June Gathering – Behold! God is Making All Things New
By Susan Young Thornton
Rev. David Beary
The Presbytery of Los Ranchos held its Stated Meeting on Thursday, June 4th, at St Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. The day began with options both scheduled and spontaneous. Attendees were invited to begin by walking the labyrinth, to find a place in the peaceful setting for either personal meditation or quiet conversation, to join Kate Forer to learn about spiritual direction at St. Mark, or attend the learning conversation, Toward a Holier Communion, led by Rev. David Beary. If you missed the presentation, you can view the video recording or review the PowerPoint Slides.
The business meeting was opened with prayer by Moderator Vanessa Bates.
Kristen Leucht from the Board of Pensions explained changes to benefits beginning in July, specifically to medical and retirement payments and coverage. She also assured all the assistance, sabbatical, and clergy wellness grants would continue. You can view the PowerPoint slides from her presentation. If you have any questions or wish to follow up, you can email Kristin at kleucht@pensions.org.
Items of business – some requiring action and others for information only were shared by the various teams and committees of the presbytery.
Upon recommendation of the Presbytery Council the body approved delegating to the Trustees the authority to approve loan applications to the Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program (PILP) by Presbytery of Los Ranchos member churches in good standing. This clerical step will speed up the loan process and does not incumber the presbytery until and unless the loan is finally approved. Then the Trustees asked for and received approval of the PILP loan to First Presbyterian Church, Orange.
Stated Clerk, TE Sandra Kim, expressed sympathy to San Clemente Presbyterian Church and the family of Rev. David Ricketts upon his sudden death. She then presented two items of business, the approval of the report of the Administrative Commission (AC) on the Review of Records and a name change for Shepherd’s Grove Presbyterian Church to Cathedral Presbyterian Church. Both items were approved. She also called attention to the upcoming 227th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and ways that commissioners can follow the proceedings and celebrated the news that Rev. Adele Langworthy will be honored at the Women of Faith Breakfast.
General Assembly Commissioners TE Jeff Bridgeman, TE Matthew Moncrief, RE Carl Sohn, and RE Renee Tevlin were commissioned followed by a prayer for their time and service online and in-person in Milwaukee.
Executive Presbyter, TE Andrea “Andi” Saccoccio, shared that she has spent the last few months discovering who Los Ranchos has been and who we want to become. She is participating in two national conversations about funding models and building and land usage. She compared our old and new circumstances to the difference between the era of cars that used leaded gas to the present prevalence of hybrid and fully electric vehicles. It is a new era, indeed, and how can we live it most faithfully and abundantly. She said she is “trying to keep out of trouble” but we all suspect she is churning up some “good trouble.”
The Nominating Committee presented candidates to serve on the Committee on Ministry (COM), Council, and the Strategic Coordinating Team (SCT). RE Lori Ruff-Schmalenberger reported on the Council’s formation of an Executive Presbyter Strategic Task Group to develop proposed changes to our structure. TE Steve Wirth shared the Committee on Ministry’s annual report on pastor salaries and the renewal of RE Justin Weidner’s commission to serve Grace First Presbyterian Church in Long Beach. Several other items for information were included in COM’s report.
RE Roy Ketring, Strategic Coordinating Team Moderator, reported that SCT recommended that presbytery recognize Iglesia Presbiteriana Amanecer Fullerton as a New Worshiping Community of the Presbytery of Los Ranchos. The presbytery concurred. He then presented and presbytery approved Synod Partnering Grant applications on behalf of five PLR congregations – Anaheim Korean Presbyterian Church, Community Presbyterian Church of Bellflower, Korean Independent Presbyterian Church, New Praise Presbyterian Church, and Southern California Immanuel Church. The presbytery also approved the submission of a Synod Partnering Grant on behalf of the Presbytery of Los Ranchos for Mission Studies Project Funding in the amount of $40,000.
The meeting was adjourned. Commissioners and guests gathered in the Fellowship Hall for dinner and conversation. After dinner all returned to the sanctuary for worship centered on the 2026 theme “Behold God Is Making All Things New” from Revelation 21:1-5. Darren Pollock, the newly installed pastor of Geneva PC in Laguna Woods, preached. Rev. Sara Mc Curdy presided over Communion reminding each participant that we come to the table in faith, repentance, and love. You can view the recorded worship service.
