Our Church Family

In Memoriam

James D. Spencer, 79, died peacefully in his home June 29, 2025. He was predeceased by his parents, Frederick Spencer and Margaret Spencer. He is survived by his brother, Frederick Spencer, Jr., five nephews and nieces, nine grand-nephews and nieces, and three great-grandnephews. Jim graduated from RIT and retired from Link Aviation as a Software Engineer. He was a member of West Presbyterian Church and enjoyed bowling, golf, watching TV, and anything electronic. Jim would like to thank Paul and Michelle for their neighborly care and compassion. Please remember Jim with a donation to the Southern Tier Food Bank or Chenango Ambulance Services.

Ann Marie Cobb, 97, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Born to Paul and Nellie Traub, Ann was a lifelong resident of Binghamton, NY. After graduating from Binghamton Central High School, she married John C. Cobb, Jr. She was a loving wife, devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Ann was predeceased by her husband John, her daughter Linda, her son Timothy, and her grandsons John Cobb IV and Steven Rexroth. Ann is survived by children John (Cheryl) Cobb (Charlotte, NC), Denise Landis (Clearwater, FL), and Melissa (Ron) Rexroth (Haworth, NJ). She is survived by grandchildren Jacqueline Ortiz, Nicklaus Cobb, John Paul LeBrun, Christian LeBrun, Ryan LeBrun, Justin LeBrun, Brandon Cobb, Samantha Dugan, Sean Rexroth, Jack Rexroth, and Neil Rexroth, as well as many great-grandchildren.

After her children were grown, Ann worked as a secretary at West Presbyterian Church, Binghamton, NY. She devoted her life to serving others — first her family, and then many volunteer groups. She was a long-time member of West Presbyterian Church and later the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton. She served on numerous committees and was a dedicated volunteer of the Sewing Group for more than fifty years, making quilts and other hand-sewn items. For more than 30 years, Ann volunteered at Good Shepherd Fairview Home. She served as Director of the Auxiliary and continued as a volunteer well into her nineties. Through her warmth, kindness and optimistic spirit, she touched many lives and she will be greatly missed.

Ann’s Celebration of Life service was held at UPC on September 20. The video can be found on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/G6GlvxX8j-o.

Kristie L. Palmer, 60, passed away on September 23, 2025. She is survived by her siblings Dr. Timothy Palmer, Jeffrey Palmer, and foster sister Faith Stouffer, as well as her family Jake and Katie Simon and their two children.

Her niece Kat Palmer shared this remembrance on Facebook:

On September 23, 2025, Kristie L. Palmer, my Godmother, (AK) passed away. She was compassionate, funny and damn smart — a licensed social worker turned personal home health nurse. Would have been 61 this month, but I guess she wanted to celebrate by waterskiing around heaven’s version of Heart Lake, with Grandpa driving his boat and Grandma with her camera in hand surrounded by all AK’s dogs on the dock.

As far as I can tell, she is the one who nudged me towards my love for dogs (and all animals) — going to AK’s for a week in the summer meant dodging the rooster in the rocky drive, a trip to the mall to go get a band t-shirt (specifically Good Charlotte) at Hot Topic, adventuring in the woods, movie watching, crafting and lots of fetch with the 1 to 3 dogs that were always around. The farm was one place that I could tolerate being an outdoorsy person. :-)

I remember the sound the screen door made when it’d open and close, dogs barking and puppy kisses, shoes lined up on the blue painted stairwell and her bedroom tucked around the corner on the main floor — the room probably filled with medical supplies but that’s not something I recall because it was “normal.” If [cousin] Jake was home that meant wandering around the property with him and my brother, cautiously jumping on the trampoline and visiting the neighbor with the crazy rooster to go see other farm animals.

Aunt Kristie wasn’t dealt a great hand of cards when it came to her body/life after 30 — Mito/muscular dystrophy may have literally slowed her down — but that didn’t stop her from living her best life. A lot to say and still so little I may know, but we all miss her. At least the last time I was with her we laughed a whole bunch, because she had a great laugh.

