Truby’s tale offers life lesson for any church

Millersburg First Presbyterian Church is currently celebrating its 200th year, and those years are filled with love and service to the community and the world.

For a large portion of those years, Eldon Truby has been the lead pastor, serving in that capacity from 1984 to 2009. He has been a part of the church since and continues to serve in a variety of ways.

He said the church congregation has proven itself to be generous, caring and committed to serving God, community and beyond.

Truby shared a story from three decades ago, when the church committed itself to bringing in a Ukrainian family on a spur-of-the-moment plan.

“It was back when the Christians in Ukraine were facing a lot of opposition,” Truby said.

Church World Service connected with Truby to see if his church could find a place for the family, which was fleeing persecution, and time was in short supply.

Truby met with the elders and asked them if the church would be willing to host the family for three to six months. They decided to take it to the congregation.

Truby worried about the situation, how his congregation would respond, and the Saturday before the vote, God spoke to him at — in of all places — an Ohio State Buckeyes football game.

“I stood on the top row looking out, and the Holy Spirit distinctly told me to stop worrying and let the congregation speak,” Truby said.

The next day, the congregation responded with a nearly unanimous vote to move forward in helping the family.

They would have to find housing, provide means of transportation, help the family adjust to American life, help the three children in school and guide them through the transition.

“They never hesitated,” Truby said. “They were ready to do what God had asked.”

Miraculously, by Tuesday, all those details were in place.

“By George, we were ready and willing,” Truby said.

That Thursday, a contingent from the congregation drove to the airport to greet the family, only to find out that they had changed plans at the last second and went to California, where the husband’s relative was living, unbeknownst to anyone, including the Ukrainian family.

All that work and preparation was for naught.

Or was it?

“I asked our congregation, where would they go in that situation?” Truby said.

He then asked another important question.

“What did we learn about ourselves through this process?” Truby asked the congregation. “The basic response was that we learned what we could do in a pinch. We learned the importance of preparing to help others, regardless of ourselves. It was a valuable lesson that stuck with us. It required us to stretch ourselves as a congregation.”

That giving spirit remained embedded in the congregation and has since, including the church’s program to provide free meals on a community meal night.

Millersburg Presbyterian Church has been there for 200 years.

“This church has always exhibited a giving spirit,” Truby said. “One willing to reach out to the community and to people in need, ready to use our gifts to honor God and serve others.”