Dr. John R. Loch named pastor of Liberty Presbyterian

Staff report

LIBERTY

The Session of Liberty Presbyterian Church, 1451 Churchill-Hubbard Road, named Dr. John R. Loch to serve as pastor. He is the 30th pastor since the church was foundedin 1805. The congregation welcomed the new pastor at the annual picnic in July.

The original tent church was at Seceders Corners in the township, then outgrew several early buildings, all located on the present site. The current sanctuary and fellowship hall were built in 1925. An educational wing was added in the 1950s, and the sanctuary was renovated in the 1960s.

Dr. Loch was commissioned by Eastminster Presbytery to serve as Liberty’s pastor on June 24, 2015, at the Northminster Presbyterian Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. In his previous pastoral roles, he served as parish visitor and as director of Older Adult Ministries at the First Presbyterian Church and Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, both in Sharon, Pa., and pastor of Mount Hermon Presbyterian Church, New Castle, Pa.

He is a graduate of Sharon High School, Grove City College, the University of Pittsburgh with a master’s degree in counseling and doctorate in higher education in administration. After graduating from GCC in 1962, he enrolled at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Prior to studying to serve as a commissioned lay pastor through Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, Pastor Loch served as the administrator responsible for Youngstown State University’s lifelong learning and continuing education programs from 1975–2005, and received emeritus administrator/director status by YSU’s board of trustees upon his retirement in 2005.

In 2006, he completed the Commissioned Ruling Elder/Commissioned Lay Pastor program of study through Dubuque seminary and was commissioned to serve in a pastoral role by Shenango Presbytery in 2006.

Pastor Loch is an ordained elder in Presbyterian Church USA and served as moderator of Shenango Presbytery’s Committee on Preparation for the Ministry from 2010–2015, and on committees in his home congregation. He is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown.

He has served on boards for Park Vista Retirement Community, Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Communities in Columbus, Youngstown Area Arts Council, Protestant Family Services and Retired Senior Volunteer Program. His service alo has included boards of international, national and state continuing education associations over his 42-year career in higher education at Pitt and YSU.

In 2014, his book “Steps Along the Way: A Collection of Faith-based Messages” was published.