Her memorial service will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, friends wishing to may contribute to the Mitochondrial Disease Foundation in her honor.

Join Us for Worship — in person, online, or over the phone

We worship together on Sundays at 10:00am, both in person in the sanctuary and online. The service is livestreamed on our public YouTube Channel, our Zoom room, and our website, and is also accessible on YouTube any time. Those who can’t access the worship videos online can call in on the phone to listen live on Sunday mornings, using the Zoom information listed below. So if you are not ready or able to come “in person”, you are welcome to participate as you are able.

Everyone is invited to join us as we pray, hear God’s word read and proclaimed, share our joys and concerns, and experience worshipful music.

If you’re joining us in person, here’s what you need to know:

Air filtration units are deployed throughout the sanctuary to enhance your safety. If you have any symptoms of a potentially contagious illness, we ask that you put on a mask to protect those in our congregation who have compromised immune systems.
Printed worship guides are placed by each door for you to pick up on the way in, and the hymns are printed in the worship guide.
Offering plates are placed by the doors of the sanctuary, but we do not pass them during the offertory. You are invited and welcome to use our online giving portal or to mail a check to the church.

If you’re worshiping with us online, all of the hymn music and prayer words are shown on the screen, and live captioning is used for other parts of the service such as the sermon and the sharing of joys & concerns. If you watch on a small screen and need the printed version of the worship guide, it is available for download from our website each week, or it can be mailed to you upon request if downloading & printing is not an option.

To join the Zoom room online, go to upcbgm.org/zoom
To call in: Dial 1-646-558-8656, then enter Meeting ID: 865 274 8433 #

It would be good to have you with us.

Music at UPC

Music is an important part of our coming together at United Presbyterian Church. We are excited to make music with every resource that we have, and to use a variety of styles — not all at once, but intermingled. What emerges is a vibrant worship service with music that includes everyone who wishes to participate.

The UPC Choir rehearses in the Music Room on Wednesdays, 6:30–7:30pm. The vocal choir provides music for worship most every Sunday. We welcome new members at any time, and we would love to have your participation. It would be good to have you with us!

The United Ringers rehearse in the sanctuary after worship on Sundays, 11:30am–12:30pm. Our handbell choir plays 2–4 octaves of Malmark handbells and handchimes, providing music for worship once or twice a month. If you’re interested in learning how to play handbells, please inquire. No previous experience needed. If you can count to 4, you can learn to play!

We invite instrumentalists and vocalists who’d like to share their gifts to talk with any of our music leaders about providing special music for worship — you can call the church office, email music@upcbgm.org, or speak with them in person after worship.

Children in Worship

“Let the little children come to me…” —Matthew 19:14

We are glad to have children and families in the congregation, and we welcome and encourage them to be in worship with us. We truly believe that a community of faith is made up of people of ALL ages. There is a PrayGround space with coloring sheets and quiet toys in the front of the sanctuary, which can be used there or taken to another pew if that is more suitable to the family’s needs. Sunday school materials are mailed to our families once a month to do together at home.

There is a nursery for infants through age four staffed with two nursery attendants, if that is a better choice for your family. The nursery is at the end of the hall past the bathrooms. Nursery staff are on duty from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Parents are welcome to stay in the room and listen to the service over the speaker, or to return to the sanctuary to worship. Please let us know if you have questions.

Worship Schedule through Reign of Christ Sunday

October 26 — Micaiah ben-Imlah and the death of Ahab, 1 Kings 22:1–40

King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah join forces to do battle against a common foe. Their prophets all predict great victory for their armies, except for one. Micaiah ben-Imlah, a prophet in Samaria, tells the king that the One God will bring disaster on Israel if they participate in this attack, and the argument between Micaiah and the other prophets becomes dramatic, ending with Micaiah’s imprisonment as the armies go forth into battle. Disaster ensues, and King Ahab is killed in the retreat.

