Who We Are

At College Hill Presbyterian Church, our mission is to gather in the name of Jesus Christ to provide a vital Christian experience that will promote the spiritual growth of our members.

As a congregation, we are committed to four primary practices of Christianity as expressions of our Reformed faith:

  • Inspiring worship
  • Christian education for all ages
  • Putting God’s word into action through mission outreach
  • Binding our lives through fellowship

Staff

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Church Boards

The Session consists of the pastor and twelve elders elected to active service.  They are responsible for the governance and mission of the church, as well as providing for the spiritual growth and care of church members. All elders serve on one or more committees of the Session.  The current committees are: Faith Formation, Fellowship, Membership, Stewardship, Finance, Personnel, Mission and Worship. Individual elders are elected to represent the Session on the congregation’s Nominating Committee and the Nursery School Board, as well as to represent the congregation at meetings of Lehigh Presbytery.  Elders are invited to volunteer to serve as liturgists and communion servers for worship services.

Class of 2024

Wayne Barefoot

Alex Joujan

Christy Molnar

Judy Steinerg

 

 Class of 2025

Ed Dufton

Chris Phillips

Allan Robertson

Scott Walters

 

 Class of 2026 

Peggy Dapkiewicz(2)

Betty Pigliacampi(2)

Todd Swank

Shelby Simmons(2)

 

The church’s Board of Deacons provides pastoral care for the congregation and tends to the materials needs of the poor.

The church’s Board of Trustees manages the church building and the grounds.

Committees

Trustees Manage Building and Grounds
Deacons Congregational Care, Outreach
Worship Coordinate Worship
Fellowship Coordinate Social Activities
Membership Welcome new members
Stewardship Promote generosity
Finance Oversee church finances
Mission Coordinate love of neighbor
Faith Formers Programs for children/youth
Personnel Oversee church staff
Nominating Find new leaders
Presbytery Representative
Communications Church communication
Scouts Liaison to scouting

What is a Presbyterian?

At College Hill Presbyterian Church, we belong to a family of Christians with roots in the ancient church and experienced renewal in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. At that time, an international movement arose criticizing the corruptions of the medieval church and calling Christians to greater faithfulness.

Following the theology of John Calvin (1509-1564), Presbyterians were marked by a thorough-going belief in the grace and sovereignty of God, an emphasis on the Scriptures as the only rule of faith and life and a commitment to representative decision-making in the church.

In the 18th century, many Presbyterians made their way to North America from England, Scotland, and Ireland. They founded their own presbytery in the city of Philadelphia in 1706. Presbyterians played a significant role in supporting the American Revolution and drafting the constitution. They founded institutions like Princeton University and Lafayette College. They also had a habit of divisiveness and schism, resulting in many different Presbyterian denominations.

As members of the Presbyterian Church (USA)—the largest and most progressive member of the Presbyterian family of churches in the United States—we cherish the church’s Book of Confessions as a collection of faithful articulations of what we believe. We welcome all to join us in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (Communion). We baptize infants and adults as a sign of God’s sure and certain love for every person. And we remain committed to key Presbyterian values like the grace of God (we don’t earn God’s love; God loves us just as we are), the centrality of Scripture (the Bible is where we hear God most clearly), liberty of the conscience (no one can dictate what another person must believe) and work for peace and justice as a witness to the better world God has promised.

History of College Hill Presbyterian Church

This congregation has always had close ties to the College Hill neighborhood. Indeed, our stories are intertwined.

In the late 19th century, David Nevin had a vision for developing the area around Lafayette College into a residential neighborhood. Working with the college and the City of Easton, Nevin led efforts to establish the neighborhood and to launch a new Presbyterian church to serve those who would live there. The congregation began its life as a Sunday School and Chapel which opened at the intersection of Parsons and Brodhead in June of 1891. The church held its first service of worship on the first Sunday of June in 1896.

As the congregation grew, new space became necessary. Philadelphia architect Joseph Huston (who would later design the state house in Harrisburg) was selected to draw up plans for the new Tudor-Gothic style building, which opened its doors on the first Sunday of June 1898.

Over the next decades, the congregation took root and flourished on College Hill. The church devoted considerable resources to local, national, and international mission. We made major commitments to excellence in music and worship. And we came alongside families, helping them to raise their children. The Strawberry Festival began in the early 20th century and became a well-loved neighborhood tradition. The College Hill Presbyterian Church Nursery School, founded in 1949, continues to serve families, providing excellent education and care for preschoolers.

And, we have had a considerable impact on the city of Easton. We helped to found ProJeCt of Easton. Safe Harbor began as an emergency shelter in our building. On any given day of the week, members of College Hill Presbyterian Church can be found devoting their time and resources to support mission partners all over our city.

Down the years and through so many changes, College Hill Presbyterian Church remains committed to growing in love of God and neighbor through worship that inspires, education that nurturers all ages, mission that makes our community a better place for all its residents and sharing life with each other.

How Are We Organized?

College Hill Presbyterian Church belongs to the Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States.

As a Presbyterian church, most of our decisions are made by small groups, elected by the people they serve to make decisions on their behalf.

The Session is a group of twelve “ruling elders,” selected from the membership by the congregation, to oversee the life of the church. The Session exercises spiritual and fiduciary leadership of the congregation.

Our Session tends to work through committees. The current committees include: Communications, Faith Formation, Fellowship, Finance, Membership, Mission, Nominating, Nursery School, Personnel, Scouts, Stewardship, and Worship.

The Pastor of the church is ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament. As a “teaching elder,” the pastor moderates meetings of the Session.

The Deacons are a group of 18 leaders charged with caring for the pastoral needs of the congregation and the material needs of the poor.

Meetings of the whole congregation are called to 1. Call a pastor and set the terms of that call; 2. Elect officers (elders and deacons); and 3. To buy, mortgage or sell real property.

Presbyterian Churches are grouped into presbyteries, made up of all the congregations and all of the Ministers of Word and Sacrament in a particular geographic area. The Presbytery ordains ministers and oversees their work. College Hill Presbyterian Church belongs to the Lehigh Presbytery.

Presbyteries are organized into synods and the whole church meets every other year in the General Assembly.

So, Presbyterianism is a connectional system, rather than congregational (local church autonomy) or episcopal (bishop is the boss).

Presbyterian Church (USA)

College Hill Presbyterian Church belongs to the Presbyterian Church (USA), a 1.5 million member family of Protestant Christians who embrace our Reformed heritage as we strive to fulfill God’s gracious purpose for us, our congregations, and our world. Believing that we are better and more faithful to our calling when we pursue it together, we belong to and actively support both the Lehigh Presbytery (encompassing other PC(USA) churches in our region) and The Synod of the Trinity, which includes congregations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and parts of eastern Ohio.