain that the vision in the report reflects the culture and values of the Presbytery of West Virginia. It is clear that while some members of the Presbytery will read and seek to digest all 36 pages, many will not. The Leadership Team is developing a focused document of no more than 5 pages that will give us the Cliffs Notes of the vision for the Presbytery of West Virginia.

Two parts of the original report were in rough draft form: a new committee structure and a staffing model that will help the Presbytery fulfill its vision. Refining these two significant parts of the vision is important. The goal with the committee structure is to be able to do the work of the Presbytery with fewer committees that work more efficiently. The staffing model needs to be financially sustainable for at least five years and allow the Presbytery to thrive.

Even with both a long form and focused vision plan, many of you will ask, “How do we get from here to there?” The Leadership Team is designing a general implementation plan. While a number of details will become clear as the Presbytery lives into the new vision, this plan will include opportunities to both evaluate the vision and make adjustments as needed.

All of this will be presented to the Presbytery at its stated meeting on November 21 at First Presbyterian Church, Fairmont. The details will be shared no later than the release of the Presbytery packet on November 11. A Season of Discernment is now a season of advent – a season of waiting expectantly for what God is doing in our midst. I invite you to pray for the Leadership Team. Ask God to give the members of the Leadership Team and the staff of both the Presbytery and Synod (who support them in this work) energy, intelligence, imagination, and love in this sprint complete its work to share with you a vision for the Presbytery of West Virginia.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Randy Fife (Leadership Team chair), Dawn Adamy (Moderator), any member of the Leadership Team, or me.