November 2 — The Feast of All Saints: Bouquet of Remembrance

One of our cherished traditions at United Pres is the Bouquet of Remembrance, which we will build together this morning to remember and honor the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us in the communion of saints. Pastor Becky will place a flower in the bowl for each of the people in our community who have died since the Feast of All Saints last year, as Pastor Kimberly says their names aloud. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, you are invited to place a flower for loved ones from years past before you pick up the communion elements.

November 9 — Elijah fights with fire, 2 Kings 1:1–18

After Ahab’s death, his son Ahaziah takes the throne, and continues his father’s policies of aggression and idolatry. He is gravely injured in a fall and sends messengers to the local temple of Baal-Zebub, asking for a prediction about whether he will recover. The messengers are intercepted by Elijah, who sends them back with a savage message that because he has turned away from the One God, he will not recover. King Ahaziah sends three cohorts of fifty soldiers each to attempt to arrest Elijah and bring him under control. The first two cohorts are destroyed by fire, and the commander of the third kneels in front of Elijah and asks for mercy. Elijah agrees to meet with Ahaziah and repeats his condemnation; Ahaziah dies in bed and another new king ascends the throne.

November 16 — Elijah ascends to heaven; Elisha assumes the mantel, 2 Kings 2:1–25

This is the last story about Elijah in the Bible, although it begins a cycle of miraculous stories that circulate in the Hebrew tradition for centuries, including the prediction that he will return to bring the Messiah for the redemption of his people. Elijah is taken up into heaven in a windstorm from Bethel; before he ascends he gives Elisha his mantel. Through a series of miracles, Elisha is shown growing into prophetic power as the story moves from the mysterious back to the ordinary, reaffirming that it is the power of the One God, the “God of Elijah”, who makes things happen.

November 23 — Reign of Christ Sunday, Philippians 1:27–30, 2:1–11

As followers of Jesus, we are always living between what God has already done for all of creation and what has not yet been completed in our broken and fragile world. Today is the last Sunday of the Christian year; next week we will start a new year, telling the story of our hope for a new world and the coming of Jesus as God’s response. So today we will look at one of the earliest Christian hymns, embedded in one of Paul’s letters, as he reminds them to remain faithful to God’s promises even as God has remained faithful to them.

Session Highlights

by Andy Chadwick, Clerk of Session

At the Congregational meeting on June 29, Andrew Chadwick rotated off Session and the Congregation elected four members to the Session class of 2027:

Margaret Davis (reelection)
Sally Hunt (reelection)
Matt Johnson (reelection)
Lou McKeage (election)

The following members were elected to serve on the 2025–26 Nominating Committee:

Marilynn Guinane
Shawn Landon
Suzie Northrop Raboy

Session will designate two members to also serve on the committee.

We had learned in the summer of 2024 that there were many missing or broken roof tiles on the south-facing roof of the sanctuary. So this summer we got a contractor in. The sanctuary roof is very high up! This was a big expense, but was planned for in our 2025 budget. It was great to have Ken Mebert’s knowledge and energy to help steer us through one last major building project before his move to Colorado in October.

Our church has been blessed with a generous endowment fund. However, our current level of congregational giving does not cover all our costs, and the income from building use and returns on our investments are not enough to make up the difference. UPC has reached the point where we need to access the principal of some of our endowment to cover our current and future expenses. It is expected that we will need to make about $100,000 available as soon as we can. Stay tuned for further discussions on finances.

Please join us in welcoming the Binghamton Downtown Singers as our newest partner in the building. They were previously based at Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church which has closed, and had also outgrown the sanctuary in that building and were searching for a larger venue. We are delighted to be partnering with them!

As always, please don’t hesitate to talk to any member of Session if you have questions or would like further information about any of our activities!

Did Someone Say “Cake”?

