An eUpdate for Church Leaders - November 2026 | | |
A Northminster member is being held in ICE custody | |
Peterson Nozil, a member of Northminster Presbyterian Church, Springfield, is in ICE custody following the revocation of Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants.
A recent article in The Washington Post pointed to the struggles of his family and how Northminster and its pastor, the Rev. Steve Merrin, are reaching out to help.
Excerpted from
‘There are no people’:
Springfield, Ohio, faces loss of Haitian residents
The Washington Post
October 21, 2026
Esther Getan’s husband, Peterson Nozil, was stopped by immigration officers in early September on his way home from a doctor appointment for his wife. The couple crossed the U.S.-Mexico border to request asylum in 2022. Like an estimated 350,000 other Haitians, they were granted temporary protected status, known as TPS. Nozil, a math teacher in Haiti, found work in Ohio operating a forklift.
TPS wasn’t a path to legal residency, but they hoped it would allow them time to pursue their asylum claim and hopefully obtain a green card.
Now Getan says she can barely eat or sleep. Her 2-year-old daughter screams for her father in the middle of the night. Both Getan and her child are losing weight.
“My heart is not at peace,” Getan said.
She is surviving in part with the help of Steven Merrin, pastor of the Northminster Presbyterian Church, and some of his parishioners. Even though many live on fixed incomes, they donate what they could. Some slipped money orders under the pastor’s office door to help pay for Nozil’s lawyer. Others provided meals.
Merrin said he is pained each time he looks at the pew Nozil usually sat in during Sunday services and doesn’t see him there.
“There is an absence and it’s frustrating,” he said. “I’m just not all right with this.”
| News from the Committee on Representation and Diversity | |
Christian Nationalism Study Guide
Dr. Miranda Zapor Cruz led us in a series on Christian Nationalism in February, March, and April 2026. As a follow-up, the Committee on Representation and Diversity (CORD) is making available to our churches a small group study guide for her book “Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters.”
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PNS article features two PMV pastors
In September, Presbyterian News Service published an article titled “Haitian pastors in Ohio and many others face deportation with end of Temporary Protective Status.” The article features two Presbytery of the Miami Valley pastors, the Rev. Kazy Hinds and the Rev. Joe Hinds.
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Land Acknowledgement Resources
CORD's is now working on the Land Acknowledgements we do at PMV meetings. The committee is assembling some resources for churches to use as they do this at our meetings.
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The Christmas Joy Offering 2026 | |
Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we turn our eyes to Bethlehem and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
The Christmas Joy Offering has been a cherished Presbyterian tradition since the 1930s. Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we lift up past, present, and future leaders of the church. God has blessed the church with incredible leadership in every time and place, but those leaders often need to be supported by their communities as well. This Offering provides support for at-risk children, youth and young adults, leadership development for people of color, Presbyterian church workers and their families in their time of need and leadership development and education for communities of color at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color.
This year’s Christmas Joy Offering will be received November 29 - December 20.
Special Offerings has prepared a number of free resources for churches, which include Minutes for Mission, Curriculum for Children, Worship Resources, Bulletin Inserts, social media, and other promotional resources.
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Thank you for preparing our monthly Prayer List! | |
We are grateful to Cheryl “Gidget” Collins for faithfully preparing our Presbytery of the Miami Valley Prayer List each month.
Not only does she keep track of and update the information for the churches we pray for each month, but she includes a monthly prayer request for a presbytery committee or group and offers a meaningful prayer for all of us.
Gidget is a Commissioned Ruling Elder and pastor of Seven Mile United Presbyterian Church, Seven Mile.
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APCE Annual Event: In Person and Online
January 27 – January 30, 2027
Portland, Oregon
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The Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE) will hold its Annual Event in person in Portland, Oregon, January 27 – January 30, 2027, with a great array of workshops to choose from, a variety of Pre-Event and Post-Event opportunities, and time to renew connections with long-time colleagues and connect with new.
There is also an Annual Event Online option, which gives participants access to all worship services, plenaries, and up to five online workshops in each workshop block. In addition, participants will have access to all the video recordings following the Annual Event.
APCE is an association made up of those who are serving or have served in educational ministries, as ministers, professional or volunteer educators, or students, in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Reformed Church in America, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Moravian Church in America.
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A Message from the Moderator
“We, too, are laying stones”
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In case you missed it, last month we sent out the October “Message from the Moderator” by the Rev. Diane Zielgler, Moderator of Presbytery of the Miami Valley. The October installment was called “We, too, are laying stones.”
In the October message Diane reflects upon how we continue to build in ministry.
“In our own ways and in our own spaces, we too are laying stones. We minister and build on the foundations of those who went before us, and we continue to “build” in ministry and worship for the sake of those who will come after us.”
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Proposed Amendments to the Book of Order (GA 227) | These amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order were approved by the 227th General Assembly (2026) and recommended to the presbyteries for their vote. | | |
Why use Practical Resources for Churches? | |
Upcoming Free Webinars: Fall 2026
The Upcoming Webinars for Fall 2026 from Practical Resources for Churches and Presbytery of the Miami Valley have been announced. The schedule offers a range of topics, and you’re sure to find something that interests you!
These webinars are free for all churches of Presbytery of the Miami Valley because of our membership in PRC.
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Free materials and benefits for you!
Presbytery of the Miami Valley has partnered with Practical Resources for Churches (PRC) to provide a variety of materials and services to our churches.
Because of our presbytery’s membership, your church has access to all the products in the PRC online store at no cost. The free products in the store include materials for use with children, teens, and adults. There are resources for curriculum, faith formation, worship, liturgical seasons, leadership, and more.
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Boundary Training for Church Sessions | |
The Book of Order now requires Boundary Training for members of church sessions at least every three years. More important than the requirement, however, is that Boundary Training provides an opportunity for meaningful conversations within sessions about how churches can create safe, welcoming, and transparent communities.
Presbytery of the Miami Valley is partnering with Practical Resources for Churches (PRC) to provide this training. PRC is a nonprofit, non-denominational, education-based service organization providing consultants, educational webinars, workshops, and resources.
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Post your position openings on the PMV website | |
Presbytery of the Miami Valley maintains a “Jobs” page on its website for our churches to post position openings for staff, other than pastors. (Pastor positions go through our denomination’s system.)
We encourage churches to send us their position openings, and we’ll be happy to post them. They may be sent to Don Nowak at don.nowak@miamipresbytery.org
Check out the latest position openings on our Jobs page.
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