Jefferson Center Presby marks 150th year
JEFFERSON CENTER — The Jefferson Center Presbyterian Church, 390 Frazier Road, is getting a new pastor just in time to help it celebrate its upcoming 150th anniversary.
The Rev. Mark Allio presided over his first worship service Sunday, replacing certified ruling elder Tom McMeekin, who had served as interim pastor for the past three years.
It had been a long search. Ruth Walker, a member of the church's pastor nominating committee, said the search had taken almost a year. “The congregation formed the committee in February (2020),” said Walker, and began reviewing what she called “pastor resumes.”
Walker and other committee members said the process was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that went into effect last year. The committee members met and reviewed candidates via Zoom.
After zeroing in on Allio, Walker said the Beaver-Butler Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA) arranged for the committee to hear Allio preach at a neutral pulpit, a church in Beaver.“We listened and we came back and came to a unanimous agreement on him,” Walker said.Allio was invited to the church to give a candidate sermon, and after the service the congregation voted at the end of January to offer him the position.Allio said this is his first solo pastorship after sharing a pulpit at a church in Mechanicsburg for the past nine years.“It was, for me, definitely God's leading,” said Allio. “I don't want to steal Olive Garden's slogan, 'When you are here, you're family,' but I immediately felt it was the right time for the church and my family.”<b> A portion of this story is shared with you as a digital media exclusive. To read the <a href="http://www.butlereagle.com/article/20210630/FOCUS01/210639957">full story</a> and support our local, independent newsroom, please <a href="https://home.butlereagle.com/clickshare/myhome.do">subscribe online.</a>
