by Jill Fandrich

Westminster Church has good news to share; we have a new pastor! We welcome the Rev Adam Demetros to Westminster!
 
Westminster has been without a called pastor since June 2023, when Rev Patrick Heery returned to his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio with his family. Unlike some denominations which assign pastoral leadership to their churches, Presbyterian congregations are mostly autonomous in their search for new pastors. They don’t act entirely alone, however; they follow a process which involves the local Presbytery and denominational connections.
 
The work of seeking a new pastor is the responsibility of a Pastor Nominating Committee, made up of members elected by the congregation. The “PNC” is intentionally reflective of the congregation’s membership. Ours was nine people—me, Audrey McNally, Brian Teucke, Sarah Trapani, Eli Hernandez, Thomas Fessenden, George Fay, Amy Sargent, and Lilyana Thornton. The decision to call a pastor is ultimately the responsibility of the congregation, but it trusts the PNC to search for and recommend a candidate for its consideration.
 
Like most things Presbyterian, the process takes time. We were told to expect an interim period between 2-4 years. We were actually on the shorter end, closer to 18 months. During the interim, we had short term pastoral leadership from three wonderful temporary pastors- Rev Stacy Smith in the fall of 2023, Rev Pamela Masten in the winter of 2024, and Rev Joe Tagliaferre in the second half of 2024. We also were blessed with amazing church members and staff who faithfully did the work of the church.
 
Last August, we invited the Rev. Adam Demetros to apply to our church, after seeing his “resume” on the denomination’s matching site. He accepted our invitation to apply, and we had a great Zoom interview with him. We then invited Pastor Adam and his wife Amanda to visit Auburn, which they did in late September, spending two days with us exploring the area and seeing the church and community. After this visit, we extended a call to him to be our next pastor, and he enthusiastically accepted.
 
In December we introduced Pastor Adam to the congregation. After meeting him and hearing him preach, the congregation voted to call him as our pastor.
 
Pastor Adam and his wife Amanda have purchased a home in Owasco, and are settling into their new home, church, and community. Here is more about him:
 
The Reverend Adam Demetros earned a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. While there, Pastor Adam worked with the Children and Young Families Ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, NJ. He also served as a hospice chaplain where he discovered that fulfilling the ministry of Christ means laughing and crying with those who are in need of grace and love. Pastor Adam has often said, “One of my greatest joys in ministry has been sitting next to hospital beds listening to people tell their life story”.
 
Prior to entering seminary, Pastor Adam attended East Stroudsburg University where he earned a Master of Management and Leadership in Public Administration with a focus on religious nonprofit organizations. Instead of writing a thesis paper, he opted to help establish a successful Presbyterian campus outreach program called “Church 4 U” for East Stroudsburg Presbyterian Church to help bridge the gap between campus and community.
 
During his time in ministry, Pastor Adam has served small rural churches and large urban churches in New York and Pennsylvania, where he learned that our collective history helps us find our common identity in Christ. He most recently served a church in Wilkes-Barre where he was active in the community feeding the hungry, building relationships, and caring for anxious clergy during the pandemic. Pastor Adam has also been actively involved in presbytery and national church leadership, serving on various committees, commissions, and as a commissioner to the 226th General Assembly.
 
As a native of the southern tier, Pastor Adam enjoys being in nature and loves the winter season. Most of his formative years were spent either on the Finger Lakes or in the woodlands of the Northeast. When not reading or writing, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife, Amanda, who is a passionate and dedicated educator, and their energetic dog, Argos. You will most likely run into them at cultural events, food festivals, and musical performances in the area.
 
Pastor Adam loves serving in congregational ministry and has found that the words of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer ring true; “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community”.
 
We welcome Pastor Adam to Westminster and Auburn, and look forward to this next phase of Westminster’s journey.

by Rob Schemerhorn

On the Sunday after Epiphany, the scripture reading is always the familiar story of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. In the Presbyterian tradition, we generally baptize children, usually infants.  In other faith traditions, persons are baptized when they are old enough to understand for themselves what the sacrament means, that God is accepting them as one of his own. Baptism creates a deep tie for the baptized and their church. It is certainly a very important moment in anyone’s life, regardless of what age it happens.

All four of the gospels recount Jesus’ baptism. They begin with John saying he was not the Messiah but was merely preparing the way. John said he recognized Jesus as the Savior and felt unworthy to baptize him. After the baptism, the heavens opened and God confirmed that Jesus was indeed the chosen one. Three of the four gospels have Jesus going into the desert for 40 days and nights, being tempted by Satan, and then returning to choose his disciples and begin his ministry.

We know this familiar story, and we accept it, often without thinking much about it. But really, it is an outlandish thing to do! What would you think if your 30 year old brother, or son, or friend, suddenly up and said ‘Oh, by the way, tomorrow I’m quitting my job as a carpenter, going to see that weirdo out by the river Jordan people have been talking about, and then spend the rest of my time here on Earth wandering around trying to explain to people what God really wants them to do for the sake of their own salvation.” Perfectly normal, right?

No, that’s probably not what we would think. We would think, “Why? Why leave a quiet, comfortable life, at the rather advanced age of 30 or so [remember life spans were quite a bit shorter 2000 years ago] and go do this thing? Why?”

The answer, I think, is that God needed a change in the way he dealt with us. The prophets had prophesied, the judges and kings had ruled, the nation of Israel had risen and fallen and risen and fallen many times. But the people were stuck when it came to their faith. What are the 6 words of a failing institution? “We’ve always done it that way.” God chose Jesus to forge a new understanding of his intentions, towards his people and how they should interact with each other.

The baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of his ministry. We know that in his time he was considered a radical, someone who didn’t necessarily follow “the Rules”. He was all about change. Even our denomination is always changing. Ever hear the phrase ‘The reformed church, always reforming’? I think Jesus would like that phrase.

In some ways I regret not being able to recall my own baptism. For my little infant self, I couldn’t know how important a moment this was. God claimed me as an infant, and I have accepted his love. But I wonder, have I really changed?

This has been a time of change for our church. We have had 3 temporary pastors in the past 18 months, each of them with their own style. It was enjoyable; switching things up occasionally keeps the experience fresh. In February we will welcome our new pastor. There will be change. We’re all eager to see what they might be. Congregants have hopes and dreams they want to see come to fruition. Some of those hopes hearken back to our traditions, some are looking forward to innovative solutions to new challenges. Come what may, things will be different. We will change.

January is the time when many of us make resolutions aimed at improving our lives. Eat healthier, get regular sleep, clean out that closet in the back room. Here is mine- “Don’t be afraid”. I’m not going to be afraid of speaking up, or being kind, or saying no. One of the joys of getting older is being less afraid of what others think of you. There is no reason for being afraid of change.
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 The life and work of this church, this congregation will go on as long as we embrace, adopt and accept the idea that change is inevitable. Jesus knew it. He was called to be the voice that led to one of the greatest changes in history. While we may not remember our own baptism, there is no need for a ceremony for you to make a change in your life. When all else fails, try forgiveness. Be kind. Remember everyone seeks acceptance. Jesus showed us what love is. Resolve to be a person who changes with intent and the love of Christ in your heart.
 
Rob Schemerhorn is a lifelong member of Westminster Church, a Ruling Elder, and Clerk of Session. He is recently retired from Jordan Elbridge School District, after a long career as a Physics and Earth Science teacher, track coach and official.