Serving God with Energy, Intelligence, Imagination, and Love
PNNE Seeks Volunteer Treasurer
See info on "Staff and Leadership" page
The Presbytery of Northern New England (PNNE) is a mid-council of the Presbyterian Church (USA). PNNE consists of all the ministers and churches in New Hampshire, Maine, most of Vermont and northeastern Massachusetts. A formal description of the PNNE boundaries is found in the PNNE Bylaws, Article I.C.
At the end of 2024, 28 PNNE member congregations and one fellowship reported 2,029 members. More PNNE statistics are available on the PCUSA statistics page for PNNE. You can view a list of our churches on our CHURCHES page. Our approximately 112 active and retired Ministers of Word and Sacrament provides PNNE with a significant strength. The PNNE is one of the 19 presbyteries in the Synod of the Northeast.
The church is to be a community of faith, entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life.
The Book of Order
Synod Grant makes Church survey tools available thru COM
How recently have you looked at your congregation’s purpose? Who are the groups in your community with whom you can partner to serve your neighbor? What is unique about your calling to prepare members for ministry? The Synod has provided funds to help sessions study their community and to survey their congregation. Mission InSite and Church Assessment resources are available to you at half your cost. Contact Resource Presbyter Scott DeBlock via EMAIL to sign up.
You are invited to register for this Community Circle, designed especially for those leaders in small churches. Are you an educator, volunteer, pastor, or commissioned pastor (CRE, CLP), that serves as a leader in a small church (less than 100 members)? Are you a mid-council leader who supports faith formation leaders in small churches?
Offered several times through the year, come to every gathering, or when you can, but come to share in conversation and learn, ask questions, receive and share resources for ministry, and support one another. A 90-minute Zoom gathering, the times and days vary so there is flexibility of participation. Register once but register anytime. Each gathering will feature a question or topic just to get the conversation going related to Faith Formation leadership in small churches, then the discussion can go from there. So come ready to participate in the conversation.
Our conversation facilitator will be Sandy Safford, Faith Formation leader for close to 30 years and a Commission-ready Lay Pastor who served as pastor for a small rural congregation in Colorado for 10 years. She is also a consultant, retreat facilitator, and trained coach who loves the outdoors as well as collecting ideas with colleagues for wonder and imagination in ministry.
2026
Tuesday, February 3, 3pm Eastern
Thursday, April 16, 1pm Eastern
Tuesday, May 19, 1pm Eastern
Wednesday, August 5, 3pm Eastern
Tuesday, October 6, 11am Eastern
Thursday, November 5, 3pm Eastern
Small Churches
Community Circles
Workshop on Preaching and Theology
Feb 19, 2026
Rev. Dr. James Calvin Davis will lead this event on Thursday, February 19, 7-9pm on Zoom. Please register with June Taing at hjtaing@gmail.com. (Note that you are registering for theology event in subject line.) Commissioned Ruling Elders (CRE) and elders who preach are encouraged to take part. We expect CRE’s from Albany Presbytery, where James is a member, to also participate. No advance reading needed, but please have a Bible handy for the event.
What Dr. Davis proposes for our evening together is this:
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What does it mean to “think theologically”?
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Where does theology come from?
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Who is responsible for “doing theology”?
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And do I really need theology to preach the Bible?
This event will argue that theology is the native language of the church. We will think together about what it means for Christians to think theologically, and we will explore some theological highlights in the Reformed tradition to which Presbyterians belong. We will discuss how different theological priorities can lead Christians to disagree over their perceptions of God, their interpretations of the Bible, and their understandings of right and wrong. We specifically will look at the relationship between theology and preaching, and along the way we will challenge misconceptions about both theology and “just preaching the Bible.” The goal of this event is to help CREs think about preaching as a theological exercise and responsibility.
James grew up in a small church in a coal town of Western Pennsylvania. He Graduated from Dickinson College and went on to Union Seminary in Richmond where he received his MDIV. His PhD was earned at the University of Virginia. He has been on the faculty of Middlebury Collegesince 2001 teaching Christian Studies and ethics. He served on the theology exam taskforce of the Presbyteries’ Co-operative Committee on ordination Exams. He has sometimes supplied a small congregation in Albany Presbytery, supply preached and been theologian in Residence at the UCC church in Middlebury. He is married to Elizabeth and they have two sons and two dogs.
Synod of NE opens 2026 Innovation Grant applications
The Synod of the Northeast Innovation application portal is open with completed applications due by March 15, 2026.
This is one of the Synod’s most popular and competitive grant opportunities. Early planning and broad presbytery engagement is encouraged.
To support broad participation across the Synod, the 2026 Innovation Grant application will be available in English, Spanish, and Korean. The Synod will host a series of informational webinars (dates to be announced), offered in English with Spanish and Korean translation.
Presbytery endorsement is required for any ministry or project submitted for funding. Applications will not be considered complete without confirmation of presbytery support.
If you have questions or need assistance contact:
Michael Yeoman, Grants Coordinator, Synod of the Northeast
michael.yeoman@synodne.org (315) 761-2721
PNNE Cohort Retreat Beginning to Take Shape
Save the date for an all cohort retreat beginning with lunch Monday April 27 thru lunch Wednesday April 29, at Geneva Point Center in Moultonborough, NH. Cost will be $250 (with Synod grant money paying the other half of the real cost). Spouses can share spouse’s room for $175. Scholarship partnership will be available. Rev. Deb McKinley will be the leader, and your cohort convener should be soliciting ideas for topics you would appreciate. Deb is willing to work with our input. It is an amazing opportunity to be lakeside for worship, reflection and fellowship. Questions? Ask Al Timm, Kay Huggins or Marnie Silbert of the Synod Grant taskforce. Watch for registration information coming soon.
The Garrett Collective is a digital library of free and low-cost theological resources. The Collective offers videos, prayers, liturgies, Bible studies, and more, created by dozens of ministers, scholars, and subject-matter experts.
The resources are housed in a beautiful, Netflix-style display and can be downloaded onto a device so people can access them offline — especially useful in rural parts of the U.S. where internet can be limited. More than just static resources, the Collective also has classes and cohorts where people can study and engage these materials alongside other Christians.
Ongoing Care for Ukraine
Composer and conductor John Rutter writes: "‘How can a composer respond to a global tragedy? By writing music is the most obvious thing. Like everybody, I’ve been shocked and dismayed by the events of recent days, and the first thing I wanted to do was write some music that would respond in my own way." Thus was born this new setting of A Ukrainian Prayer —
Боже, Україну храни
Дай нам силу, вірі, й надії
Отче наш, Отче наш
Амінь
A literal translation of the text is:
Good Lord, protect Ukraine.
Give her strength, courage, faith, hope. Amen.
Read more from Rutter. The score is available for free by submitting this form. You are welcome to duplicate the score for the sole use of your own choir. You may like to make a donation to a Ukrainian relief charity, perhaps equivalent to the approximate cost of the copies had you purchased them. If you wish, you are free to make an audio or video recording of the piece without a special license to do so.
For every contribution to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, 17% of designated gifts are allocated for PCUSA operational services, and the remaining 83% goes directly to the emergency response, in this case to organizations working directly with those fleeing Ukraine. Gifts can be made online, by calling (800) 872-3283, by texting PDAUKR to 41444, or by check made payable to Presbyterian Church U.S.A. with "DR000156-Ukraine" on the memo line.
Mail to: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264.