From WESTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Weston United Methodist Church invites the community to join together for a special Sunday worship gathering on Dec. 14. This week, for the first time in many years, the church’s 1912 M.P. Möller seven rank pipe organ will be played during worship. Helen Panshin will be sharing a prelude and accompaniment along with Jody Donsbach, church pianist.
“We are very excited,” said Rev. Charles Case, pastor. “We’ve been hoping for a breakthrough in finding an organist for several years.”
That breakthrough happened this year, in 2025, with help from the Bowling Green State University Music Department. Dr. Gregory J. Decker, assistant dean for graduate studies and professor of music theory in the College of Musical Arts at BGSU, offered the opportunity to those connected with the college, and the church found interest from several individuals.
Panshin is a graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she completed bachelor of arts degrees in music and English literature. Having begun piano lessons at age 6, Panshin has long been captivated by a range of keyboard instruments including harpsichords, clavichords, and organs.
Panshin is also an aspiring musicologist, interested in the study of how music and culture are intertwined across time and space. She was the 2025 recipient of Lawrence University’s Miriam Clapp Duncan Award in organ and harpsichord literature, which recognizes a student who excels in organ and/or harpsichord performance.
Panshin values opportunities for meaningful musical engagement and looks forward to sharing the sounds of the M.P. Möller organ with the greater Weston community. She hopes her whole-hearted enthusiasm for the musical instrument will be infectious and invites both delight and curiosity from those who hear it.
Worship begins at 10:30 a.m., and, this Sunday, Dec. 14, Panshin will be playing after worship as well, providing some “browsing music” for those visiting the church for the mission committee’s Christmas cookies and crafts sale, which continues until 1:30 p.m.
Weston United Methodist Church is located at 13185 Maple St., Weston. The church is accessible for all abilities, and hearing assistance is offered. For those unable to join in person, the church offers a live stream via its Facebook page, which can be found at facebook.com/westonohioumc.
