Why Commissioned Pastors

Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard

Transitional Leader of

Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy

At our next Presbytery Gathering on August 23 ^rd at First Edwardsville, we will be examining two commissioned pastors (CP). Commissioned pastors are formerly known as commissioned ruling elders-(CRE). Our presbytery currently has 14 commissioned pastors serving 13 congregations. The average size congregation being served by a commissioned pastor is 41. Often, the commissioned pastor is the only choice a congregation has for pastoral leadership. As the membership size of a congregation decreases, so does the capacity to afford called and installed pastors. Decreasing congregations are on the increase. The overall presbytery picture shows an increase in the number of congregations with 50 members or less. Click here to continue.      

James Wilkie

We are saddened to report the passing of James Wilkie, 2002 GA Commissioner of the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy and devoted member of First Presbyterian of Brighton, Illinois. He is survived by wife, Sheila Wilkie, children and grandchild.

Visitation will be 4-8 pm on Thursday, August 16 at the First Presbyterian Church in Brighton. Funeral Services will be at 11 am on Friday, August 17, at the First Presbyterian Church in Brighton.

The complete obituary can be found here.

PLEASE NOTE: The Oaks Conference Room (Oaks) and St. Andrews Conference Room (St. Andrews) are both located at the new Presbytery office, 1001 Craig Rd., Suite 170, St. Louis, MO 63146,

(Oaks) is on the first floor (St. Andrews) is on the second floor. Directions can be found here.

(Ladue) refers to Ladue Chapel, 9450 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, MO 63124. Directions can be found here.

It's Session Records Review Time

The Stated Clerk is responsible for the review of session records (Minutes, Rolls and Registers) on behalf of the presbytery. The Book of Order requires sessions to have their session and congregational minutes, rolls and registers reviewed by presbytery annually. For information about what is needed at the review, please visit https://www.glpby.org/resources/session-records-review/

The dates selected for review are:

If you have any questions, or concerns, please contact Stated Clerk, Rev. Joy Myers at [email protected] or by calling 314-772-2395.

Presbytery August Gathering - Thurs., Aug. 23

There will be two Pre-Sessions offered and we encourage all Congregations, within the presbytery, to send representatives to either or both.

Click here to Register

* Ministry Team Moderators: All reports due to Rev. Joy Myers, Stated Clerk, by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 15 . Please submit them electronically to: [email protected]

Presbyterian Women Welcome your help!

The Presbyterian Women of Giddings-Lovejoy are seeking cleaning supplies to send to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in their support of victims of natural disasters. They will be collecting these supplies at the August Presbytery Gathering. If you can help support this mission, please see the information flyer here.

Celebrate 200 Years of

Saint Charles Presbyterian Church

Founders' Day 2018 - Sunday, August 26

Celebrate the 200th year of Saint Charles Presbyterian Church! Arrive for registration at 8:00 a.m. found in the Java for Jesus area, and stay and enjoy activities and fellowship for everyone throughout the day!

Worship will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary, followed by a lunch. Please call the church office to register for lunch at (636) 946-4467 . Participate in activities and celebration until the Service of Thanksgiving and the dedication of the new window at 3 p.m. You will be inspired, and the day will be a wonderful way to celebrate the birthday of the church! The church is located at 131 Gamble St, St Charles, MO 63301. Learn more about the St. Charles Presbyterian Church here.

75th Anniversary Celebration

Affton Presbyterian Church welcomes all to celebrate with them, the 75th Anniversary of their church. There will be a celebratory worship service beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 16, followed by a luncheon. Please call 314-631-9217 for more information and to register for lunch. Learn more about the congregation here.

Ivory Perry Park Concert

Working To Bridge the Delmar Divide

The final concert for this year will be held on Sunday, August 26 and will feature one of the best blues bands in the St. Louis area. Skeet Rodgers & The Inner City Blues Band stars vocalists Sandra Carter and Charles "Skeet" Rodgers who are greatly inspired by the harmonics the band expresses.

Grab your friends, neighbors, congregation members, and family and head on over to Ivory Perry Park with your lawn chair or blanket to experience good music and a good time. Food and beverages will be available for purchase along with free activities for the children. 

This event is sponsored by UC Ministries, supported by member congregation, Westminster Presbyterian – St. Louis. For more information visit www.UCMinistries.com or call (314)367-2112.

Success! Third Annual Blessing Belleville

The annual Blessing Belleville Banquet was held on Saturday, August 11, and raised $11,700, well beyond their $10,000 goal, for three different charitable organizations, in Belleville. Ally Dyer, High School Senior at Belleville and Blessing Belleville Chair, and was followed by KSDK leading up to and during the event and they will be airing a special "Senior Standout" on Friday, August 17 during their 6 a.m. broadcast. Set your alarm, so you don't miss it!

Presbyterian Women Fall Gathering Date Set

You can participate in Presbyterian Women of the Giddings-Lovejoy Presbyery, by attending their Fall Gathering on September 29 ^th at John Knox Presbyterian Church. Directions can be found here. 

Registration for the event can be found here.

Are you interested in Presbyterian Women, but have questions? Please email Cindy Fieg, Giddings-Lovejoy Presbyterian Women Moderator here.

Kaleidoscope Conference is Fast Approaching

September 24 - 26, 2018

St. Louis, MO Hilton St. Louis Frontenac

Stewardship Kaleidoscope is an annual conference offering excellent plenary speakers, informative workshop leaders, provocative worship experiences, and incredible networking opportunities for all who are passionate about stewardship and generosity.

Our mission is to create an annual event that: Ignites generosity among Lutherans and Presbyterians, gives practical tools for cultivating generosity in congregations, expands the leadership capacity of those who lead stewardship initiatives and cultivates adaptive approaches for funding Christ’s mission.

Complete details can be found here.