Good food and fellowship are common themes at UPC. And what better way to blend the two while also celebrating our church family and friends than with monthly “Birthday Sundays”?

This summer, we commemorated June, July, August, and September birthdays, with fall birthdays in the planning stages. Each month, we offer an assortment of cake, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cheese & crackers, and/or other goodies to tempt our taste buds and have the opportunity to honor those around us. We typically include gluten-free options.

We’re never short on goodies for Birthday Sunday celebrations.

“Dirt” cups, complete with worms, were a hit on Birthday Sunday in July.

In July, Sherry Conklin’s “Dirt and Worms” delicacy received rave reviews. Pudding, topped with cookie crumb “dirt,” was enhanced with a colorful gummy worm. Nothing says summer like dirt and worms!

In August, the Hospitality Team prepared Fellowship Hall for a luncheon reception following a memorial service for Thomas Olevano, a friend of the church who worshiped with us at times. Serving approximately 50 guests, the family was most appreciative of UPC’s warmth and care.

Andy Chadwick, Suzie Northrop Raboy, Bill Sands, David Sands, and Margaret Sands prepare for a memorial service lunch.

Fellowship Hall transformed for a memorial service lunch.

If you’d like to serve on the Hospitality Committee, or be available on an “ad hoc” basis for specific events, please contact the church office or one of the committee members (Cindy Chadwick, Sherry Conklin, Sally Hunt, Suzie Northrop Raboy, and Margaret Sands). We welcome bakers or buyers for birthdays, and help with a variety of tasks for other events (setting up tables and chairs, setting tables, clearing tables, serving food, washing dishes, etc.). There may even be an extra cupcake or two in it for you!

News from the Kitchen

by Sherry Conklin, Community Kitchen Coordinator

This summer brought us an increase in people attending our Tuesday meal and our Wednesday pantry. The statistics from the Food Bank of the Southern Tier show a large increase of food-insecure people in Broome County. Unfortunately, the increases are happening as financial help is decreasing. This graph from the Food Bank shows that county-wide, the number of people requesting assistance at community meals and food pantries has increased by 87% since 2020, the year we opened our Community Pantry.

I am looking hard at the amount of food that we supply. We are serving as many as 87 families. The same families may and do come every week. In addition to all our regular clients, we see about seven new families every week. I noticed that we are giving out much more than is required by Food Bank of Southern Tier and Feeding America. I’m beginning to think this will not be sustainable and may need to be adjusted. I would love to have some suggestions on how to adjust our pantry supplies. This should be a group effort, and I will print out the limits, amount allowed, and suggested amounts from the Food Bank for any person that would like to help me brainstorm ideas. I have some ideas such as having the pantry open every other week, being open every week but limiting guests to every other week or allowing staples every week but having extra food available on rotation in different weeks. I welcome any ideas.

VINES has been donating produce from their gardens every Wednesday for distribution in our pantry. We continue to get donations of bread products from Panera Bread in Johnson City, although these donations have become smaller. I continue to order donated food from CHOW on Thursdays, and place orders with the Food Bank about twice a month.

Jeff Rake is a volunteer that comes every week and does most of the main meal cooking. He also does minor plumbing work in the kitchen and other repairs which save a lot on the budget. He and I spent one morning doing a deep cleaning of the ovens and the hood, and of the dishwasher. Light bulbs were changed, and light covers were cleaned as well as the filters in the hood. Everything is so shiny and clean. A big thank you to Jeff for all he does. Of course, a big thank you to all the volunteers in the kitchen and pantry. These programs are not possible without volunteers. New volunteers are always welcome.

Take the Donohue Challenge!

Joyce and Bill Donohue are celebrating many anniversaries this year, and want to show their gratitude to God for bringing them safely through by challenging the congregation to help them fill the pantry this fall!

