Janine Dress sits behind her desk at Firelands Presbyterian, where she has worked for 14 years. (Submitted photo)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – Fourteen years after accepting a job with Firelands Presbyterian Church, Janine Dress was faced with the most difficult decision of her life. She was at a crossroads, ready to retire but unsure of her next move. She adores the friends she has made at church and in the community, and yet she wants to be near her family, who live in Tennessee.

In the end, Dress has decided to leave the area and move to Tennessee after she retires this spring.

“This is the hardest decision I have had to make. This is the hardest move because I’m leaving home,” she said. “I knew in my head this day would come, but it’s hard for my heart to admit it’s the time.”

Dress is a 1973 Port Clinton High School graduate who has lived in the Port Clinton/Marblehead area for over 69 years. She has held a variety of roles since she was ordained as an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastor in 1982. She first served at St. John Lutheran Church in Marblehead, where she remained for 20 years. In addition to being a pastor, she earned an associate degree in computer programming and worked in the IT department at Bowling Green State University for 16 years.

“I was a bi-vocational pastor,” she said.

In 2006, health issues forced Dress to take a pause from work, and when she was ready to return, no local, fulltime pastoral positions were available. A friend told her that Firelands Presbyterian was searching for a secretary, so Dress applied and got the job. She also became a supply pastor for Hope Lutheran Church in Bowling Green. Again, she was working as a bi-vocational pastor.

That was in September, 2014. About six months into the position, the church asked her to assume bookkeeping duties, and her title changed to administrative assistant. Eventually, she was promoted to administrative coordinator.

Janine Dress is a longtime Salvation Army volunteer. Her presence in the organization will be missed when she moves to Tennessee this spring. (Submitted photo)

“Janine Dress has a heart for service and a love for the Lord and his church, a combination that made her an excellent administrative coordinator,” said Firelands Presbyterian pastor, Rev. Bobbie Bella. “She was always more than generous with her time and talents. She loved us at Firelands. She loved us, took care of us, and helped us be our best in worship and in the community.”

The love is mutual.

“I love the job. I love what I do,” she said. “My greatest memory of the church is the love of the people. They are my family here in town.”

In addition to working as a bi-vocational pastor, Dress has invested countless volunteer hours into Ottawa County Salvation Army. She became a member of the organization’s advisory board about six years ago, when Maureen Saponari was director of the Port Clinton Service Center.

“I got involved with Salvation Army because a member of Firelands Presbyterian broke her leg and asked me to fill in for her. I did that for one year, and all of a sudden, I was told I’m on the board. Maureen used to do that,” Dress said, laughing.

Dress is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the impact that the Salvation Army has on the community.

“It’s important because of all the work they do in the community. The kettles are the main funding source for the entire year,” she said. “It’s a ministry that I think we should support.”

Aside from a short break due to her work schedule in the 1990s, Dress has been a member of TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) since 1982. She became a TOPS area advocate in 2014 and still serves in the roll, overseeing 19 chapters in 11 counties.

When Dress heads to Tennessee this spring, she plans to find a church and transfer her credentials, possibly start a knitting group, and spend time with her family.

“I’m not sure what I’ll do in the future, but for a while, I’m not going to do anything,” she said.