Their combined anniversaries, including 64 years of marriage, 25 years since Bill survived cancer, his 87th birthday, and others (ask them) add up to about 250 altogether. Between now and Christ the King Sunday (11/23), they are challenging the congregation to help them bring in pantry supplies or hygiene products (or both) — let’s see how much we can prepare for the coming winter by stocking up on needed items!

Every time you sit down to a meal prepared at home, put a pantry item in a basket to bring on Sundays.
Every time you go out for a meal (or order in), make a contribution to the hygiene program.

The pantry provides about 1,000 pounds of food at the wholesale price of $1.00/pound each week — and last week served 101 families.

The changes in federal funding and SNAP/EBT programs mean that we are seeing a particular need for sources of protein (we offer 1 pound of protein or 6 eggs to each client). Sherry suggests:

1-lb. packs of chicken
1 small box of frozen chicken nuggets
1 small box of fish sticks
1-lb. packs of ground beef
1-lb. packs of plant-based meat or cheese substitutes — much-appreciated by our vegan and vegetarian clients

Appreciated hygiene products include small packages of laundry detergent, deodorant, sanitizing wipes, and feminine products, as well as small bottles of shampoo and body wash or soap.

You can also contribute actual cash (we’ll add it to the total) if that’s easiest for you.

We’ll have baskets in the sanctuary and we’ll keep track of how much we are collecting in the coming weeks.

Supporting Our Mission and Ministry

Online Giving

We are able to receive tax-deductible contributions online through our website (upcbgm.org/give). Contributions can be made by E-check or credit card, and can also be set up as a recurring gift.

We encourage you to lift up in prayer how God will use you to bless UPC in fulfilling our mission to act justly, practice kindness, and walk humbly with God.

Planned Giving

Making a planned gift is not just for those who have wealth or special financial expertise but for anyone with a generous spirit who wants to designate their gifts while they are living. Whether it is a bequest through your will, naming the church as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, a life income gift through a trust, or a designation of a portion of your retirement savings assets, your legacy gift can help ensure the continued vitality of UPC from one generation to the next. While a planned gift brings a sense of fulfillment to our own lives, it may also provide financial benefits to the donor, including tax savings, reduced capital gains and estate taxes, and release from financial management.

More information about planned giving, including sample bequest language for a will, can be found on our website at upcbgm.org/giving.

Get Involved!

Without any doubt, the ministry of our congregation depends largely on the dedication and selfless contributions of volunteers — the incredible individuals who give generously of their time, energy, and unique talents. Here are some ways you can help us do Christ’s work in our community:

Community Meal & Pantry: Each Tuesday at 5pm, we offer a sit-down meal that is free for anybody, serving about 200 meals each week. Volunteers are needed during the day on Monday and Tuesday to help with food preparation, and on Tuesday evening to serve the meal and clean up afterwards.

On Wednesdays from noon to 5pm, we run a free food pantry that also offers personal care & hygiene items when they’re available. Volunteers help staff the pantry, and donations of non-perishable food and personal care items are always welcome.

Contact Kitchen Coordinator Sherry Conklin for more info: meal@upcbgm.org.

Worship services: You may not have noticed how many people are involved in our Sunday morning worship services, but most weeks there are at least a dozen of us, and often there are more than 20: folks who read prayers and scripture, greet visitors, share musical talents, operate technology, set up refreshments, help serve communion, or contribute their ideas and support behind the scenes. If you’d like to take part, contact Worship Team chair Suzie Raboy or the church office: office@upcbgm.org.

Our ministry teams are always welcoming new team members. If you’d like to help with or learn more about the workings of the church, talk to one of the pastors or the elders on Session: Campus Ministry, Pastor Becky; Card Committee, Margaret Davis; Community Outreach, Pastor Kimberly or Sherry Conklin; Finance, Lou McKeage; Hospitality, Sally Hunt or Sherry Conklin; Personnel, Cindy Burger; Property, Pastor Becky; Sewing Group, Cindy Burger; Worship & Music, Margaret Davis.

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